Finishing Talk Newsletter - August 2008

8/14/2019 Finishing Talk Newsletter - August 2008

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Finishing Spotlight:

Inside This Issue:

onto a filter surface, isnot a filter aid. Thediatomaceous earth is

the filter aid and anypowder, such as car-bon, is a solid which isto a filter, a solid whichlowers solids holdingcapacity; hence fre-quent servicing. Not

just because the flowrate has been lowered,but because the car-bon, acting like a filter,

plugs up and fails toadsorb the organic im-purities.

During many of mytalks around the world,Ive opened with a re-mark indicating that

By: Jack H. Berg

President of Serfilco

In an article I wrote

awhile back for the P.F.Directory based on tellit like it is opinions, Ifeel that I may havemissed a most impor-tant fact in regards toorganic removal andfiltration. Other authorssuggest 1 oz. of filteraid plus up to 3 oz. ofpowdered carbon ontheir disc filters forcontinuous organic re-moval and filtration.Thats up to 3 4.5 oztotal solids to removewhat solids or organics

are present in the plat-ing tank, or 300 to 450oz. per 100 sq. ft. in a

surface filter. That isover 18# to 27#,which goes to wastetreatment every timethe filter is serviced,sometimes once ortwice a week, some-times less if cleaning isless frequent, plus so-lution loss.

The fact, which maybe overlooked, is thatfilters remove insolu-ble solids - carbon ab-sorbs organics whichare in solution. Thepowdered carbon,which is pre-coated

A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 7

W H Y F I L T E R ? 1

I N D U S T R Y E V E N T S

2

N E W S & N O T E S

3

F R O M T H EF O R U M

6

F I N I S H I N GS P O T L I G H T

9

T H E L A S TW O R D

1 5

C O N T E N T S

From the Forum:

(page 6)

Plating Nickel

over Nickel

W H Y F I L T E R Y O U R P L A T I N G S O L U T I O N ?

Continued on page 4

Seattles

Space Needle

and a

Century of

Standards

(page 15)

2008 Southern Metal

Finishing

Conference

(page 9)


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Page 2F I N I S H I N G T A L K

August 18-19 :

AESF Electroforming Course

Rochester, NY

(202) 457-8401

August 18-21 :

Mega Rust 2008

Louisville, KY

www.nstcenter.com

August 19-21 :

Coatings for Africa

Drakensberg, South Africa

www.coatingsforafrica.org.za

September 3-5:

Composites World Expo

Schaumburg, IL

www.compositesworldexpo.com

September 7-9:

12th Tech. Symposium of IHAA

Seville, Spain

www.ihanodizing.com

September 8 -13:

IMTS '08

Chicago, IL

www.imts.com

September 10 -11:

Powder Coating Forum

Cleveland, OH

www.pcimag.com/pcforum

September 14 -16:

Southern Metal Finishing

Charleston, SC

surfacefinishingacademy.com

September 15 -16:

Powder Coating School

Charleston, SC

surfacefinishingacademy.com

September 18 :

Overview of UV Coatings Tech.

Virtual Learning Conference

www.coatingstech.org

October 14-16 :

FutureCoat! 2008

Chicago, [email protected]

Have an upcoming event? Tell

us about it at

www.finishingtalk.com!

I N D U S T R Y E V E N T S 2 0 0 8


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Page 3V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 7

N E W S & N O T E S

Washington DC On July 1,2008, the EPA published the finalregulation for plating and polishingarea sources in the Federal Regis-

ter (73 Fed. Reg. 37728). The finalrule, 40 CFR Part 63, SubpartWWWWWW, is effective immedi-ately for new affected sources(i.e., those that begin operationson or after July 1, 2008). Existingplating and polishing operationsmust comply with the new regula-tory requirements by July 1, 2010.The Clean Air Act mandates thatthe EPA must promulgate stan-dards to control the emissions ofhazardous air pollutants (HAPs)from small or area sources. Theplating and polishing processesthat are subject to the plating andpolishing area source rule arethose processes performed at anaffected plating and polishing facil-ity that uses or has the potential toemit any compound of any of thefollowing metal HAPs: cadmium,chromium, lead, manganese, and

nickel. This includes electrolyticand non-electrolytic plating andcoating processes (e.g., electro-plating, conversion coating, seal-ing, and phosphating), electro-forming, dry mechanical polishing,and thermal spray at approxi-mately 2,900 existing plating andpolishing facilities. A copy of thefinal rule is available on the NASFwebsite at www.nasf.org. If youhave any questions or need addi-

tional information, please contactChristian Richter of Jeff Hannapel:[email protected]

[email protected], MA The CryogenicInstitute of New England, Inc. in-troduces a new capability of utiliz-ing liquid helium for cryogenic

temperature, reducing energy re-quirements during the pre-treatment process.

