Cadmium Plating Best Practices: Ensuring Quality and Compliance
Cadmium plating is one of the many services that Reid Metal Finishing offers, and we understand better than anyone the importance of quality, safe practices when it comes to this type of metal plating.
An overview of cadmium plating
Cadmium plating is a soft, sacrificial coating that can be deposited onto a variety of metals such as steel, copper, and iron. The various types or classes of cadmium are distinguished by their thickness and whether they are supplemented by a chromate or phosphate treatment. For example, type II cadmium plating is treated with chromate for increased corrosion protection in salt-fog environments, while type III is treated with phosphate for better adhesion to secondary coatings like paint.
Currently, cadmium plating has the best corrosion resistance without having to add a thick coating to the metal, and can even resist contaminants such as mold and bacteria growth. It also imparts several other benefits to the metal, such as improved strength, malleability, and lubricity.
Applications
There are still many applications where the excellent corrosion resistance of cadmium plating, as well as its high strength, are absolutely necessary. Many of its engineering properties have yet to be matched by a single finish, and so the finish is used across aerospace and military applications.
Ensuring safety and compliance during cadmium plating
The use of cadmium plating is heavily regulated and restricted due to its high toxicity, and thus has to be done by an experienced shop with the proper accreditations. For example, Reid Metal Finishing is compliant with the NADCAP criteria for cadmium plating, as well as several other types of electroplating, and we maintain an AS9100 quality management system to meet aerospace quality standards. Both of these standards require regular recertification and accreditation to ensure that any shops have continued to uphold the standards set by these organizations.
If you’re looking for a supplier of cadmium plating services, look no further! Check out Reid Metal Finishing today.
