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Electroless Nickel Plating: Enhancing Performance and Reliability

Electroless Nickel Plating: Enhancing Performance and Reliability

Electroless nickel plating is one of the most unique types of plating that we offer here at Reid Metal Finishing. This type of nickel plating offers several advantages and is popular due to its incredible versatility, as the coating can be applied to nearly any metallic substrate, without the usual limits of coating thickness. 

The electroless nickel plating process

Electroless Nickel Plating (ENP) is a process that deposits a nickel alloy coating onto a metal substrate through chemical reduction–and without the use of an electric current typical of other plating processes. Using a chemical reduction agent, the chemical bath causes a reaction that deposits nickel ions onto the substrate. While it does require the use of phosphorus additives in order to deposit nickel ions, the process doesn’t require the constant filtration to keep debris in the bath from adhering to the surface. 

ENP is an incredibly versatile coating, and the amount of phosphorus plays a large role in the characteristics of the coating. Higher phosphorus content in the bath will lead to better corrosion resistance as a result, but also less hardness, and the reverse is true as well–lower phosphorus content results in higher surface hardness, but less resistance to corrosion. This allows the user to adjust the amount of phosphorus in order to get the properties that they want. 

The benefits of electroless nickel plating

Electroless nickel plating is a cost effective coating that is popular for applications where a uniform coating is needed on components with slots, holes, and the insides of tubing. These types of applications tend to pose more of a challenge for electrolytic deposits. 

ENP offers the best corrosion resistance in environments when the parts will be exposed to salt water, carbon dioxide, high oxygen content, and hydrogen sulfide. The coating is highly resistant and reliably long-lasting, offering a lower-cost alternative to corrosion-resistant alloys.

The main benefit of course is this coating’s versatility and durability. The phosphorus content of the coating can be adjusted in order to get the right level of hardness or corrosion resistance. Combined with the increased ductility that ENP will impart onto the substrate, this type of coating has become popular in many high-stress applications across the Aerospace, Defense, Industrial, and Automotive industries. 

There are several other benefits as well, including improved electromagnetic interference shielding, popular in aerospace and defense applications, and enhanced lubricity for automotive and industrial equipment. Overall, ENP has proven time and again to enhance part performance and life cycles for more reliable operation in the long run. 

Looking for a quality supplier of metal finishing services?

Reid Metal Finishing has one of the largest arrays of metal finishing services, including electroless nickel plating and several types of electrolytic plating, anodizing, chemical film, and more. For more information, check out our website or contact us.

Zinc Nickel Plating: Superior Corrosion Protection for Harsh Environments

Zinc Nickel Plating: Superior Corrosion Protection for Harsh Environments

One of the many different metal finishes that Reid specializes in is zinc-nickel plating. While a relatively recent type of coating compared to others, zinc-nickel plating has proven to be an excellent finish, suited for challenging environments, exhibiting a corrosion resistance that’s comparable to the more expensive cadmium plating. 

What is zinc-nickel plating–and how does it work?

Zinc-Nickel is a high performance alkaline coating that imparts exceptional corrosion resistance to metal parts on the same level of the traditional cadmium plating. The combined alloy of Nickel with Zinc creates a unique composition that corrodes far more slowly than zinc alone–getting the best of zinc’s sacrificial coating properties and Nickel’s high strength and hardness. The Zinc in the alloy acts as a sacrificial coating, degrading before the metal underneath, while the Nickel remains to further protect the material for far longer than either coating could do on its own. 

Superior protection–even in harsh conditions

Zinc Nickel plating combines the best of both worlds–zinc’s superior corrosion resistance and Nickel’s strength, ductility, and hardness. The result is a highly flexible coating that can be improved through secondary processing such as passivation, depending on the requirements of the application. Typically, the coating is applied to parts made of steel, copper, brass, and various types of iron that will encounter either harsh environmental conditions or rigorous operating conditions. 

Zinc-Nickel coatings also provide excellent heat and wear resistance. This is especially useful for moving parts, or parts that will regularly encounter rigorous operating conditions, such as those used in the components of landing gears, actuators, flap tracks, and other aviation equipment. Its corrosion resistance also lends well to a wide variety of environments, no matter how harsh, making the finish an excellent choice for parts used in industrial equipment, fasteners, and military equipment. 

In addition, this particular type of plating is also very ductile, and produces a thin and uniform coating. This contributes to the coating’s durability, allowing it to endure high amounts of stress without compromising the metal underneath. 

In need of a supplier of zinc nickel plating and other finishing services?

Reid Metal Finishing offers several decades of experience in a wide range of metal finishes, zinc-nickel plating included. To request a quote, or to learn more about what we can do for you, check out our website today.

Cadmium Plating Best Practices: Ensuring Quality and Compliance

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.

A look at Sulfuric Anodizing: how it works and where it’s used

A look at Sulfuric Anodizing: how it works and where it’s used

Sulfuric anodizing is one of the many types of finishing services that we offer at Reid Metal Finishing. This type of aluminum anodization is unique, offering both excellent durability and aesthetics, making the coating an excellent choice for a wide range of applications. 