Worldwide Dow and Rohmand Haas have announced a de-finitive agreement, under whichDow will acquire all outstandingshares of Rohm and Haas commonstock for $78 per share incash. The acquisition of Rohm andHaas will make Dow the worldsleading specialty chemicals andadvanced materials company. Thetransaction marks a decisive movein Dows transformation into an

earnings growth company withreduced cyclicality. Last December,Dow announced a joint venturewith Petrochemical IndustriesCompany of the State of Kuwait(PIC). With the collective impact ofthese two deals, performanceproducts and advanced materialswill represent 69 percent of Dowstotal sales, on a 2007 pro formabasis, compared with 51 percent.

Cincinnati, OH The ChemicalCoaters Association International(CCAI)honored members for ser-vice and dedication and installedits 2008 2009 Officers and Na-tional Board members during their2008 Annual Meeting held in Clear-water Beach, FL in late June. Inaddition to awards for ChapterUser and Supplier of the Year, thiswas the first year that two Lifetime

Achievement Awards were issuedat one time (those going to GeorgeBryant of Briggs & Stratton andLarry Melgary of Northern Coating& Chemicals). CCAI is a non-profittechnical and professional associa-tion that provides information andeducation on surface coating tech-nologies worldwide. Visit CCAI onthe web at www.ccaiweb.com.

treatment of materials to tempera-tures as low as 4K /-268C/-451F.The procedure involves the utiliza-tion of a specially modified cryo-

genic chamber that was designedand constructed in collaborationwith technology partner AppliedCryogenics Inc. According to RobinRhodes, President of CryogenicInstitute of New England, Inc., thecapability grew from the needs ofits aerospace customers whosought extreme temperature cy-cling for residual stress relief ofcritical components. While the ma-

jority of applications have beenrelated to aerospace, the firm hasalso offered the capability to re-searchers and other industries,including electronics. Cost for thetreatment varies, depending onramp and soak times, but Rhodesestimates that his firm can offer anear absolute zero treatment cycle(to 4K) for less than 30% of thecost of similar processing as of-fered through governmental and

other research organizations. Tolearn more visithttp://www.nitrofreeze.com.

Worldwide Henkel Corp. hasintroduced an energy-saving, low-temperature cleaner, BonderiteRidoline RT-153, designed to becompatible with both phosphateand phosphate-free conversioncoating technologies. Formulatedfor use with phosphate-free

nanotechnologies such as Bonde-rite NT-1 and Bonderite TecTali,the new cleaner can also be usedon zinc, iron and magnesium phos-phate metal pre-treatment proc-esses. Water-based and solvent-free, it is sprayed onto aluminum,hot-dip galvanized steel or electro-galvanized steel surfaces at room


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Page 4

W H Y F I L T E R Y O U R P L A T I N G S O L U T I O N ? C O N T F R O M P G 1 . . .

sulfate nickel for record mastersin what looked like a simplewaffle iron.) This is an example

of being able to prevent solidsfrom entering the chamber iffiltration was done at 100% offlow rate, and the filter mediawas chosen to be non-migratingand at a level of particle reten-tion to match the desired result.

This brings us to explain the dif-ference between nominal filtermedia, which stops certain size

solids according to its densitywhich could offer 85 95% as-surance that no particles largerthan the rated media would re-tain, and absolute rating indicat-ing a 100% of certain size parti-cles were stopped. The use ofany filter media does not assure

particle retention and flow ratesto assure the solution was freeof solids.

