Apache Stainless Blog


Apache Stainless Equipment Corporation


The Specialty Services of Apache's Contract Group

Apache has extensive in-house fabrication processes and machines that are required to make our vessels, tanks and custom equipment.  The same machines and know-how are used in our contract manufacturing group to produce anything from repeatable parts to full assemblies.

Expertise:

  • Parts requiring multiple processes
  • Heavy industrial components
  • Large format fabrication
  • High compliance metal finishing
  • Sanitary equipment fabrication
  • Quality and specialized weldments
  • Grinding and polishing
  • Low volume full assemblies

For more information, call Ryan Metzdorf at 920.342.1186 


What is the difference between pickle passivation and electropolishing?

pickle passivation and electropolishing difference

The main difference between pickle passivation and electropolishing is the appearance and RA (roughness average) of the stainless material. In the photo, an electropolished sample is shown above a pickle passivated sample. The pickle passivated sample has a white appearance, while the electropolished sample has a mirror-like, shiny finish.

Pickle Passivation is the immersion of metal in a pickling bath such as nitric-hydroflouric acid. The process removes metal such as impurities and heat marks from welds.

Electropolishing is an electro-chemical process that removes surface material from stainless steel. The process typically starts with an immersion of the component into a controlled bath of electrolyte that is charged with a DC power supply. Apache’s RA tests show improvements up to 50% smoother, depending on the material.

Do you have more questions like this one?

Check out the Contract Manufacturing FAQs page.


Subscribe To Our Blog

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

Read More »