Anomatch™ shines in consistency stakes

Project Overview

Client: Mather & Smith

Finish: Powdertech Anomatch™

A prestigious residential block in London’s Knightsbridge was designed to feature stripes, or ‘fins’, of beautiful anodised aluminium running vertically up the building. The metallic sheen of these vertical fins would form a continual line giving a stylish and contrasting definition to the pale red brick of the exterior. The window sills would also be anodised aluminium.

The Problem

The aluminium fins are 4m in length and intended to be seamlessly joined after anodising to provide the effect of one continuous metallic stripe. It quickly became apparent that the anodising process was not able to provide a consistent shade on the metal. Every strip was a slightly different colour and once erected on the building the patchwork effect was untidy and unsatisfactory. The smallest inconsistencies in shade, within an area intended to be homogenous, will mar an intended visual effect.

The Solution

Powdertech Anomatch™ achieves a similar appearance as anodising, enhancing the metal with a soft sheen. Furthermore, it provides excellent colour stability and consistency between batches, regardless of the origin of the metal, and negates any differences in base material grain. Powdertech Corby became involved in the project when the developer had aluminium fins and window sills in different stages of preparation, many already anodised, some part-finished and others unprepared. Powdertech Corby collected all of the aluminium in its various states and chemically stripped the anodised fins back to base metal, before processing and coating 500 square metres of aluminium in Anomatch™ 547.

Despite the varying states of the aluminium on arrival at Powdertech, Anomatch™ gave a consistent colour to every piece, thus meeting the design brief for the vertical fins, window cills and copings uniformly throughout the development.

Benefits of using Anomatch

• Consistent colour shade between batches
• Excellent resistance against corrosion.
• Cost savings as lower grade aluminium can be used, rather than the high grade needed for anodising.
• Faster turnaround than anodising.
• Sections can be drilled or cut without fracturing the coating.
• Steel can be coated with Anomatch™