The Art and Science of the Finish: Mastering Metal Transformation

In the high-stakes world of industrial manufacturing, the quality of a part is often defined not just by its form or function, but by its surface. For nearly 50 years, Latem Industries (the word “Metal” spelled backward) has operated at the center of Ontario’s manufacturing hub, transforming raw, post-production components into precision-finished assets. Operating out of a massive 114,000-square-foot facility in Cambridge, Ontario, Latem processes over 15 million parts monthly for sectors ranging from aerospace and automotive to medical and military.

The philosophy at Latem is simple: "Get your parts in, process them, and get them out." Yet achieving this requires a sophisticated blend of heavy-duty mechanical processes, precision chemical engineering, and advanced coating technologies.

At the heart of Latem’s operation is its robust blasting department. Shot blasting is more than just a cleaning step; it is an essential preparation process for many subsequent operations.

For manufacturers, this is critical to ensuring that subsequent coatings, such as E-coat or powder coating, have the proper surface profile for maximum adhesion. Latem utilizes specialized media, including aluminum oxide and glass beads, to tailor the finish to the specific metal substrate—whether steel, aluminum, or cast iron.

While blasting cleans, shot peening strengthens. By bombarding a part’s surface with spherical media, Latem creates a layer of compressive residual stress. This process effectively "hammers out" microscopic cracks and imperfections, significantly increasing the fatigue life of critical components such as engine parts and titanium brackets.

For parts that require a more delicate touch or high-volume edge-breaking, Latem turns to its vibratory and tumbling departments.

In vibratory finishing, parts are placed in large bowls or tubs filled with specific media. As the tub vibrates, the media "scrubs" the parts, removing sharp burrs and polishing the surface to a uniform finish. This is the go-to solution for complex geometries where traditional blasting might be too aggressive.

Tumbling serves a similar purpose but uses rotational force within a barrel. This process is highly effective for mass deburring and breaking the sharp edges of thousands of small parts simultaneously. When high-luster finishes are required, burnishing is employed. By using highly polished steel media and specialized chemical compounds, Latem can achieve a polished finish on certain metal components without removing a significant amount of material.

Before any coating can be applied, a part must be chemically "pure." Latem’s parts washing and ultrasonic cleaning lines are designed to remove the "three enemies" of finishing: rust, excess oils, and loose scale or flashing.

Many parts arrive coated in heavy oils or drawing compounds from the stamping or machining process. Latem’s multi-stage washing systems use heated cleaners and high-pressure sprays to strip these contaminants away. For medical or high-precision aerospace parts, ultrasonic cleaning uses high-frequency sound waves to create cavitation bubbles that reach into the tightest crevices, ensuring a level of cleanliness that traditional washing cannot match.

When mechanical blasting is not an option—perhaps because of the delicate nature of the part—Latem employs chemical rust removal. This process uses specialized acids and inhibitors to dissolve oxidation without damaging the underlying base metal, preparing the part for immediate assembly or further finishing.

Once a part is cleaned and prepared, it often requires a protective or decorative layer. Latem’s coating division offers a suite of high-performance options.

E-coat is the "gold standard" for corrosion protection, especially for automotive and industrial parts with complex internal cavities. At Latem, parts are submerged in a paint bath where an electric current is applied, drawing the paint particles to the metal surface with 100% coverage. To meet the specific aesthetic and functional needs of modern manufacturing, Latem now offers E-coat in a dark gray finish, providing a sleek, professional look that stands out from standard black coatings.

For parts requiring a thicker, more durable finish, powder coating is the ideal choice. Latem provides a wide range of colors and textures, including the highly sought-after black nylon coating. Nylon is particularly prized in the furniture and automotive industries for its "soft-touch" feel, high abrasion resistance, and excellent chemical stability.

Plastisol is a liquid PVC that, when heat-cured, transforms into a tough, rubber-like coating. Latem is a market leader in plastisol dip coatings, manufacturing its own plastisol in-house to ensure quality and color control. This coating provides:

• Impact protection and insulation 

• A non-slip, soft-grip surface 

• Maximum water and corrosion resistance 

• Noise and vibration dampening

Not every part that enters Latem is new. The facility also handles rework, reconditioning, and maintenance through its burn-off services.

Latem’s burn-off ovens are used to remove old coatings, grease, or carbon buildup from parts and tooling. By heating parts to controlled temperatures, the organic coatings are vaporized, leaving behind only the bare metal and a fine ash that can be easily cleaned away. This is essential for companies looking to reclaim expensive racks or fixtures or to ensure adequate contact points for paint lines.

Latem’s expertise has allowed it to expand beyond service-based processing into product sales. Understanding that some manufacturers prefer to handle certain stages in-house, Latem offers chemical and plastisol sales. This provides customers with access to the same high-quality, proprietary compounds used on Latem’s own production lines, backed by the technical support of its in-house engineering and quality teams.

What sets Latem Industries apart in the pages of Metal Finishing News is its "one-stop" capability. In an industry where a part might typically travel to three different vendors—one for cleaning, one for deburring, and another for coating—Latem keeps the entire process under one roof.

This vertical integration offers several strategic benefits:

1. Reduced Logistics Costs: Shipping parts to a single location significantly cuts down on transportation overhead and the risk of transit damage. 

2. Faster Turnaround: With 17 loading bays and a facility designed for high-volume flow, Latem is built for speed without sacrificing quality. 

3. Unified Quality Control: ISO certification ensures that every step of the process—from the initial shot blast to the final nylon coating—meets the same rigorous standards.

From a small mass finishing operation in 1977 to the industrial powerhouse it is today, Latem Industries has evolved alongside the needs of its customers. By combining traditional methods like barrel tumbling with modern technologies such as ultrasonic cleaning and custom-formulated plastisol, Latem remains at the forefront of the finishing industry.

For Information: 

Latem Industries LTD.

90 Struck Court, Cambridge, Ontario

N1R 8L2, Canada

Tel. +1.866.543-3334

E-mail: sales@latem.com

www.latem.com