SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts

What SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts does

SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts (SIFCO ASC) is a privately held, Independence, Ohio-headquartered subsidiary of Quaker Houghton (NYSE: KWR) that commercializes a portable selective electroplating technology stack under the SIFCO Process® umbrella. The company's core technology — originating in 1938 in Paris and commercialized in the United States since the 1950s — applies metal deposits to localized areas without an immersion tank, enabling in-situ repair, dimensional restoration, corrosion protection, wear resistance, and improved conductivity on components too large, complex or valuable to disassemble or ship. Around this core sit purpose-built equipment (TechnoPlate® portable rectifiers; the patent-pending Advanced Solution Control System / ASCS Nano and Prime dripless plating carts; custom Automated Plating Systems from workstations to fully robotic cells; and SIFCO Process® Plating Kits), a chemical solutions portfolio of over 50 deposits including chrome alternatives (AeroShield®, AeroNikl®, Nickel-Tungsten, Cobalt-Nickel), cadmium replacements (Zinc-Nickel LHE®, Tin-Zinc), cyanide-free precious metals, and boric acid-free nickel solutions, plus service lines covering Job Shop Plating, On-Site Plating, Technical Support, Training and Testing.

SIFCO ASC generates revenue through four complementary streams: contract services via seven global job shops and on-site field technicians; one-time equipment sales of rectifiers, kits, ASCS carts and automated systems through the plating.sifcoasc.com online catalog and quote-based RFQ process; recurring chemical solutions and consumables; and certified training programs. Pricing is uniformly quote-based with multi-year contract cadence, targeting enterprise OEMs and MROs in aerospace (engines, actuators, landing gear, airframes), oil & gas (drilling rigs, downhole tooling), power generation (turbines, wind generators, heat exchangers), and a secondary long tail including marine, petrochemical, electric motors, railroad (AAR Certified Repair Shops), semiconductor, mining, pulp & paper, printing, canning and remanufacturing. Named enterprise customers include AeroMexico, Siemens, Halliburton, Vector Aerospace, Pentastar Aviation, Safran Landing Systems, Powell Electrical Systems, National Oilwell Varco, Johnson Technology (GE Aviation), Integrated Power Services, and Corpus Christi Army Depot, with documented tenures of 10–15+ years.

The company operates seven contract service job shops across the United States (Independence OH; East Windsor CT; Houston TX; Norfolk VA), the United Kingdom (Bromsgrove), Sweden (Rättvik) and France (Saint-Thibault des Vignes), augmented by global authorized distributors and the parent Quaker Houghton's industrial process fluids footprint across 25+ countries. Regulatory and quality positioning is unusually dense for a business of this size — AS9100D, ISO 9001, ISO 14001:2015, Nadcap AC7108 Chemical Process accreditation, FAA recognition, Boeing Approved Laboratory status for Hydrogen Embrittlement testing, and prime approvals from Boeing, NASA, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, Ratier-Figeac and Turbomeca — collectively forming a multi-year qualification barrier that materially constrains new-entrant competition in aerospace MRO and OEM applications.