Many years ago, I authored anarticle which Products Finishingeditor emeritus, Ezra Blount,typed as I dictated, entitled TheCase for Coarse Filtration at

High Turnover Rates(PF 1964).It was based on the HydraulicHandbook, which states that at14 turnovers per hour, all of thesolution would have passed over

the filter at least once. It didntrecognize dead areas in a tankof plating solution.

It also depended on no addi-tional solids from entering theplating tank while depositionwas taking place, (which condi-tion would occur when plating

you no longer have to filter yourplating solution. The reaction Isee is Why does this speaker

tell us we no longer have to fil-ter our plating solutions? It issimple No dirt (solids) in, nodirt out.

Another time, a special part tobe plated had to be done in asolids free solution. So an in-strument which monitors solidswas purchased to signal whenthe part could enter the tank.

Of course, the instrument didntassure the plater that during thetime of deposition the solutionstayed free of solids from the air(or anodes, or migrated filtermedia). I feel that the moneyspent on the instrument shouldhave been used on a filter and

F I N I S H I N G T A L K


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that the presence of differentsize particles arent in the plat-ing solution, but when mediaand flow rate (turnover) are puttogether, than a predictable de-gree of clarity can be accom-plished.

The plating of memory drumsfor electronic applications some-times employs 40 50 turn-overs per hour at .1 micron ab-solute particle retention fromnon-migrating membrane me-dia. Compare the above to 1-2turnovers per hour at even 5micron retention from a media

which migrates, and you seewhy your plating may some-times have rough areas of de-posit.

Frankly, I have always favoredsome type of cartridge which,after a first flush, is no longerallowing fibers to migrate. I alsofavor cartridges because theyare available for use on slimy

alkaline solutions with coarsewindings. (Platers of alkalinezinc used them because theircleaning was inadequate andthe coarse filter held more solids

sometimes 6-8 wks. betweenservices.) Other solutions whichcrystallize, such as acid zinc ornickel, would usually use 5 to 15micron, but even certain nickelapplications may find that a 50

micron at high turnover rateswill provide good results.

Now, what about no filter onthe plating tank - why not? Be-cause the filter media needsneutralizing of the plating solu-tion, all steps should be taken tominimize the amount of media

and solids to be disposed of.Previous articles have empha-sized the choice to Work Back-wards. This reduces the solids,which may reach the plating so-lution. Therefore, the final rinsebefore plating is a good oppor-tunity to stop particulates, whichfrom surface tension have trav-eled from the cleaner to theetch and finally arriving at theplating station.

Attention to prevention couldeliminate 80-90% of such solids,and when a separate chambercontaining granular carbon is

used to recirculate on theetchant and pre-rinse, anotherproblem is avoided. This leavesthe organic breakdown productsas the only other need for car-bon on the plating solution.This in turn can be reduced byswitching from air for agitationto pumps with eductors to cre-ate the necessary movement ofthe ions for faster plating with-

out causing breakdown of thebrightener chemical.

One recent report indicated thata plater could plate up to 33%faster at higher amps withoutburning. It made it possible forhis company to bring in moreparts from his customer withoutthe need to increase his needfor another automatic machine.

A further benefit of controllingthe amount of solids in the plat-ing rank and the level of organicimpurities is that captured plat-ing solutions dripping from partsin a 'dry sump' may be addedback to the plating tank withoutthe fear that you are building upthe level of organic impurities.

With the use of filters, coa-lescers, and carbon on solutionsfrom the soak to the platingtank, the plater may expect tohave eliminated up to 90% ofsolids from entering the platingsolution. This could make it pos-sible for his plating filter to lastten times longer between servic-ing. Did we completely eliminatethe filter on the plating solution?No, but with the steps of pre-vention in place, we havegreatly reduced the need.

You now have a system of filtra-tion and separate purification in

place which will pay dividendsfrom less solution contamina-tion, less solids to hazardouswaste, less labor for servicingand, as weve said before,

unattended filtration and puri-fication, from day-to-day andmonth-to-month. Talk to yourchemical supplier; he knows thevalue of getting rid of solid ororganic contamination, as it ap-

plies to service requirements.Talk to your customer as well;he knows the value of more uni-form deposits with improvedductility. And finally, talk to yourproduction staff; they know thevalue of less rejects.

Article reprinted, courtesy of:

Jack H. Berg

President

SERFILCO, Ltd.

