Finding and working with a reliable and consistent electroplating company is essential if you are in the automotive or general industry sector. Electroplating is the best way to introduce desired effects like corrosion protection or abrasion and wear resistance into your metal components. Although any worthwhile electroplating company will offer zinc chromate plating, clear zinc plating, zinc iron plating, sealers and topcoats, trivalent passivation, rack plating and zinc alkaline plating, a key service, especially in the automotive industry, is zinc-nickel plating.
Before discussing the benefits of the zinc-nickel method, it’s worth noting other important services that you should look for in an electroplating company. Since most electroplating work involves a lot of metal components, most of them small and almost identical, it’s essential that you find a company that does everything it can to organize the materials and to make shipping and other logistics easy to work with. Make sure that the company that you are working with provides truck transportation, has an elaborate barcoding system, uses special packaging to avoid damaging components and that they carefully sort and inspect all the finished work.
Zinc-Nickel
Zinc-nickel plating is the best way to protect your metal components from corrosion. When done properly, a typical plate doesn’t corrode even after 24 hours of composure a 250 degrees Fahrenheit environment.
In order to get this protection, an electroplating company will deposit a mixture that is about 12 to 15% nickel, leaving a bright, shiny finish. This texture doesn’t corrode or show burn marks, and it helps interlocking parts grip together. It also helps when rubber and plated components need to interact. This isn’t that simple of a process, and some electroplating companies might not be able to work with the complexity of your components’ design. Before signing on to work with any electroplating company, be certain that their equipment can properly accommodate your parts, and your products will stay permanently free of corrosion.
