Palladium vs. Gold Plating: Which Option to Choose?
- December 21, 2016
- Sharretts Plating Company
While both are lauded in the jewelry industry for their beautiful appearances, there’s more to palladium and gold than their looks — they are extremely useful metals for a variety of plating applications. Lustrous gold is as useful as it is glamorous, and it is one of the common metals of the electronics industry. Silvery-white […]
- Category : Benefits of Plating, Blog, Gold Plating, Metal Finishing, Types of Coating, Types of Metals
How to Avoid Tarnishing
- December 19, 2016
- Sharretts Plating Company
While metal finishing processes such as electroplating and electroless plating provide numerous benefits, the presence of post-plate tarnishing can diminish the value of the plating process over time. Tarnish is essentially a thin layer of corrosion that frequently develops on the surface of a part in the form of a dull blackish or grayish film. […]
- Category : Blog, Metal Finishing, Services at Sharretts Plating
Alternatives to Cadmium for Plating Connectors
- December 14, 2016
- Sharretts Plating Company
Before the 1960s, cadmium, also referred to by its elemental abbreviation “Cd,” was the go-to material for numerous industries. The blossoming aerospace industry and rapidly expanding military industry both sought cadmium for use in several key mechanical applications, but things changed when expanding research discovered several drawbacks of the material, both to public health and […]
- Category : Blog, Gold Plating, Types of Coating, Types of Metals
How to Attain a Bright, Reflective Finish on Your Metal Parts
- November 11, 2016
- Sharretts Plating Company
One of the biggest challenges that metal finishing companies face is meeting the requirements of manufacturers who demand a bright, reflective appearance for their parts and components. This is especially important in applications where a high level of aesthetic appeal is necessary to make the finished product more attractive to prospective buyers. Obviously, the choice […]
- Category : Benefits of Plating, Blog, Electropolishing, Metal Finishing
Hydrogen Embrittlement & Electroplating
- October 14, 2016
- Sharretts Plating Company
Hydrogen Embrittlement & Electroplating: What You Need to Know The electroplating process involves the use of an aqueous electrolyte solution (known as the plating “bath”) that consists of dissolved metal salts, ions and various chemicals. However, the primary bath component is something we all use every day: water. As most of us learned in elementary […]
- Category : Blog, Electroplating, Metal Finishing
Plating: An Excellent Defense Against Corrosion
- August 12, 2016
- Sharretts Plating Company
Anything made from iron or steel is a prime target for the destructive forces of corrosion. Corrosion occurs due to a chemical reaction between moisture, the surrounding atmosphere and the atoms that comprise a metal substance. Corrosion is a serious problem that can lead to the premature degradation of bridges, buildings, vehicles, appliances and just […]
- Category : Benefits of Plating, Blog, Electroplating, Services at Sharretts Plating
When to Choose Electroless Nickel Over Nickel Electroplating
- July 13, 2016
- Sharretts Plating Company
Nickel is one of the most versatile metals used for plating applications. A nickel coating can be applied via the traditional electroplating process, which requires the use of an electric current. Another option is to employ an electroless process where deposition occurs via autocatalytic reaction. While both offer a number of important metal finishing benefits, […]
- Category : Blog, Electroplating, Services at Sharretts Plating
How Metal Finishing Works
- April 19, 2016
- Sharretts Plating Company
Take a quick look around you and you’ll likely find one or several objects that include some type of metal — starting with the computer on which you’re reading this post! Metal has played a key role in our lives for thousands of years, and it has been an important component in just about every […]
- Category : Blog, Metal Finishing
Zinc Plating: An Important Part of Today’s Auto Manufacturing Processes
- April 14, 2016
- Sharretts Plating Company
If you’ve purchased a new car recently, there’s a good chance it is equipped with a number of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Auto manufacturers developed these revolutionary systems as a means of making autos easier to operate and more importantly, enhancing driver safety. In general, ADAS are a collection of technologies that help drivers […]
- Category : Blog, Zinc Plating
How to Prepare a Substrate for Electroplating
- March 18, 2016
- Sharretts Plating Company
While many manufacturers have the basic understanding that electroplating is used to provide a protective metal coating on a metal substrate, they may be less familiar with the various steps involved. An early step in the process is preparing the metal surface before plating. This typically involves cleaning the part as a means of enhancing […]
- Category : Blog, Electroplating