Name

SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts

Legal name

SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts

Website

https://sifcoasc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SIFCO ASC is a privately held Quaker Houghton subsidiary providing portable selective electroplating equipment, over 50 chemical solutions, and on-site and job-shop contract plating services to aerospace, oil & gas, and power generation enterprises globally from seven service facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Independence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Contract Services (Job Shop & On-Site Plating): Revenue from contract service job shops and on-site plating technicians deployed to customer locations globally; provides OEM and component repair services using the SIFCO Process® across aerospace, oil & gas, power generation and other industries.
2. Equipment Sales (Selective Plating Products): One-time sales of selective plating equipment including SIFCO Process® Plating Kits, TechnoPlate® Power Packs, ASCS Nano and Prime carts, automated plating systems, and dripless anodes sold through the online product catalog (plating.sifcoasc.com).
3. Chemical Solutions Sales: Recurring revenue from sale of over 50 plating solutions, alloys, and consumables (e.g., Nickel, Copper, Cadmium Replacements, AeroNikl®, AeroShield®, Cyanide-Free Gold and Silver, Boric Acid-Free Nickel) used with the SIFCO Process®.
4. Training & Technical Support: Revenue from SIFCO Certified Training programs (Basic, Cadmium/ZnNi Certification, Recertification), customized on-site training, and technical support/R&D consulting engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts provides selective electroplating equipment, proprietary chemical solutions and contract plating services for OEMs and MROs. Its core is the SIFCO Process® — a portable selective plating method that applies metal deposits to localized areas without an immersion tank, enabling repair, dimensional restoration, corrosion protection and wear resistance on critical aerospace, oil & gas and power generation components. The offering is delivered through a global job shop network, on-site field service, certified training programs and approved laboratory testing.

Product overview

SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts (SIFCO ASC) offers a single, integrated selective electroplating technology stack rather than a platform-plus-modules SaaS architecture. The core is the SIFCO Process®, a portable selective electroplating method originating in Paris in 1938 that applies metal deposits to localized areas without an immersion tank. Around this core sit the company's purpose-built equipment — including the TechnoPlate® Power Packs (portable rectifiers), the Advanced Solution Control System / ASCS with Nano and Prime carts for dripless plating, custom Automated Plating Systems (workstations to fully robotic cells), and SIFCO Process® Plating Kits (portable travel kits) — along with a chemical solutions portfolio spanning over 50 deposits including chrome alternatives (AeroShield® 4015, AeroNikl® 575, Nickel-Tungsten 5711, Cobalt-Nickel Semi-Bright 5720, Nickel High-Speed 2803), cadmium replacements (Zinc-Nickel LHE®, Tin-Zinc), cyanide-free precious metals (Gold Non-Cyanide 5355, Silver Non-Cyanide 3084/5870/5871), and boric acid-free nickel solutions. The offering is delivered alongside five service lines — Job Shop Plating, On-Site Plating, Technical Support, Training, and Testing — with SIFCO ASC operating as a Quaker Houghton company from headquarters in Independence, Ohio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SIFCO Process®: The company's proprietary selective electroplating process that applies metal deposits to localized areas without the use of an immersion tank.
• TechnoPlate®
• Advanced Solution Control System (ASCS)
• AeroShield®
• AeroNikl®
• Zinc-Nickel LHE®
• TechnoFlow®