2900 M acArthur Dr.

Northbrook, IL 60062

Ph: 847-509-2900

Fax: 847-559-1995

[email protected]

www.serfilco.com


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F R O M T H E F O R U M : P L A T I N G N I C K E L O V E R N I C K E L

Our August installment of From the Forum is a

discussion between members William S, Cap-tain Tripz, Dedalus, Labrat, Skelton, and

DustinGebhardt on the topic of nickel plating

over an item that has already been nickel plated.

Feel free to add your thoughts to their ongoing

discussion by visiting the forums at

www.finishingtalk.com/community and choosing

the Decorative Plating forum. For more From

the Forum discussions, check out our internet

television show, Finishing Talk Live, where hostsPaul Fisher and Paul Skelton bring the boards to

life!

www.finishingtalklive.com

Will iam S

I am looking for a process that you can plate

bright nickel over bright nickel, without peeling

problems. Any help would be great. Thanks.

Captain Tripz

You could use a cyanide activator. Same prin-

ciple as when dummying a bright nickel tank

with previously used dummies. Activate with

cyanide activator to keep chunks from slough-

ing off the dummies into the solution. Just

make sure you are equipped to deal with the

cyanide waste treatment.Dedalus

From a waste treatment perspective, nickel

cyanide is one of the hardest cyanide wastes

to treat. Ni(CN)42- is just barely amenable to

chlorination. To treat wastes like this, I'd have

to maintain a chlorine residual in the batch for

24 hours or more. I'm certainly no plater, but

could a Woods strike be used instead?

Labrat

The most successful nickel reactivation process

I have used is the cyanide activation process.

Used cathodically, the make up is 8 opg Potas-

sium Cyanide, 8 opg Potassium Hydroxide

(Caustic Potash) and water to operating level.

I normally reactivate for 5 minutes, cyanide

copper flash (no rinse between), rinse well,

then into bright nickel.

I have heard of other methods that worked

well that you may want to experiment with:

cathodic activation in 30% hydrochloric acid;

Woods nickel strike (Nickel Chloride, Hydro-

chloric Acid, water) for 1-2 minutes, very quick

rinse, and into bright nickel.

Skelton

I can speak from experience that its part "how

you hold your mouth" and the rest following

process procedure. Plating over a passive

nickel coating can be much compared to that

of plating over stainless steel, which is a me-

thodical process, but simple all in the same.

You have one of two choices and can incorpo-

rate one into the others process if it makes

sense for the other processes you are per-

forming.1) Degrease/Soak Cleaner

2) Electroclean (Direct (1 min.), Reverse (1

min.), Direct (10 sec.)), 20 asf

3) Rinse

4) Muriatice Acid (min. 50% v/v) or Acid Salt

Posted on October 11, 2006


7/16


(1 1/2 lb. per gal.), 1 - 2 min.

5) No rinse. Woods Nickel Strike, 1 min. no

current, 1 - 2 min. strike @ 10 - 20 asf.*

6) Rinse.

7) Bright Nickel Plate.

*After a good acid salt, an activated part can

go into a Nickel Plating process. However, the

Woods Nickel Strike offers somewhat of an in-

surance package and you can test this by do-

ing an adhesion test after the Woods Nickel

Strike (although, I have seen the process work

without the strike). Contact your local chemis-

try supplier for details regarding a good acid

salt. I am only attesting to experience and

without reservation will say that it is not 100%

successful. Good luck in your trials.

DustinGebhardt

I'll second what Paul has already written. In

my personal experience, passing current

through the acid (cathodically) can also help

remove the stubborn nickel oxides on the sur-

face of the part. Also, an acid salt with somefluoride included tends to give me better re-

sults. As the piece gets older, it becomes more

difficult to reactivate, generally. Also, try to

Carolina Process Control provides the metal finishing industrywith a single source solution for all their industrial waste water treatment system and component needs. We design,build and install turn-key waste treatment systems for pHneutralization, heavy metal removal, water recycling, zero dis-charge and other chemical processing applications.

www.carolinaprocesscontrol.com

117 Westerly Hills Dr.

Forest City,

NC, 28043

Ph: (828) 245-1115

Fax: (828) 245-1216


8/16


N E E D H E L P P L A T I N G N I C K E L O V E R N I C K E L ( C O N T )

avoid long times with a reverse current elec-

trocleaner, as this will tend to form oxides as

well. Paul's electrocleaning process of di-

rect, reverse, direct should do well. In any

case, I've never had this work 100% of the

time. On new material, I was lucky to get

75%. 50% yield was more common. In

the end, I stopped doing it. I wasn't fully

comfortable with the thought of the parts

failing in the field some time down the road.

