Metal plating is prevalent in many industries today. Whether it is for a small component or a large part, metal plating has become a valuable and inescapable sector of the industrial production system. As a result, manufacturing industries have spawned a separate until in the supply chain. A metal plating company exists to provide them with the treatment(s) they need to achieve their goals.
There is no doubt at all that a metal plating company is an essential part of this arrangement. This is particularly true in such fields as the automotive industry as well as in electronics and the medical fields. In these industrial concerns, metal plating services are in high demand. They are an essential component of doing business.
What Exactly Is Metal Plating?
Simply put, metal plating is a process in which one metal is applied in a thin layer over another metal. The former metal is the plating metal. The latter is referred to as a base, basis or substrate.
Metals Used in Plating
It is simple to say that a plating company can utilize any form of metal in the treatments. However, some are used far more than others. Among the metals used in plating are:
- Aluminum
- Brass
- Chromium
- Copper
- Gold
- Palladium
- Platinum
- Silver
- Steel
- Tin-Lead
- Zinc
Application of such metals to a substrate are strictly governed by certain specifications. A metal plating company also selects the metal or metals to be used in plating in accordance to the required results and the specific characteristics, chemical qualities and inherent nature of the metals involved – both the plating metal and the substrate.
Types of Plating
A metal plating company has a choice of different plating treatments. Some are more complex than others. Each method requires a different type of skill sets. This, together with market forces has resulted in some companies focusing on one specific type of metal plating. Essentially, while many metal plating companies may offer such metal plating services as coating, finishing and powder coating, there are only two types of plating. These are electroplating (also known as electro deposition) and electroless plating (also referred to as electroless deposition).
Both types of plating involve the coating of the substrate’s surface with a thin layer of metal. The major difference between the two methods is simple. Electroplating involves the use of an external electric current. Electroless plating needs the plating company to perform an autocatalytic chemical treatment to achieve the same results. No matter what the method, it is the results that re deemed important. This is why you hire a metal plating company.
Hiring a Plating Company
A plating company exists to provide its clients with the service they want. I tis there to ensure that the right properties are enhanced or added to the substrate through the process of metal plating. The company makes certain the component emerges with the ability to be corrosion resistant and decorative. They know whether the plating process will increase paint adhesion or reduce friction. They work precisely and apply all their knowledge of the properties of the metals involved and the process to produce the best results feasible. Their combined and individual expertise is why you hire a professional plating company for the job.
