Custom Metal Plating Services for Aluminum & Zinc Die Castings and CNC Components
To ensure some properties or performance of the die castings or CNC machined parts, the metal plating process is often required. Whether you want to improve the aesthetic appeal or functional characteristics of your aluminum/zinc die casting parts, Junying (diecasting-mould.com) is capable to provide different types of metal plating services including chrome plating, nickel plating, tin plating, and more electroplating surface treatment to meet your specific needs. As an experienced metal fabrication and die casting products manufacturing company, we’ll provide reliable and affordable electroplating services and other metal finishing services to companies and clients across a variety of industries, such as aerospace, security lock, automotive, electrical, medical, etc. Customized plating services to help you develop key products with higher quality and lower cost.
High End Metal Plating Services at Junying
Common plating surface treatment services available at Junying for die castings and CNC parts including but not limited to:
- Nickel plating: it may refer to nickel electroplating or electroless nickel plating. Nickel electroplating is a technique of electroplating nickel onto a metal part, while electroless nickel plating is a chemical process that deposits an even layer of nickel-phosphorus alloy on the surface of a solid substrate. Nickel plating can be applied for die casting lock parts, shower fixtures, cutlery, and other household products to improve the wear resistance and decoration effect.
- Chrome plating: an electroplating technique uses electricity to deposit chromium onto the surface of a metal workpiece for decorative purposes or enhancement of hardness and corrosion resistance. Chrome plating can be categorized as either decorating or hard, depending on the thickness of the chromium layer. Chrome plating is very useful for automotive parts, furniture, industrial equipment, etc. Chromium is often used with nickel to form multiple-layer platings.
- Tin plating: the process of depositing a coating of the solderable tin onto the surface of parts via an electrical current. Tin plating can produce a shiny look or dull color. Tin is readily available compared to other metals, it also offers great corrosion resistance and excellent solderability, so tin plating or tinning is an extremely cost-effective process of different metal parts. Tin plating is suitable for a wide range of applications, including food, electronics, aerospace, telecommunications, jewelry, etc.
Why Choose Our Metal Plating Finish Services
- Cost-effective and customized plating solutions for specific requirements
- A wide range of plating surface treatment techniques provided for the selection
- Lower your cost while achieving the desired functional characteristics
- Rich experiences in the electroplating process of aluminum and zinc die cast parts
- Different thickness and colors are available for the plating layer
What is Plating?
Plating is a surface finishing process of coating a thin layer of metal on the substrate through the electrodeposition of metal ions. Metal plating process can be used for extensive purposes and applications, including to decorate objects, alter the appearance and improve properties, such as corrosion inhibition, hardness, wear resistance, paint adhesion, conductivity, radiation shielding, friction, etc. Plating techniques including electroplating, vapor deposition under vacuum, sputter deposition, and more. Electroplating is a commonly used surface finish service at Junying. In the electroplating process, an ionic metal is supplied with electrons to form a non-ionic coating on a substrate, the system usually involves a chemical solution with the ionic form of metal, as an anode that often consists of the metal being plated and an insoluble anode that may be carbon, steel, leads or others, and a cathode where electrons are supplied to produce a film of non-ionic metal.
Why Do Metal Electroplating?
The purpose of electroplating is to improve the appearance of materials while imparting various physicochemical properties to their surfaces, such as corrosion resistance, decorative appeal, wear resistance, brazability, and electrical, magnetic, and optical properties.
What Types of Electroplating are there and What are Their Applications?
Electroplating encompasses numerous specific processes, such as copper, gold, silver, chromium, nickel, and zinc plating. The processes are diverse, with zinc, nickel, and chromium being the most widely used. In manufacturing, the following electroplating processes are commonly applied:
Zinc Plating
Zinc plating is a surface treatment that applies a layer of zinc to metals, alloys, or other materials to achieve both aesthetic appeal and rust prevention. The zinc layer is of high purity and is an anodic coating. The zinc layer provides mechanical protection to the steel substrate and also cathodic (electrochemical) protection. It is characterized by economical cost, certain corrosion resistance, and a silvery-white appearance. Consequently, zinc coatings are widely used in machinery, hardware, electronics, instruments, and light industry—such as screws, circuit breakers, and various industrial products—and are among the most widely used plating types, accounting for over 60% of total electroplating volume.
