Metal Plating is an efficient way and an integral part of the metal finishing process that helps industries by increasing the protective power, appearance, resilience, and chemical properties of metal substrates. Other than electric charge supported metal plating process, nowadays plating industries are prepared with electroless plating procedure, which can perform effectively without any backup of electric charge while using compounds like prosperous that act as a catalyst. Due to its simplicity, consistency, and affordability, electroless plating is getting increased recognition to industrial users. The two methods are explained below:

Electroplatin

Electroplating is accomplished through submerging a metal object into an electrolyte solution containing dissolved ions of another metal in it. The negatively charged pole (anode) consisting the metal which needs to be coated while a cathode, i.e., positively charged is intended to produce the film of non-ionic metal which gets coated on the substrate during the process.

Electroless Plating

As its name implies, the process is not dependent on an electrical charge and accomplished through auto-catalytic plating. This is a unique non-galvanic plating procedure mainly uses sodium hypophosphate that acts as a catalyst in the process and through oxidation, it helps to produce a negative charge and film on the metal object. One of the most demanding and common forms of electroless coating procedure is electroless nickel plating.

Metal Plating Advantages -An overview

• Provides extremely resistive layer on substrates to all possible oxidation, rusting, and abrasion; it acts as a comprehensive barrier to shelter the object underneath.

• Betters adhesive property of metals enabling them to bond paint base and increases the reliability of objects used in critical applications;

• Improves conductivity, lubricity, and hardness of various metal objects;

• It’s an excellent way to improve the visual appeal of products, induce color options, feel, and textures;

• Increases the thickness of the coating that offers longevity; plating equally guards various metal objects against possible tarnishing, peeling, or fading;

Three Popular Plating Process

Nickel Plating

The nickel electroplating process is intended to transfer and deposit a film of nickel on a substrate via electrodepositing means. Nickel-plated metal parts are globally used for an extensive range of industrial applications. Aside from nickel electroplating, with the rise of electroless nickel plating concept, the industry is more fertile to offer comprehensive solutions that are cost effective and less time taking. It offers anti-corrosive ability, high durability, friction resistance to metal substrates and boosts aesthetical value.

Copper Plating

The innate chemical property of copper of its being an exclusive conductor of electricity makes it one of the largest demanding metals in the world. However, it also benefits the industry with its resistive potency to corrosion, solderability, and endurance. It is also a low-cost plating procedure.

Gold Plating

Next to jewelry, gold plating boasts extensive popularity in electronics, engineering, aerospace, defense, and other industries. Excepting for its highly prestigious glossy aesthetic value, gold plating is one of the major demands in the electronics world due to excellent electrically conductive feature. They are widely used for preparing inner circuit lines of printed circuit boards considering their high integrity level to flow electrical charge within PCB’s seamlessly. They are also anti-corrosive.