The National Metal Finishing Resource Center 

The metal finishing business is full of evolving technology, new rules and regulations and expanding applications. In this environment, up to date information and expert input are valuable resources. Having a contact list of people and shops involved in the industry can help when questions arise. The National Metal Finishing Resource Center can collect information and provide answers to your questions.

Who They Are

According to their web site, the National Metal Finishing Resource Center (NMFRC) is an Internet-based organization which was established in 1995 under a program jointly funded by the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Other important industry groups are involved with this site include; the American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers Society (AESF), the National Association of Metal Finishers (NAMF) and the Metal Finishing Suppliers Association (MFSA). Each group lends their knowledge and expertise to make the NMFRC a useful place to find the latest industry news, information and to get answers to your metal finishing questions.

What They Do

Visitors to the NMFRC website will find two sections; one is for the public and the other for subscribers.

In the free public area there is information on industry news, the Metal Products and Machinery (MP&M) Effluent Guidelines, a listing of shops, vendors and access to the P2 bluebook. In addition, visitors can post questions that will be answered by experts in the industry. The three featured experts have a variety of experience in hard chrome plating, wastewater treatment and regulatory compliance. They are able to answer a wide range of questions in the areas of technology, troubleshooting, compliance and other issues related to metal finishing. Questions and answers to previous postings also are available on the site's archive section.

The subscriber section provides expanded access to experts and regulatory updates, a technical database with over 7,000 articles and reports related to the metal finishing industry, assistance and resources for environmental compliance, on-line calculators designed for finishing needs, and over 8,000 listings of shops, suppliers and other directories.

There are several different subscription options, depending on whether you want to sign up as an individual, company or if you belong to the AESF. The basic subscription price is $120 per year. You don't have to subscribe to have access to helpful features. The NMFRC site is a valuable resource for the metal finishing industry. If you've never visited the site, perhaps now's the time.