Copper Plating
Copper coatings are cathodic with respect to most substrates and provide only mechanical protection. Copper plating is typically not used alone as a protective-decorative finish; rather, it serves as a base or intermediate layer to improve adhesion between the surface coating and the substrate. As an important surface treatment, electroplated copper offers easy operation, low cost, and excellent deposit properties. In electronics, it is used for printed circuit boards and semiconductor devices; in automotive, for surface treatment of parts to improve corrosion and wear resistance; in machinery, to enhance surface hardness and strength of components; and in decorative applications, to improve the appearance of metal products.
Nickel Plating
Nickel plating is a metal surface treatment that deposits a layer of nickel on metals or certain non-metals by electrolytic or chemical means to enhance appearance and for decorative purposes. It is characterized by relatively high cost, somewhat complex processing, and a distinctive silvery hue with a slight yellow tint. Nickel coatings are cathodic protective layers that provide only mechanical protection to the base metal. Except for certain medical instruments and battery cases where it may be used directly, nickel is often used as a base or barrier layer and is widely applied in household hardware, light industry, home appliances (e.g., energy-saving lamp caps), and machinery.
Tin Plating
Electroplated tin forms a uniform, fine, dense tin layer on metal surfaces, improving surface hardness, corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, and electrical conductivity. This treatment is generally applied to products that frequently contact water, oxygen, acidic or alkaline substances, such as printed circuit boards, electronic components, food packaging, beverage cans, and more. Relative to a steel substrate, tin is a cathodic coating; relative to a copper substrate, it is anodic. Tin coatings are used primarily as protective layers for thin sheets in the canmaking industry—over 95% of tinplate is produced by tinning steel sheet. Another major use of tin plating is in the electronics and electrical industries.
Chromium Plating
Chromium plating deposits a layer of chromium on metals or certain non-metals via electrolytic or chemical methods. Chromium, a bright white metal with a slight bluish tone, lends unique aesthetic value to the coating. This process can serve decorative purposes—providing a bright surface and wear resistance—while offering rust resistance inferior to zinc but superior to simple oxidation. Chromium plating can also enhance the hardness and wear resistance of metal parts to meet functional requirements. Chromium coatings are cathodic and provide only mechanical protection. For decorative chrome, the underlying layer is typically a polished or electrodeposited bright layer (bright copper-tin alloy or bright nickel). It is widely used on exposed parts of instruments, meters, household hardware, appliances, aircraft, automobiles, motorcycles, and bicycles. Functional chromium includes hard chrome, porous chrome, black chrome, and milky (matte) chrome. Hard chrome is mainly used on measuring calipers, gauges, cutting tools, and various shafts; porous chrome is mainly used on piston skirts in cylinder bores; black chrome is used for non-glare yet wear-resistant surfaces, such as in aviation instruments, optical instruments, and photographic equipment; milky chrome is mainly used on various measuring tools.
Alloy Electroplating
When two or more metal ions co-deposit on the cathode from a single solution to form a uniform, fine coating, the process is called alloy electroplating. Compared with single-metal plating, alloy electroplating generally offers better crystallographic density, lower porosity, improved appearance and color, higher hardness, better corrosion and wear resistance, tailored magnetic properties, reduced friction, and improved high-temperature performance. More than 240 electroplated alloys have been developed, though fewer than 40 see widespread industrial use. They are generally categorized into protective alloy coatings, decorative alloy coatings, and functional alloy coatings. Applications are widespread across aviation, aerospace, marine, automotive, mining, defense, instruments, meters, household hardware, tableware, and musical instruments.
