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Environmental Electroplating & Plating on Plastics

Environmental Electroplating & How It Applies to Plating on Plastics Being friendlier to the environment is a significant concern in many manufacturing operations these days for legal as well as health and safety reasons. Consequently, metal finishing companies have needed to find ways to alter their processes to ensure compliance with increasingly stringent environmental regulations […]

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Electroplating Defects and Issues

Electroplating involves using electric current to coat an electrode in dissolved metal cations. In metallurgy, it is one of the highest-quality procedures for achieving durable, even coats on metal substrates. However, electroplating requires a high level of diligence, experience and precision to do correctly. It is dependent not only on the exacting specifications of the […]

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Avoiding Oxidation and Corrosion on Refractory Metals

Refractory metals are a unique class of metals known for their exceptional resistance to extreme heat and wear. The category includes tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, rhenium and tantalum, as well as their alloys. Because of their high melting point, it is necessary to produce refractory metals via powder metallurgy instead of fabrication by casting. Due to […]

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Metal Part Masking: The Key to a Successful Finish

Sometimes when surface finishing an object, you don’t want the entire exterior coated. The solution is the precision process of metal part masking. Masking for surface finishing presents many challenges. Solving these challenges means choosing the right type and method for your mask as well as developing an understanding of the most common masking issues […]

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Electroless Nickel Plating on Tungsten

Tungsten, a refractory metal whose name means heavy stone, is hard to work with but has some exceptional qualities. These characteristics make it useful for numerous applications, including many that involve harsh conditions and high temperatures. Tungsten was likely first used in China more than 350 years ago to give porcelain a peach color through […]

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Challenges of Plating Onto Titanium in the Aerospace Industry

The materials used in the aerospace industry must have a unique set of characteristics. They need to be strong and durable, even under the extreme conditions that airplanes and spacecraft undergo. They should also be relatively lightweight since this increases the efficiency of the aircraft. Because of these needs, titanium has emerged as the leading […]

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Ruthenium Electroplating in the Aerospace & Aircraft Industry

Ruthenium is less well-known and rarer than many other precious metals, but you should certainly consider it if you require metal plating for aerospace and aircraft industry applications. This platinum group metal is exceptionally durable and has a number of other useful features as well. These properties make it valuable to a variety of sectors, […]

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Durability vs. Appearance With Electroplating Onto Plastics

For decades, manufacturers in industries such as automotive, electronics, plumbing fixtures manufacturing and consumer products have experienced the advantages of electroplating onto plastic as part of their production processes. Two of the most prominent benefits include increasing the durability of the plastic material and enhancing the appearance of the finished product. While many manufacturers seek […]

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Benefits and Difficulties of Plating onto Plastics

Companies in a variety of industries these days are relying on plastic parts and components when designing and manufacturing their products. Compared to heavier, bulkier materials, plastic offers a lightweight alternative that is surprisingly tough and durable. However, plastic in its natural state may not produce the desired result when manufacturing certain types of products. […]

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Biocompatibility and Design Considerations

What is biocompatibility? A biocompatible material is one that does not induce a response in living organisms, whether it be on their skin or tissue. Medically, such a material is useful because it is known to not cause allergic reactions, long-term problems or other complications in patients. Biocompatibility is meant to eliminate undesired local, tumorigenic, systemic, […]

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