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Gold Plating Thickness Standards for Connectors

It may seem difficult to determine the right thickness for gold plating connectors and contacts. Connectors must perform reliably even under harsh conditions, and they can only do so when the plating is properly designed with the right amount of thickness. As an added factor, gold can be an expensive material to procure, meaning it’s […]

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Developments That Have Impacted Plating on Plastics and Ceramics

Electroplating technology continues to evolve. A process that originally entailed the application of a metal coating onto another metal substrate now also encompasses non-metallic materials such as various plastics and ceramics. Metal finishing companies are finding new ways to improve the techniques for plating these surfaces and making them more accessible and affordable to manufacturers. […]

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History of Electroplating

Electroplating is used in a wide variety of modern industrial and commercial applications, using the power of electricity to deposit metal on the surface of various types of objects. The object acts as the cathode, while the material to be coated serves as an anode, which is oxidized by the charge and reduced and deposited […]

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An Overview of Micromanufacturing

Micro is the way of the modern world — from consumer products to the medical and aerospace industries, getting the most output with as little input as possible is the goal for many manufacturing operations. Enterprises are using smaller, more precise components, and manufacturing methods must adapt to produce these components accurately and cost-effectively. While […]

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How Precious Metals Prevent Corrosion

Precious metals are well-known for their aesthetic appeal, but there’s so much more to them than their looks. Precious metals, which include gold, silver and platinum, are widely used in engineering and industry. While precious metals possess an attractive luster that makes them visually appealing, they also hold a great deal of utilitarian value — […]

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Differences Between Plating Onto Ceramics and Plastics

Manufacturers that produce items made from ceramic or plastic materials must often implement additional steps to improve and protect their workpieces. Electroplating is a preferred finishing technique that deposits a metal coating onto the substrate. Electroplating ceramics or plastics provides benefits such as making the surface electrically conductive, improving strength and durability, increasing corrosion resistance […]

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Plating on Superalloys for Aerospace Turbine Engines

An alloy is a metal created by combining two or more metallic elements. Alloys provide enhanced properties in critical areas such as corrosion and wear protection, friction reduction, electrical conductivity and heat resistance While many metals offer these characteristics in their base form, developing alloys will augment the performance of each metal and improve overall […]

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Electroless (Autocatalytic) Vs Electrolytic Plating

When choosing your form of plating, you need to know the differences in electroplating vs. electroless plating. Some projects will benefit more from electroless plating, also known as autocatalytic, than from electrolytic. Before you make a major decision on how your parts get finished, learn more about the coating options you have for a metal […]

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Zinc vs Zinc Alloys

  Zinc is a hard, brittle metal that is found in abundance in many parts of the world. Zinc electroplating offers an inexpensive alternative to precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum. Its relatively low cost makes the zinc plating process the top choice for companies looking for affordable corrosion protection. The zinc acts […]

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Industrial Uses of Tin Plating

  Tinning or otherwise regularly referred to as “Tin Plating“, is an ancient art form. This synthesis will cover contemporary and future uses of tin plating, strengths and weaknesses of the coating, best in practice tin processing and how to choose the right tin coating. What Industries Make Use of the Electroplating of Tin? The […]

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