Products and services

• SIFCO Process® (Selective Plating) The leading portable method of selective electroplating that applies metal deposits to localized areas without the use of an immersion tank. Deposits have excellent adhesion and can be plated 30 to 60 times faster than tank plating, enabling repair of damage from wear, corrosion, or mis-machining across aerospace, oil and gas, power generation, and other industrial sectors.
• TechnoPlate® Power Packs Portable power packs (rectifiers) supplying the direct current required for the SIFCO Process® of selective plating. 30% lighter than predecessor units, with dual input voltage, fully digital controls, storage for up to 99 steps, overload protection, pole changer, switch-mode technology and a detachable adjustable controller. Available in 15-20, 15-50, 30-20, 60-20, 150-25 (198-242v and 342v-506v) models, plus 300 and 500 amp advanced power packs.
• Advanced Solution Control System (ASCS) — Dripless Plating Patent-pending portable dripless plating system combining encapsulated plating technology with SMART dripless tooling covering 0.07 dm² to 1 dm². ASCS Nano is a manual unit for basic operations of two process steps or less; ASCS Prime is fully automated, holds up to nine plating solutions with built-in rectifier and HMI, cleaning-in-place and TechnoFlow® heated flow system. Supports plating in any orientation (horizontal, vertical, upside down).
• Automated Plating Systems Customized turnkey plating systems ranging from workstations to fully robotic cells, designed to electroplate or anodize localized areas on components. Capabilities include robotic arms and handling systems, servo-driven linear actuation, automated process controls, RFID-tagged anodes and parts, real-time KPI reporting, and full traceability and repeatability. Applied across aerospace, power generation, marine, OEM production, electric motor and industrial engineering sectors.
• SIFCO Process® Plating Kits Portable travel kits designed for localized areas of metal surfaces for OEM and repair components. The kits enable technicians to quickly maintain and repair critical parts in-situ using numerous pure metals and alloy solutions from the SIFCO Process® portfolio.
• Cadmium Replacement Deposits (Zinc-Nickel LHE® and Tin-Zinc) Environmentally friendly cadmium alternative plating deposits developed since 1992. Zinc-Nickel LHE® (low hydrogen embrittlement) and Tin-Zinc provide excellent corrosion protection for high-strength steels, do not require a post-plate hydrogen embrittlement relief bake, and are approved by Boeing, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, Ratier-Figeac, Turbomeca, NASA and others.
• Chromium Alternative Deposits (AeroShield®, AeroNikl®, Nickel-Tungsten, Cobalt-Nickel Semi-Bright, Nickel High-Speed) SIFCO ASC's brush-plated chrome alternative deposits for repair and OEM applications requiring exceptionally hard plating, wear resistance, and low coefficient of friction. Includes AeroShield® 4015 (CoCr3C2), AeroNikl® 575 (7280/5727), Nickel-Tungsten 5711, Cobalt-Nickel Semi-Bright 5720, and Nickel High-Speed 2803. Used across aerospace, automotive, oil & gas and industrial applications.
• Cyanide-Free Precious Metal Deposits (Gold Non-Cyanide 5355, Silver Non-Cyanide 3084/5870, Silver Production Non-Cyanide 5871) Cyanide-free gold and silver plating solutions that deliver the same adhesion and deposit characteristics as cyanide-containing chemistries with reduced health, safety and environmental risk. Includes Gold Non-Cyanide 5355, Silver Non-Cyanide 3084 and 5870, and Silver Production Non-Cyanide 5871 for safer large-scale silver plating.
• Boric Acid-Free Nickel Solutions (Nickel Acid 2080/5600, 2807; Nickel Ductile 2086, 2088) SIFCO ASC's most common boric acid-free nickel plating solutions, designed to meet REACH SVHC regulatory constraints while controlling internal stress, stabilizing pH, maintaining deposit quality and enabling grain-refining additives.
• Job Shop Plating Service Selective plating contract service performed at SIFCO ASC job shop facilities worldwide for OEM and component repair. Strategic service shop locations include Independence, OH; East Windsor, CT; Houston, TX; Norfolk, VA; Bromsgrove, UK; Rättvik, Sweden; and Saint-Thibault des Vignes, France.
• On-Site Plating Service Field service leveraging the portability of the SIFCO Process® — SIFCO ASC service technicians bring the plating process to the customer's location for large, critical components where downtime is a concern or shipping is impractical (e.g., wind turbine generators, drilling rigs, military aircraft components).
• Technical Support Service R&D and technical support spanning electrochemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, physical chemistry, and environmental health and safety. Includes process development, application development, anode design and modelling, deposit alternatives development, application troubleshooting, and testing for micro-hardness, salt spray, stereo microscopy and X-ray fluorescence.
• Training Programs and Plating Courses Manufacturer-certified hands-on training for the SIFCO Process® including Basic Training Course, Cadmium/ZnNi Certification Training Course, Cadmium/ZnNi Recertification Kit and Recertification Training Course. Successful students receive a SIFCO Process® Certificate of Demonstration, electronic Instruction Manual and training files. Offered at Independence, Ohio headquarters and on-site worldwide.
• Testing Services for Industry & Commercial Specifications Critical testing services in support of numerous industry and commercial specifications including AMS2424, AMS2403, AMS2451, Mil A 8625, PCS2143, PCS2141, ASTMB117 and ASTMF519. SIFCO ASC is an approved Boeing Laboratory for Hydrogen Embrittlement testing per BAC5854, DAP9.89, DPS9.28 and PS13113, and is Nadcap accredited for Hydrogen Embrittlement, Salt Spray, Taber Wear, Adhesion, Coating Weight and Coating Thickness Measurement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Plating 30 to 60 times faster than tank plating
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / parent company, historical parent, historical acquisition target, historical distributor / acquired, historical distributor, acquired (regional), acquired (channel & supply), affiliated / sister company, core technology / marketing partner, major aerospace prime (customer/approver) and major aerospace prime (approver).

