DESIGN

Passivation

At William Hughes, we specialise in precision passivation for stainless steel, using advanced chemical treatments and rigorous quality control to meet the highest industry standards, including AMS2700 and ASTM A967.  Passivation is a chemical process used on corrosion resistant steels to remove free iron and surface contaminants without altering the material’s essential properties.  This process restores the natural oxide layer, reducing the risk of corrosion and ensuring optimal functionality across a wide range of manufacturing applications.

Whether you require passivation for medical instruments, precision-engineered components or complex assemblies, William Hughes delivers results that meet stringent industry specifications.

Our Passivation Process

Our passivation process, which is Nadcap accredited and Honeywell Aerospace approved, involves a series of precise chemical treatments that eliminate contaminants from the stainless-steel surfaces.  Our facility at Stalbridge incorporates a state-of-the-art automated passivation plant with novel functionality in that there is no manual ‘dunking’ of component baskets from station-to-station, as with traditional systems.  Instead, the plant performs a fluid transfer which involves moving chemical solutions from holding tanks into the main processing unit as required, helping to prevent damage as the parts do not move.  The entire process is automatic and PLC controlled.  Typical treatments are nitric acid and rinse cycles.  These are followed by a final rinse in deionised water before a drying cycle.

We offer three service levels: standard five-day, express three-day and super-express 24 hours (subject to any testing requirements).

William Hughes is one of the UK and Europe’s leading manufacturers for wire form fabrication and sub-assemblies for the Automotive sector, with facilities in the UK, Poland and Bulgaria.

In automotive manufacturing, every component, no matter how small, is a critical link between design intent and road-ready performance and has a direct impact on safety, comfort and helps to maintain long-term reliability of the vehicle across its full-service life.

The introduction of electric vehicles (EVs), lightweight materials and advanced driver assistance systems has increased the demand for dimensional accuracy, controlled material properties and contamination-free assembly.  William Hughes supports Tier 1 and OEM automotive manufacturers with industry-specific expertise that combines wire form and spring design, CNC manufacture, ultrasonic cleaning and tailored kitting to ensure that components arrive at line-side ready for immediate installation.

Meeting the Challenges of the Automotive Supply Chain

We set ourselves apart as a leading manufacturer of wire form assemblies for automotive manufacture, with the knowledge and expertise of our engineering technicians.  In the shift from Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) to Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacture, we help resolve design and manufacturing challenges that lead to component failure, high waste or excessive production costs. Our facilities offer advanced automation, precision testing and design validation tools to deliver production-ready solutions from first-off prototypes to full-scale line-side integration.

Our 80m² Class 7 clean room is engineered to meet the highest industry standards, offering contamination control through our carefully maintained industrial clean room environment.  Our facilities operate in compliance with ISO 14644 classifications, ensuring that airborne particulate levels are regulated and consistently maintained within defined limits.  Advanced filtration systems, including HEPA and ULPA technologies, are integrated to achieve optimal air purity, while rigorous environment monitoring guarantees adherence to critical cleanliness parameters.

The integration of advanced clean room facilities within manufacturing environments is important for achieving stringent contamination control, particularly in high-precision industries such as aerospace, medical device production and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Our clean room services are designed to integrate with diverse manufacturing workflows, offering flexibility for sub-assembly, kitting and final inspection processes.  This approach not only supports standalone cleaning requirements but also enhances supply chain efficiency by consolidating quality assurance protocols within a single controlled environment.