Nickel electroformed
Grown in our tank room on a mandrel of your part, for the closest fit and the finest detail.
Industrial Masking & Electroformed Masks Masks that hold up, cycle after cycle
Accurate, repeatable masking for painting, hard coating, metalizing, adhesive and etching lines. Built from your 3D data in our own shop and electroforming tank room.
Mask & Tooling division
Masking is where Met-L-Tec started
Masking tooling has been the core of our business since 1971. Our Mask & Tooling division builds the masks, nests and fixtures that protect and present parts through paint, coating and metalizing lines, and it is the largest department in the shop.
We take your 3D part data straight into our tooling design, so the mask fits the part the first time. Masks are built strong and easy to operate, and the right mask type is chosen for the detail and tolerance each part needs.
- Nickel electroformed masks for high detail and accuracy
- Stainless steel fabricated masks for simpler, larger-tolerance parts
- Vacuum formed and vacuum infused resin masks
- Masking fixtures, nesting and vacuum mask tooling
Mask types
Four ways to mask a part
We match the mask to the part, the process and the volume.
Fabricated
Stainless steel masks built and welded in-house, ideal for larger tolerances and simpler shapes.
Vacuum formed
Formed masks for parts and programs that suit a vacuum formed shell, built to the part from your data.
Vacuum infused resin
Masks and nests made by infusing resin under vacuum, shaped to the part and built in-house.
Nickel electroforming
Our own tank room
Electroformed masks are built by depositing nickel onto a mandrel shaped like your part. The result follows every contour of the part, which is why electroforming is our choice when a mask has to hold tight detail.
We run the electroforming in our own plating room, alongside the CNC machines that cut the mandrels and the fabrication shop that builds the frames, so the whole mask is made under one roof.
Applications
Parts and processes we mask
From the shop
Masks we have built
Hinged stainless masking fixture opened to show the mask inserts
Fabricated mask with clamps holding two black lamp housings
Fabricated masking fixture holding a vehicle grille- Mask panel with eight formed openings
Nickel electroformed mask on a workbench
Long stainless rack with dozens of part holders for metalizing
How it works
From your part file to a production mask
Send your 3D data
Attach part models and drawings to a quote request, or send them to our sales team.
We design the tooling in 3D
Our engineers design the mask, its frame and any nesting or fixture it rides on.
Machine, form and build
Mandrels are CNC machined, masks electroformed or fabricated, and frames welded in-house.
Deliver and support
Masks ship ready for your line, and we handle repairs and duplicates when you need them.
Questions
Masking questions
When should a mask be electroformed instead of fabricated?
Nickel electroforming follows the part’s exact shape and holds a high level of detail, so it suits parts with tight masking lines and complex contours. Fabricated stainless masks suit parts with larger tolerances and simpler shapes. We will recommend a type once we see your part data.
What processes are your masks used in?
Painting, hard coating, metalizing, adhesive application and etching. Typical parts include grilles, door panels, housings and head and tail lamps.
What file types can I send?
3D models in STEP, IGES, Parasolid, SolidWorks, Inventor or other common formats, plus PDF drawings. Attach them to the quote form or email them to sales@met-l-tec.com.
Keep exploring
Tooling that works with your masks
Nesting
Poured urethane, silicone, epoxy, CNC cut, electroformed and infused resin nests, built to work with your masks and fixtures.
Fixtures
Tilt, slide, flip top, precision locating and turntable fixtures that hold parts in precise positions, from manual to fully automated.
Metalizing Tooling
Metalizing tooling designed for each job to carry the most parts per door, frame or reel, with durable latches and springs.