• Quaker Houghton (NYSE: KWR)flagship / parent companyStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuaker Houghton acquired Norman Hay plc (and thus SIFCO ASC) in 2019. SIFCO ASC operates as a company of Quaker Houghton, the global leader in industrial process fluids with operations in over 25 countries and 4,000 employees. Provides SIFCO ASC with security, stability, distribution reach across thousands of steel, aluminum, automotive, aerospace, offshore, mining, and metalworking customers. Shared services, brand association, and access to global sales channels.
• Steel Improvement and Forge Company (later SIFCO Industries Inc.)historical parentStrategic or Co-development PartnerBought the Toronto firm in 1959 and moved all operations to Cleveland, Ohio. The business became known as SIFCO Metachemical, then SIFCO Selective Plating (1981), then SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts (2004). Acquired worldwide assets of Selectrons Ltd. in 1992. Sold to Norman Hay plc in 2012.
• Selectrons, Ltd.historical acquisition targetStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntroduced the Selectron Process in 1960; coined the term "Electrochemical Metallizing." Had operations in New York, Waterbury CT, Redditch UK, Paris, Singapore, and Tokyo. SIFCO Industries acquired Selectrons' worldwide assets in June 1992 and consolidated the Selectron® line under the SIFCO Process® umbrella in 2006.
• Piddington and Associateshistorical distributor / acquiredChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOriginally granted distributorship of the selective plating process on the US west coast in 1954; later acquired by SIFCO Industries in 1981 as part of expansion activities.
• Marlane Development Inc.historical distributorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAppointed as east coast US distributor of the selective plating process in 1954.
• Selmetacquired (regional)Strategic or Co-development PartnerSIFCO Applied Surface Concepts purchased Selmet, a contract service job shop in Rättvik, Sweden in 2005 to expand global presence; the Rättvik location also distributes all SIFCO ASC products and equipment.
• Liquid Development Company (LDC)acquired (channel & supply)Strategic or Co-development PartnerSIFCO ASC acquired the assets of Liquid Development Company (LDC) in 2015. Headquartered in Cleveland, OH, LDC had supplied selective (brush) plating chemicals and equipment throughout the US, Europe, Africa, Asia, Canada, China, the Middle East and South America since 1978.
• Norman Hay (nhe.uk.com)affiliated / sister companyOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSIFCO ASC's fully automated flow plating systems are referenced to nhe.uk.com (Norman Hay Engineering, UK affiliate). Encapsulated plating tool capabilities link to Norman Hay's automation capabilities for high-volume flow plating systems.
• Thomas Marketing Services / Navigator Platformcore technology / marketing partnerTechnology or IntegrationWebsite and RFQ system for sifcoasc.com is created by Thomas Marketing Services and powered by Navigator Platform; SIFCO ASC is a Thomas Registered Supplier. Provides website infrastructure, RFQ lead-capture, and supplier visibility on the Thomas industrial network.
• Boeingmajor aerospace prime (customer/approver)Strategic or Co-development PartnerBoeing-approved laboratory for Hydrogen Embrittlement testing (BAC5854, DAP9.89, DPS9.28, PS13113); approved Zinc-Nickel LHE® and Tin-Zinc cadmium alternative plating deposits for high-strength steel repair applications.
• NASAmajor aerospace prime (approver)Strategic or Co-development PartnerApproved Zinc-Nickel LHE® and Tin-Zinc cadmium alternatives for use on NASA programs.
• Safran (Messier-Bugatti-Dowty / Turbomeca / Ratier-Figeac)major aerospace prime (customer/approver)Strategic or Co-development PartnerSafran Landing Systems (formerly Messier-Bugatti-Dowty) is a case study customer for automated selective plating; Safran affiliates Turbomeca and Ratier-Figeac have approved SIFCO ASC's Zinc-Nickel LHE® and Tin-Zinc cadmium alternatives.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Palm International: US provider of selective (brush) plating equipment, chemistry, training, and on-site plating services for industrial and aerospace customers. Comparable to SIFCO ASC as a direct competitor in portable selective plating equipment and services, with a smaller global footprint and overlapping aerospace MRO customer base.
• AOTCO Metal Finishing: Northeast US-based contract metal finisher providing plating, anodizing, and surface treatment services to aerospace, medical, and industrial OEMs. Comparable to SIFCO ASC as a US-based contract plating services competitor, with similar MRO and OEM customer types but different chemistry focus.
• KC Jones Plating Company: US industrial plating services provider serving automotive, aerospace, heavy equipment, and general industrial customers with a broad portfolio of plating processes. Comparable to SIFCO ASC as a US-based contract plater with overlapping heavy industrial and aerospace work, though focused on tank plating operations.
• Hohman Plating & Manufacturing: US-based metal finishing services provider offering plating, anodizing, and surface treatment for aerospace, defense, and industrial customers. Comparable to SIFCO ASC as a US specialty plating services competitor with overlapping aerospace and industrial customer base, though Hohman is more focused on shop-based tank plating than portable selective plating.

