Anodising Services — Auckland
We run Type II and Type III anodising at our Henderson facility. Been doing it since 2009. Most of our work is hard anodising (Type III) for parts that need serious wear resistance — think hydraulic components, tooling, marine hardware, defence equipment.
Standard Type II is 12µm, good for architectural extrusions and decorative work. Marine grade is 25µm for boat fittings. Type III is 60µm and that's what handles the rough stuff. We can dye any of them black if you need it. Send us your part specs and we'll tell you what'll work.
Type II - Class 1
[Standard Anodising]
Type II - Class 2
[Standard Anodising]
Type II – Marine Class 1
[Semi Hard]
Type II – Marine Class 2
[Semi Hard]
Type III - Class 1
[Hard Anodise]
Type III - Class 2
[Hard Black Anodise]
Materials We Work With
Aluminium Alloys
We can anodise most aluminium alloys, but results vary. Best results come from 5000, 6000, and 7000 series. 6061 and 6082 are common in NZ fabrication and both anodise well. Cast alloys like 355 and 356 work fine. Die-cast 319 is okay if the silicon content isn't too high.
Keep copper under 3.5% and silicon under 5% if you want good colour uniformity. Higher copper content (like 2024) anodises darker and less evenly — it's usable but you won't get the clean finish you'd get from 6061.
Not sure what alloy you've got? Bring a sample piece and we'll test it. Some alloys look identical but anodise completely differently. Drop off a test part if you want to see the actual finish before committing to a full batch.
Magnesium Alloys
We also do magnesium. Good strength-to-weight ratio but corrodes easily without treatment. Anodising it improves corrosion resistance significantly. Common for aerospace parts and racing components where every gram matters.
Process is different from aluminium — different bath chemistry, different current density. Get in touch if you've got magnesium parts that need coating.
Service Questions
What's the difference between Type II and Type III?
Type II runs at room temperature and gives you 12µm coating thickness. Type III runs cold (0-5°C) with higher voltage and produces 60µm. Type III is harder, more wear-resistant, better for parts under load or harsh conditions. Type II costs less and works fine for architectural jobs, handrails, decorative work.
Which coating thickness do I need?
Depends on the application. 12µm (Type II) handles normal wear and corrosion. Good for window frames, balustrades, decorative fittings.
25µm (Marine Class) suits saltwater exposure. Boat fittings, marine hardware, coastal architectural work.
60µm (Type III) is for heavy wear. Hydraulic cylinders, gears, tooling, defence equipment, anything that gets hammered or runs in abrasive conditions.
Can you colour match my existing anodising?
For dyed colours (black, blue, gold), yes, but there's always slight batch variation. Anodising isn't like paint where you can mix to an exact Pantone.
Type III Class 1 (undyed) comes out green-brownish naturally. You can't change that base colour. If you need black Type III, we can dye it (Class 2), but the black won't be as deep as dyed Type II because the thicker oxide layer absorbs less dye.
Do you offer sample testing before production runs?
Yes. If you're unsure how your alloy will anodise or want to check the finish before committing to a full batch, send us a sample piece. We'll run it through and you can see the actual result before booking the main job.