Do you have something to add? Log onto the Finishing Talk forums today to

join in on this discussion or start a

discussion of your own!

www.finishingtalk.com/community


9/16


F I N I S H I N G S P O T L I G H T : S O U T H E R N M E T A L F I N I S H I N G

This month, we have decidedto shine the spotlight on ayearly conference that has beendeveloping a pretty devoted fol-lowing of metal finishers overthe last 5 years. Held annuallyin the late summer/early fall inthe iconic and historical town ofCharleston, SC, the SouthernMetal Finishing Conference is amust attend, particularly forplating and powder coating jobshop owners, sales personnel,purchasing supervisors, plant/

line management and key op-erators in the South Eastern re-gion of the U.S.

Though the title suggests anatmosphere catered strictly tosouthern Platers, there are infact exhibitors and attendeesfrom all across the country.

The Conference prides itself onbeing a casual event, where at-tendees are free to mingle andmeet with exhibitors on a oneon one basis - and it is just theright size that this is actuallypossible! A combination of pro-fessional events and the just forfun element provide a variety ofentertaining and educationalopportunities for everyone inattendance. Whether youchoose to go for the great lineup of workshops (including con-centrations in Powder Coating,

Electroplating, and SurfaceCleaning, all taught by re-spected and experienced indus-try professionals) to exhibit, orto catch up with old friends andmake new contacts, there isplenty to keep you interested.

Though the conference hasbeen held consecutively inCharleston since its first year(2004), it has already been

hosted in several different ven-ues. The first annual SouthernMetal Finishing Conference washeld at the Doubletree GuestSuites, centered in Charlestonhistoric district. The subsequentthree years were held at theEmbassy Suites Hotel, a reno-vated historic landmark (it wasonce the original Citadel MilitaryCollege). This year, keeping

with its theme of historicallysignificant conference locations,Southern Metal Finishings hosthotel will be the Francis Marion,which was named for GeneralFrancis Marion (the SwampFox) of the American Revolu-

Continued on next page...


10/16


tion. It was also the largestand grandest hotel in the Caro-linas when it opened in 1924(and its still pretty grand to-day!).

Playing on the Swamp Fox

theme, the conference holdsan annual Swamp Fox Scram-ble golf tournament as part ofits yearly line up of conferenceevents. This tournament is heldat the Patriots Point Links golfcourse, which overlooksCharleston Harbor. PatriotsPoint is yet another historicalattraction in this endlessly in-triguing city. Home to a Naval

& Maritime Museum, you canfind four decommissioned shipsdating back to World War II, inaddition to a nuclear merchantvessel and a variety of otherfascinating exhibits. The bestpart is its on the way to the

golf course, so you couldchoose to make a pretty ex-ceptional day for yourself if youso desired.

Another event that is veryunique to the conference is the

annual Pub Crawl ScavengerHunt. This year will mark the3rd pub crawl, spreadingteams throughout downtownCharleston in search of variousobjects and answers to localhistory based questions, whilestopping for drinks along theway. It has become one of themost anticipated social eventsof the conference, and contin-

ues to gain participants everyyear.

The Surface Finishing Academyis also proud to present theirkeynote speaker for the Mon-day afternoon luncheon, Mr.

John Flatley, Executive Directorof the NASF and ManagingPrincipal of Association Man-agement Strategies (AMS), afull-service association man-agement company located in

Washington, DC. He will bespeaking on priority issues im-pacting the metal finishing in-dustry and the role the NASF istaking to address them. Hewill also discuss the value andadvantages that belonging to atrade association can providefor individual finishers.

Be sure to check out this gemof the south east if you have

the chance. Registration is cur-rently open on their website:surfacefinishingacademy.com.

You will find all the info youneed about conference events,costs, hotel arrangements andmore. See you in September!