Direct peers

• Technic Inc. US-based specialty manufacturer of plating chemistries, electronic chemicals, and selective plating equipment serving aerospace, electronics, and industrial customers. Closely comparable to SIFCO ASC as a direct competitor in selective/brush plating equipment and chemistry, with overlapping aerospace, defense, and industrial customer base.
• Norman Hay Engineering (NHE): UK-based sister company of SIFCO ASC under Quaker Houghton's Norman Hay umbrella, providing surface treatment chemicals, sealants, and engineered plating systems including encapsulated flow plating. Comparable to SIFCO ASC as an affiliated selective plating and engineered plating systems provider with deep technical overlap in encapsulated plating automation.

Regional players

• Uyemura International: Japanese-headquartered specialty plating chemicals and equipment supplier with strong Asian and US presence in decorative and functional plating. Comparable to SIFCO ASC as a specialty plating chemistry and equipment competitor, primarily overlapping in the US and Asia-Pacific aerospace and electronics markets.

Broad incumbents

• MacDermid Enthone Electronics Solutions (Element Solutions Inc.): Diversified specialty chemicals platform offering plating chemistries, surface treatments, and electronics materials under MacDermid Enthone. Comparable to SIFCO ASC as a major surface finishing incumbent serving aerospace, automotive, and industrial OEMs, with overlapping decorative and functional plating product lines.
• Coventya: Privately held specialty chemicals company providing surface finishing chemistries and plating processes for automotive, aerospace, and industrial customers. Comparable to SIFCO ASC as a mid-sized plating chemistry competitor with overlapping functional deposit portfolios, though Coventya's reach is broader and not concentrated in selective plating.
• Atotech (MKS Instruments): Global surface finishing chemicals and equipment supplier serving electronics, automotive, and industrial markets, including decorative and functional plating chemistries. Comparable to SIFCO ASC as a large incumbent in the broader plating chemistry stack, though Atotech's portfolio is far broader and spans electronics-grade applications not core to SIFCO ASC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sifcoasc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SIFCOASC
• Facebookfacebook.com/sifcoasc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/734642

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts