Plating services While are known for the extensive work with automotive and motorcycle manufacturers, metal finishing are regularly employed the following industries.
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Aerospace
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Jewerly
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Medical
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Electronics
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Telecommunication
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Consumer Products
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Gaming
The requirements of the industry include meeting strict adhesion specifications, corrosion performance, thickness build, hardness and appearance.
Process-Specific Work Instructions
A cornerstone of our metal plating processes employed for every customer order is our Process-Specific Work Instructions (PSWI). Each PSWI step is archived and includes: receiving inspection; raw part appearance; metal plating requirements, and cosmetic requeriments.
GOLD
Gold plating is our most popular process and this beautiful precious metal has always stood alone, above all others, as a desirable choice. We offer gold in an assortment of colors including 14K, 18K, 24K, rose gold, green gold, and sunshine gold. We use a special acid gold chemistry that provides your jewelry with a hard and long-wearing surface.
How Thick is Your Gold Plating?
Ixcoplating can plate gold anywhere from a flash (about 2 millionths of an inch) to 150 millionths of an inch.
Generally, the thicker the gold plating the better the wearability. We recommend that you choose the thickest gold plating you can afford. Keep in mind your market niche and the way your jewelry is being advertised when choosing your gold thickness.
As a guideline, we recommend these minimum thicknesses for the following items:
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earrings and pins–20 millionths (0.5 micron)
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pendants and necklaces–40 millionths (1 micron)
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rings and bracelets–120 millionths (3 microns)
GOLD FLASH OR GOLD WASH: Electroplating of gold thickness of less than 7 millionths of an inch.
GOLD ELECTROPLATE: Electroplating of gold a minimum thickness of 7 millionths of an inch. Can also be marked G.E.P.
GOLD PLATE: A gold coating, deposited by any means, a minimum thickness of 20 millionths of an inch. Can also be marked G.P.
HEAVY GOLD ELECTROPLATE: Electroplating of gold a minimum thickness of 100 millionths of and inch (2.5 microns).
VERMEIL (pronounced VER-MAY): Sterling silver electroplated with gold a minimum thickness of 100 millionths of an inch (2.5 microns).
Silver
Silver has long been valued for its bright white luster. It was discovered about 4000 BCE, when it was used in jewelry and as a medium of exchange.
Our pure silver plate can be applied over sterling silver to brighten, to increase the white color and to add some resistance to tarnish. The whitest of all the precious metals, silver adds luster and sparkle to non-precious metals.
Copper
The unique warm red color of copper can add interesting variety and warmth to your designs. Copper is not only a beautiful color. For many people, copper holds these special attributes .
Nickel
As a less expensive white metal, nickel can be used as a final finish or a barrier layer under gold. It is hard, resistant to tarnish, and adds brightness to the surface. While it is not as white as rhodium or silver it is still a nice alternative. It is pervasive in our surroundings in our daily experience, contributing to the durability of everything from the coins in our pockets to the hardware in our homes and automobiles.
Interesting fact: Initially, car bumpers, hubcaps and door handles were nickel plated. It wasn’t until early 1930s that manufacturers added chrome plating to the nickel.
Nickel Free
If you require gold-or rhodium-plated pieces that are nickel free, we can plate items without the customary nickel under layer.
While no substitute has all the advantages of nickel in terms of tarnish resistance, hardness and brightness, we have had good results by using a combination of alternative undercoating, anti- tarnish overcoating and a thick gold plate.
Anti-Tarnish
Applied electrolytically, our special nanopolymer coating forms a protective layer on silver and other metallic surfaces.
While not as robust as lacquer, this unique coating is a completely invisible layer that is skin-friendly and hypoallergenic. It is frequently used to protect silver heishiand it enhances the life of nickel-free gold plating.
Rack Plating & Barrel Plating
Any well-equipped electroplating facility will have the facilities to process your items by either rack- or barrel-plating methods. We have used our years of experience to design special plating racks to get the best possible results on jewelry. Sometimes items such as beads are barrel plated for the best results. Our experts will determine the method that is best for your jewelry.
Rack Plating
Rack plated items are individually attached to a plating rack with specially designed clips or with copper wire. Items that are hand polished or are likely to nest, tangle, or bend will be rack plated.
Barrel Plating
In barrel plating, items are placed in a slowly-rotating, perforated cylinder and proceed through the plating cycle as a group.