11/16

C O N F E R E N C E I T I N E R A R Y

Sunday, September 14, 2008

8:30am: Annual Swamp Fox Scramble Golf Tournament at Patriot's Point Registration

9:30am: Golf Tournament Tee Time

6:00pm: Optional early set up for exhibitors in Exhibit Hall7:00pm: Opening Reception (a meet and greet' cocktail hour) in the Exhibit Hall.

8:00pm: Finishing Talk Live filming during Opening Reception

Monday, September 15, 2008

6:30am: Exhibit Set up

7:30am: Registration and Exhibit Hall open

8:00am: Classes Begin

12:00pm: Keynote Luncheon - featuring speaker John Flatley1:30pm: Classes Resume

5:00pm: Classes End

6:00pm: Exhibit Hall Closes - exhibit dismantling

6:30pm: Pub Crawl Registration

7:00pm: Pub Crawl Starts

10:00pm: Pub Crawl Culminates at the Rooftop Bar

Tuesday, September 16, 20087:00am: Registration

8:00am: Classes Begin

12:00pm: Awards Ceremony and Luncheon

(open to all registered attendees)

1:30pm: Classes Resume

5:00pm: Classes end (may vary by class)

The 2008 SMF Conference will

be held at the Francis Marion

Hotel in downtown Charleston.

Our discounted room rate is

only valid until August 14!!!

(visit our w ebsite for details)


12/16

F I N I S H I N G T A L K

Southern Metal Finishing Conference - September 14-16, 2008


13/16


Syracuse, NY

When NASAs Phoenix Mars Lander started

sampling the surface of Mars in early June, the firstthing to contact the icy soil was a protective coat-ing provided by Anoplate Corporation of Syracuse,NY. The aluminum sampling scoop, referred to asthe ISAD (icy soil acquisition device), at the end ofthe Phoenix Mars Landers robotic arm incorporated Anoplates hardcoat anodize to maximize abrasionresistance and prevent soil samples from becomingcontaminated from the otherwise bare, unprotectedaluminum. The robotic arm used the ISAD to dig atrench deep enough to access layers of potentially

water-ice bearing soil. This icy soil was obtainedusing a high speed rasp device housed within theISAD scoop. The soil was then transferred to theThermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer instrument on-board the spacecraft for chemical analysis.

When Honeybee Robotics of New York, NY, ap-proached Anoplate about anodizing a one-of-a-kindrobot component late in 2006, Anoplate engineershad little idea where their discussions would lead.The initial inquiry included an exotic assortment offinishes and colors that while pretty were not real-istic. After consulting with Anoplate engineers, aworkable solution was arrived at featuring exten-sive use of Anoplates hardcoat anodize. This typeof anodize electrochemically coverts aluminum sur-faces into a ceramic-hard, aluminum oxide. Similarhardcoat anodize coatings are used on rollers incopying machines, automotive pistons, aircraftlanding gear, and aluminum pots and pans.

Since 1960 Anoplate Corporation has provided sur-face engineering solutions to industrial manufactur-

ers worldwide to overcome the rigors of corrosion,friction and wear. As an ISO 9001/14001 registeredand Nadcap accredited firm, Anoplate is committedto serving its customers, employees and commu-nity with quality electroplating and anodizing ser-vices performed in an environmentally responsiblemanner. Contact Anoplate for engineered solutionsto your products surface requirements in the medi-cal, defense, aerospace, computer, electronics ormass transit industry.

This image, released by NASA June 6 , 2008,

was taken by NASA's Phoenix M ars Lander's

Surface Stereo Imager on Sol 11 (June 5,

2008), the eleventh day after landing. It

shows the Robotic Arm scoop containing a

soil sample poised over the partially open

door of the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Ana-

lyzer's number four cell, or oven. Light-

colored clods of material visible toward the

scoop's lower edge may be part of the

crusted surface material seen previously

near the foot of the lander. Photo credit:

NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/

Texas A&M

Contact: Milton Stevenson

Jr. Chief Technology Officer

Anoplate Corporation

459 Pulaski Street / Syracuse, NY 13204

Phone: 315.471.6143 / Fax 315.474.1091

http://www.anoplate.com.

