[M_D]

We clean our parts in a heated cleaner, rinse, etch, rinse, desmut, rinse and then anodize. There have been no problems for us with that order of processes. If you don't etch you may not need the desmut process, but some heated cleaners will do some etching and leave a smut depending on how long they are in the cleaner, so a desmut step may result in cleaner looking finished parts, without the extra step needed need to hand clean them after they are sealed.

If we have to strip parts, we often clean them first with the heated cleaner, then strip them. If you have contaminated surfaces it can act as a masking agent and the stripper or etch doesn't always work as evenly as it could.

Your problem does sound like disolution though, pictures could help to verify that.

Steam sealing is using steam from boiling water to seal the parts, or you can imerse them fully in boiling water. I think the nickle based additives for the sealer tank improves the quality of seal, so we use that method. I can't remember the ph value off the top of my head, but the ph of the sealer does make a difference, if it gets too far out of range the parts come out with a dirty film (which will clean up), although sealer ph isn't the only thing that can cause that. When you get everything right, the parts should look spotless and clean when they are taken out of the sealer and dried.