The Site Area

The METALAST Technology Center (MTC) is strategically located on a three acre plot in Douglas Country Nevada, 45 miles south of Reno and 15 miles east of Lake Tahoe. In conjunction with a first-hand tour of the facilities and discussions with METALAST staff, this location offers visitors a variety of year-round recreational opportunities. The MTC faces the Sierra Nevada mountains to the West and affords breathtaking views.

The METALAST Tech Center is part of the Meridian Business Park and is located at 2241 Park Place. The building measures 28,000 square feet with METALAST occupying a majority of office space with 17,000 square feet. The Tech Center includes the laboratory and the corporate offices of METALAST International, Inc. The terms "METALAST Tech Center," "Tech Center" and "MTC" refer primarily to the 3,000 square feet allotted to the laboratory and its associated components, such as the training classroom, equipment room, and instrumentation room.

The MTC Lab’s Mission

The METALAST Technology Center laboratory is designed and built to provide a state-of-the-art research center for the metal finishing industry and to educate professionals in the latest finishing techniques as well as the METALAST technology.

Laboratory Design Solution

The laboratory brings together design, automation, computer science, and research and development excellence. Components include: the research-scale finishing line, the process control center, the training classroom, the chemistry (analytical) area, and various safety features.

The Finishing Line

The laboratory is centered around an advanced 22 station finishing line that is computer controlled with an automatic hoist system capable of handling up to 12 processes simultaneously. The tanks are approximately 60 gallons each and constructed of 316 stainless steel or polypropylene. The line includes a standard complement of pretreatment tanks (alkaline cleaner, alkaline etch, acid deoxidizer), three finishing tanks, electrolytic coloring, organic coloring, and a mid-temperature seal tank. In addition, several pairs of rinse tanks are counterflowed to reduce water consumption.

Each of the finishing tanks is connected to METALAST Process Control Computers to automate and provide reproducibility to the finishing process. The process controllers are interfaced to the hoist control computer so that parts loads may be automatically cleaned, anodized, and provided with any necessary post-treatment. Work performed at the MTC can be designed for scale-up in the production environment to virtually any size line. METALAST alliance partners and METALAST technical staff can provide consulting and well as turn-key implementation services to build such lines. The METALAST technology can, of course, be retrofitted to most existing operations as well.

Training Classroom

In order to educate metal finishers in the proper techniques of finishing, a state of the art classroom adjoins the laboratory. There are two large windows in the connecting wall so that students in the classroom may see and participate in the activities of the laboratory. In addition, audio/visual communications connect the classroom to the laboratory. Our METALTrain Program offers complete instruction in all aspects of professional finishing, not just the METALAST technology. Instruction is also provided in finishing chemistry, marketing and administration of the METALAST license, and operation and use of the METALAST Process Control System. Additional courses are planned in response to demand.

Audio/Visual Equipment

METALAST’s state of the art multimedia system allows audio/visual lectures and training classes to be sent throughout the facility. Strategic placement of cameras and microphones throughout the lab and classroom allow images and sound to be displayed on any of the TV/monitors throughout METALAST. In addition, the utilization of the computer network allows audio/visual signals to be sent anywhere in the world – remote classrooms or teleconferencing facilities – directly from the Tech Center.

Large screen projectors in both the classroom and boardroom allow audio and video sources to be displayed in high-resolution SVGA computer standards (800 x 600) from any of the cameras, VCRs, and/or computer. A portable projector allows mobility of high-resolution presentations, corporate videos, and Internet representation.

Equipment/Instrumentation

The instrumentation room is included in the laboratory for the use and storage of sensitive equipment. The instrumentation room houses the analytical balance, stereomicroscope, electronic test equipment, a computer work station, and customer samples in progress. The instrumentation room has independent temperature control so that sensitive equipment may be maintained at a constant temperature. Daylight fluorescent lighting provides accurate color work and reduces eye fatigue. Ample counter space and cabinetry are also provided.

An adjacent equipment room contains support equipment for the laboratory and finishing line including a 20 gph reverse osmosis unit, 98 cfm air compressor, 6 ton chiller, and a salt spray corrosion chamber.

Chemistry/Analysis Area

The chemistry area is designed to accommodate the day to day analysis of the finishing line. The laboratory has 300 square feet of benchtop surfaces with stainless steel cabinetry underneath to provide adequate work and storage space. A bench is dedicated to the two spectrophotometers in the lab (atomic absorption and UV-VIS) and supplied with acetylene, nitrous oxide, dry air, and exhaust.

Safety Features

Safety features of the METALAST Tech Center include: containment basins, proper waste disposal, an air-make up system, safe chemical storage, and security controlled entrances and exits.

• Containment Basins
  The finishing line includes an integral containment basin to hold any tank contents in the event of a catastrophic tank failure. The walkway around the line is a raised grated basin to allow personnel to work safely and comfortably on a dry floor in an inherently wet environment.
• Waste Disposal
  The waste drains on the finishing line are segregated so that acids and bases can be safely and easily drummed for off site disposal. Used rinse water may be sampled and monitored from an access port outside the building. No chemicals except rinse water are disposed of on site and all liquid waste is drained and shipped for disposal.
• Air Make-up System
  The line incorporates a push-pull system to remove noxious fumes from the laboratory. A blanket of air is blown across the tanks and captured in a high capacity exhaust system. The air removed by the exhaust system is replenished by a 16,000 cfm heating/cooling unit on the roof. A large fume hood is located in the laboratory for working with dangerous or otherwise objectionable chemicals.
• Chemical Storage
  Cabinetry is available in the laboratory for segregated storage of flammable chemicals, acids, and bases. A large chemical storage area is also located over a sealed catch basin behind the finishing line.
• Entrances and Exits
  For safety and security, access to the laboratory from any of the three entrances is electronically controlled. Authorized personnel use magnetic cards to open the doors into the laboratory. The laboratory contains the standard complement of safety equipment including safety showers, eye washes, first aid kits, and fire extinguishers. Appropriate personal protection devices such as protective eyewear, earplugs, and dust masks are located strategically around the lab area.
• Material Safety Data Sheets
  Duplicate Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) files are kept in the two separate locations: in the laboratory and in the receiving area of the warehouse. No chemicals are allowed beyond the receiving area without an MSDS on file. The chemical inventory is maintained on-line and is accessible from any computer station in the building.

Other Special Features

A substantial portion of the finishing work involves or requires accurate color matching. The laboratory is illuminated with a combination of natural light from a large eastern exposure window, daylight fluorescent bulbs, and low pressure mercury halogen floodlights. Visitors to the facility may look into the laboratory through windows in the western wall, classroom (southern wall), and second floor overlook (southern wall).

Activities Conducted in the Lab

Research and Development

The research and development function of the METALAST Technical Center is primarily devoted to improvement of aluminum finishing processes. Improvements in the area of oxide performance include: increased hardness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance. The laboratory staff also conducts research on oxide modifications that provide oxides with special characteristics such as electrical conductivity, lowered coefficient of friction, and reduced surface roughness.

Various oxide characteristics and performance aspects can be measured in the laboratory using the latest equipment. METALAST test equipment includes a Taber abraser for wear resistance measurement, several eddy current coating thickness measurement devices, a surface profilometer, salt spray cabinet for corrosion testing, a stereomicroscope for visual inspection at 50x to 500x magnification, and an analytical balance.

Technical Support

In addition to research and development in the area of aluminum finishing, the laboratory provides technical support for finishing issues. The technical support work in the laboratory involves interacting with customers and potential customers to develop solutions to finishing problems . The solutions may involve unique pretreatment techniques, finishing methods, or post treatment procedures. A high volume of samples are processed through the laboratory for finishing and the technical support personnel rely heavily upon the automated line and available testing equipment for the high volume of samples that are processed through the laboratory for finishing.

Chemistry/Analytical Support

As a value added service to our customers, we periodically sample and analyze their finishing baths. The management and maintenance of the baths on the METALAST finishing line is performed in the laboratory as well. In addition to the standard wet chemistry techniques, an atomic absorption spectrophotometer and UV-VIS spectrophotometer are available.

Future Plans

Future plans include the development of a metallurgical lab and staff, and expanded testing and analytical equipment.