Anodizing: the route, the tolerances it holds, materials and design tips, with an indicative cost. One of 56 processes in the free finder.
SurfaceFamily
5Route steps
43Parts in finder
Anodising grows a hard, corrosion-resistant oxide layer on aluminium electrochemically, which can also be dyed a colour.
At a glance
When to use it, and when not
Best for
Durable, coloured, corrosion-resistant finishes on aluminium parts.
Watch for
Aluminium (and a few other metals) only; it slightly changes dimensions and masks are needed.
Step by step
The typical route
Raw material to finished part. Steps vary with material, volume and tolerance; this is the free route from the finder.
Clean/etch
Degrease and etch the aluminium.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Anodise
Grow the oxide layer (Type II or III).
Tooling Anodise line Tolerance - Lead -
Colour/seal
Dye if coloured, then seal.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Rinse & dry
Rinse and dry.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Inspect
Check thickness and colour.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Materials
Materials it suits
Grade
Why it suits this
Aluminium (6061/6063/7075)
Anodises well
Design
Design tips
A few general pointers for Anodizing. The full, part-specific DFM list is in the dossier.
Tight-fit features not compensated.Allow for layer growth.
No masked electrical contact.Mask a ground point.
Cost
What it costs
Aluminium only; corrosion + wear + colour. Hardcoat (Type III) grows a thicker, tougher layer and costs more.
PER-PART COST vs VOLUME
Per-part cost drops as volume spreads tooling and setup over more parts. The exact figures for your part at your volume, in your currency, are in the dossier.
MODEL EST.
$3.8 to 11per part at 1 off
A rough ballpark only. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency, with the full breakdown.
GET THE FULL DOSSIER
Everything you need to quote and source it
The free route above is yours. To actually put a number on this process and buy it well:
Should-cost at your exact volume in 12 currencies, with the material, processing, tooling and overhead breakdown
Who to source from, typical MOQ and lead time, and the exact RFQ checklist to send
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Anodising grows a hard, corrosion-resistant oxide layer on aluminium electrochemically, which can also be dyed a colour. The typical route is: Clean/etch; Anodise; Colour/seal; Rinse & dry; Inspect. Durable, coloured, corrosion-resistant finishes on aluminium parts.
What does Anodizing cost per part?
It depends on size, tolerance and volume. As a rough ballpark it starts around $3.8 to 11 per part at low volume and falls with quantity. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency. Model estimates, not quotes.
What tolerance can Anodizing hold?
It depends on the feature and the finishing operations used.
What materials suit Anodizing?
Common choices are Aluminium (6061/6063/7075) (Anodises well).
See the exact route and should-cost for your part
The free finder maps your part to its process and full route. Pro adds should-cost at your volume, sourcing and an RFQ draft.