A N O P L A T E H A S T H E S C O O P O N M A R S


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F I N I S H I N G T A L KPage 14

5-6

Charleston, SC .September 15-16

San Diego, CA . November 5-6


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Page 15

S E A T T L E S S P A C E N E E D L E & A C E N T U R Y O F S T A N D A R D S B Y A N N A L E V I T S K Y

I recently participated in a weeklong leadership training programin Seattle, Washington home ofrainy days, a gargantuan volcano

named (appropriately enough)Mt. Rainier, and of course, thatworld famous architectural nov-elty, the Space Needle. I had verylittle time to go sightseeing duringmy trip; nevertheless, I did havethe opportunity to see the struc-ture Ive come to know only at adistance through shows like Fra-sier and the Austin Powers mov-ies. I know its a bit clich Iguess the inner tourist in me just

couldnt be mollified until I tookthe 60 story elevator ride up tothe observation deck.

After my trip, I decided to do a bitof research into the design andconstruction of the structure, andI found quite a bit of fascinatinginformation about the tower. Itturns out that it was built to be afocal point at the 1962 WorldsFair in Seattle, and the final ele-vator car was installed only a day

before the grand opening. Duringthe Fair (which ran from April 21to October 21) 20,000 people perday traveled up to the observa-tion deck. And if safety was evera concern to those early visitors,they would probably be relievedto know that the structure wasbuilt to withstand Category 5 hur-ricane-force winds (around 200mph), and earthquakes up to a9.5 magnitude. It also has 25

lightning rods, for those of youwho are scared of death by light-ning (which is pretty rare, actu-ally; statistics say that in the U.S.there is only a 1 out of 700,000chance of being struck by light-ning in a given year. To put thatin perspective, you are morelikely to be legally executed (1 in

parent and caretaker of over12,000 standards. It was origi-nally formed in 1898 by a groupof scientists and engineers seek-

ing to standardize the steel usedin rail road track fabrication ap-parently there were a lot of railbreaks in those days. As timewent on, it developed the Com-mittee A01 which oversees stan-dards for Steel, Stainless Steeland Related Alloys and has amembership of 800 industry pro-fessionals and experts. Today, ASTM standards cover both fer-rous and nonferrous metals, in-

cluding steel, copper, aluminumand many others.

The organization is also active inthe standardization of metal fin-ishes. In fact, it is a focus of theASTM Committee A05 on Metallic-Coated Iron and Steel Products.Over the past hundred years, thecommittee has developed over70 specifications and test meth-ods that help protect iron andsteel products against corrosion

by the use of metallic coatings, aswell non-metallic coatings (ASTM& the Metals Industry: Partners inLong Term Success).

Over the years, I come to seemore and more just how inter-connected everything is in thisworld. Odd how a trip to theSpace Needle can connect you toover a century of historyeventhough the structure itself is lessthan 50 years old.

60,000) than be hit by a lightningbolt).

While I was educating myself onthe fascinating history of the

Space Needle, I came across areference to a very familiar or-ganization. The ASTM (AmericanSociety for Testing and Materials)mentions in its 1998 publicationACentury of Progress, the impactthat its structural steel specifica-tions had on some of the mostprestigious and demanding con-struction projects of the postwarera including the legendarySpace Needle. An excerpt from

the section entitled ASTM in thePostwar Economy, reads:

Seattles Space Needle, a soaring600-foot steel tower that wasbuilt for the 1962 Worlds Fair,featured three sets of taperedsteel legs made according toStandard A 36. The standard de-scribed a new type of hardenedcarbon steel that could handleextreme design stresses. An ASTM publication reported that

the Space Needle had less than3-inch maximum sway at the top;it is designed for heavy seismicloads and wind gusts. The greaterstrength of A 36 steel permittedhigher design stresses, weldedfabrication, and cost savings.

I wonder if the Space Needlewould have been there for me tovisit if the standards for the hard-ened carbon steel had not been inplace? What else has been stan-dardized by the ASTM?

Presently, the ASTM developsstandards for many industries,including the metals industry,with which it has a long history. Itturns out that the ASTM is theoldest and most dominant stan-dard organization in the UnitedStates, and to date is the proud

T H E L A S T W O R D


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