| CAPABILITY | BARREL | RACK |
|---|---|---|
| Electroless Nickel |  | |
| Zinc | | |
| Zinc Iron | |
|
| Zinc Nickel | | |
| BAKING | ||
|---|---|---|
| Passivate (Clear) | | |
| Passivate (Black) | | |
| Seal (Clear) | | |
| Seal (Black) | | |
Zinc
One of the most common, and cost effective, methods for protecting ferrous substrates is electrodeposited zinc. Zinc plating offers two benefits — first as a barrier coating, then as a sacrificial coating. Zinc is often preferred for coating iron and steel parts when protection from atmospheric or indoor corrosion is the primary objective. Typical parts that are Zinc-plated consist of brake systems, fuel systems, chassis hardware and climate control components. Other industrial sectors that rely on zinc-alloy processing include manufacturers of hydraulic fittings, power transmission hardware and electronic connectors. Zinc is a key factor, too, in the extended corrosion warranties available from most automotive manufacturers. Parts that historically were required to withstand 240- to 360-hours of salt spray testing must now be capable of 750 to 1,000 hours. Piedmont Plating offers clear trivalent on a rack or in a barrel.
Zinc-Nickel
Zinc alloy plating technologies were introduced in the mid 1980’s in the U.S. Although started in Japan and Europe some 10 years earlier, it was only recently that their acceptance and use on a commercial basis was felt in the U.S. and Canada. The zinc-nickel alloy corrodes at a much slower rate than zinc alone, affording better corrosion protection. Zinc-nickel alloy has been found to be excellent replacement for cadmium plating in many applications.
There are two types of zinc-nickel plating available at Piedmont Plating:
- Alkaline-type (non-cyanide) bath: The alkaline-type bath has the advantage of producing uniform thickness and nickel distribution. The deposit has been successfully used on parts requiring post plate forming. The inherent alkalinity of the bath reduces corrosion tendency of un-plated surfaces such as internal areas of tubular parts.
- Acid type bath: The acid type bath plates faster at twice the efficiency and has been used to produce 10-15% nickel alloys. However, due to its higher efficiency, plate distribution may vary across the significant surface of the part.
Several years of pilot lab and field tests have shown the zinc-nickel process to be superior to all other zinc alloys in terms of corrosion resistance, and range of applications, including cadmium replacement. Zinc-Nickel applications include the automotive market, as an example, under the hood components, power steering components, air-conditioning components and break components to name just a few. Other markets include the electrical transmission market, fastener industry, defense industry and army. Piedmont Plating offers clear and black trivalent processing on a rack or in a barrel.
Zinc-Iron
This process was initially created to improve corrosion resistance. Some of the benefits of this deposit include good weldability and ductility that are needed in subsequent manufacturing steps. This alloy can be adjusted to improve adhesion of electropainting of formed steel components. Iron can be passivated to a range of colors. Zinc-iron applications include fuel system components such as fuel rails, automotive and non-automotive fasteners, chassis components, and door latch hardware. Piedmont Plating offers clear trivalent and black trivalent processing on a rack.
Electroless Nickel
Electroless nickel (EN) plating is an exceptional corrosion resistant and high hardness plating process. Electroless Nickel offers good adhesion and excellent service performance on a multitude of metallic parts. Electroless deposits are very uniform in thickness all over the part’s shape and size. This process offers distinct advantages when plating irregularly shaped objects, holes, recesses, internal surfaces, valves or threaded parts. Electroless nickel plating produces a non-toxic coating; as a result, this method is commonly used in medical devices. The process finds wide application on items such as valves, pump parts etc., to enhance the life of components exposed to severe conditions of service, particularly in the oil field and marine sector. Other applications include optical surfaces for diamond turning, door knobs, kitchen utensils, bathroom fixtures, electrical/mechanical tools and office equipment. Piedmont Plating offers rack and barrel electroless nickel plating for thickness ranges of .0002” to .002”.