to a vehicle comprising a base hav- ing first and second spaced apart thru-apertures defined therein; a chrome-plated cover including first and second sidewalls between which a channel is defined; and wherein an end portion of the first sidewall is connected to a first por- tion of the base by extending at least partially through the first aperture and an end portion of the second sidewall is connected to a second portion of the base by extending at least partially through the second aperture.

TIN PLATING OF STEEL US. Patent 6280,596. Aug. 28, 2001

R. Wilkerson et al., assignors to

Weirton Steel Corp., Weirton, W Vu.

A process for eliminating surface dis- solution of iron during electrolytic tin plating of continuous-strip flat-rolled steel substrate in a hor- izontally-oriented plating line, comprising providing continuous- strip flat-rolled steel substrate of preselected width presenting opposed substantially-planar sur- faces; preparing such planar sur- faces for electrolytic tin plating; providing a horizontally-oriented electrolytic tin plating line with a plurality of plating cells sequen- tially located in-line; and provid- ing acidic stannous ion electrolyt- ic plating solution in such plurality of plating cells.

ANODIZATION OF MAGNESIUM AND MAGNESIUM ALLOYS US. Patent 6,280,598. Aug. 28,200l

TR Barton et al., assignors to

Magnesium Technology Ltd.,

Auckland, New Zealand

A method for the anodization of magnesium-based materials com- prising a first pretreatment step including at least one of the fol- lowing: immersion of the material in a mixture of sodium tetrabo- rate and sodium pyrophosphate solution at 70 to 90°C for approx- imately at least five minutes

immersion of the material in 35% hydrofluoric acid v/v at ambient temperature for at least approxi- mately one minute or immersion of the material in a one-to-one mixture of 35% hydrofluoric acid w/w and 68% nitric acid w/v for approximately one minute; pro- viding an electrolytic solution comprising 1 to 33% wlv of ammo- nia, an amine, or a mixture there- of; providing a cathode in the solution; placing the magnesium- based material as an anode in the solution; and passing a current between the anode and cathode through the solution so that a coating is formed on the material.

APPARATUS FOR DETERMINATION OF ADDITIVES IN METAL PLATING BATHS

l%S. Patent 6,280,602. Aug. 28,200l

PM. Robertson, assignor to Advanced

Technology Materials Inc., Danbury,

Corm.

A method of measuring a charac- teristic decisive potential of a mixed metal plating solution by performing a plating/measuring cycle comprising providing an apparatus for determining the concentration of additives in a metal plating bath consisting of a reference electrode; a test elec- trode having a plating surface upon which metal is depositable by electroplating; selectively con- trollable electroplate driving elec- tronics; and electrical potential measuring circuitry electrically and operatively coupled between the test electrode and the refer- ence electrode, whereby electrical potential between the electrodes is measured and recorded.

POWDER COATING PROCESS

US. Patent 6,280,798. Aug. 28,200l

d Ring et al., assignors to

International Coatings Limited,

London

A fluidized bed powder coating process ut&ingtribostatic chargmg.

CHROME-PLATED BOWSIDE MOLDING lX3. Patent 6,282,772. Sept. 4,200l

B. McCormack, assignor to Guardian

Automotive Trim, Inc., Warren, Mich.

A method of making a bodyside molding for a vehicle comprising forming a cover piece; forming a base piece so as to include at least first and second spaced-apart aper- tures defined therein; plating or coating at least a portion of the cover piece; inserting first and sec- ond end portions of the plated or coated cover piece into the first and second apertures of the base, respectively; heating at least por- tions of the first and second end portions, which extend through the first and second apertures, respec- tively; and deforming heater por- tions of the first and second end portions, which extend through the first and second apertures, respec- tively, so as to connect the. cover piece to the base piece.

HIGH RESOLUTION ULTRASONIC THICKNESS GAUGE US. Patent 6,282,962. Sept. 4,200l

RJ Koch et al., assignors to DeFelsko

Corp., Ogdensburg, N. Y

A gauge for determining a thick- ness of a coating on a substrate comprising a transducer for emit- ting and receiving ultrasonic sig- nals into the coating and for gen- erating electrical transducer signals proportional to the ultra- sonic signals received by the transducer, said received signals include first signals reflected from a transducer/coating inter- face and second signals reflected from a coating/substrate inter- face; a pulser for sending pulses to the transducer to trigger the emission of the ultrasonic signals; a sampler for sampling the elec- trical transducer signals and gen- erating sampled data; and control means for calculating a thickness of the coating based on the sam- pled data.

88 Metal Finishing