Type II Anodization

Sulfuric acid anodization, also known as Type II anodizing, is an anodization process that uses sulfuric acid as the primary agent. Like any other anodization process, the aluminum parts are cleaned and rinsed thoroughly to remove any oxide on the surface. Then, they’re placed into an electrolytic bath of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and exposed to an electric current, causing the surface to react and form a highly resistant coating of aluminum oxide on the surface of the part. 

Anodization types have been traditionally compared using the thickness of the layer provided and the hardness of the resulting surface. Type II anodizing is popular being right in the middle of the spectrum, with Type I offering the thinnest coating but a less hard surface, and Type III offering high surface hardness, but a much thicker coating. Sulfuric anodizing is right in the middle of these two, offering a fairly thin coating that is hard and resistant to abrasion and corrosion. 

The benefits of Sulfuric Anodizing

Sulfuric anodizing is a popular treatment for many reasons. Firstly it’s incredibly versatile, able to accommodate a wide range of dye colors, even after anodization is complete. It’s also popular for use on titanium components as well as aluminum, though the process is still more widely applied to aluminum components.

In addition to its excellent durability, sulfuric anodization also imparts an aesthetically pleasing appearance onto the aluminum regardless of if it’s dyed or not. Because the surface can be dyed in a range of colors, it’s become popular for use in applications such as consumer goods and appliances. Its corrosion and wear resistance has made it popular in applications in the Aerospace, Automotive, and Defense manufacturing, where long-lasting components are a must. 

Looking for an expert in sulfuric anodizing?

Reid Metal Finishing is one of the most experienced metal finishing companies in the U.S., with over thirty years of excellence in quality, performance, and service. Check out our website to learn more about our sulfuric anodizing services, as well as our many other metal finishing capabilities.

Quality Assurance in Metal Finishing

Quality Assurance in Metal Finishing

How Reid Metal Finishing Strives to Ensure Excellence

Metal finishing techniques are common and valuable ways to improve the quality, corrosion and wear resistance, and even the aesthetics of metal parts. Metal finishing companies are often one of the last steps in ensuring the quality of a metal product before it’s shipped off to be installed into the end-use equipment or sold to end-use consumers. Good quality management procedures can ensure that any metal finishing processes are completed not just to standard, but also on time. 

Reid Metal Finishing has a long record of quality assurance and a proactive approach to continuous improvement of our company. We take several steps to offer professional, top-grade metal plating, anodizing, and chem film finishes for our partners, upholding several NADCAP certifications and accreditations, as well as the Aerospace AS9100 certification for quality management systems throughout our shop. 

Considerations for Quality in Metal Finishing

There are many factors that we keep in mind in each project that we take on, such as plating thickness, proper cleaning and pre-treatment, temperature and stress relief. 

Plating Thickness

In any plating process, the thickness of the plating is important. Not only do we have to ensure that the thickness matches what our customer’s design requires, but we also have to keep the plating even across the part. We precisely control the deposition of the coating for an even surface across the part, especially for small or complicated geometries. 

Plating also causes minor changes to the dimensions of the parts, and should be accommodated in the part design. Depending on the part’s application, our customers choose a thinner or thicker coating.

Pre-cleaning and Treatment

Reid performs metallurgical analysis on certain component surfaces to determine the best type of acid wash, exposure, and temperature profile is best for pre-treatment and cleaning of the part. Cleaning is important for removing debris before any type of metal finishing process, ensuring a smooth surface that is easy to plate or anodize.

Temperature Control

Most metal finishing treatments include heating and cooling steps that need to be precisely controlled and measured. Heating can also introduce stresses into the parts, and can be mostly avoided through proper control. Any residual stresses can be removed through thermal stress relief.

Thermal Stress Relief

Many metal components, especially those that will be used in aerospace applications, will undergo harsh conditions such as large amounts of force, extreme temperatures, and regular and consistent operation. Thermal stress relief eliminates any temperature-induced stress that might have been introduced to the part, protecting the part from deformation in extreme conditions.

Looking for a supplier of quality metal finishing services?

Reid Metal Finishing has been a premier plating and anodizing company for several decades, with a long history of excellence and commitment to quality. Check out our website to learn more!

Reid Metal Finishing: Counting on the Team to grow business

Reid Metal Finishing owner TJ Grandcolas recently sat down with the editor-in-chief of Finishing & Coating to talk about the challenges that he faced throughout his time with the company. Inspired by his personal struggles with cancer, he set out to add value to the company by better valuing the members of the team who made the company what it is today. Through additions of new testing, certifications, and capabilities, as well as the integration of his team into decision-making and managing, listening to their suggestions and leaning on them for their support. With the whole team working together, Reid Metal Finishing has continued to thrive and expand. See the whole article below.

https://finishingandcoating.com/index.php/plating/1585-reid-metal-finishing-counts-on-team-to-grow-business