The idea & the process
How electroplating works
A metal salt solution, a DC power source and a lot of know-how. Here’s what happens when your parts go into the tank.
Inside the line
From raw part to finished finish
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01
Clean
Oils, scale and soils are stripped so the new metal bonds directly to the part.
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02
Activate
A quick acid dip removes oxides and readies the surface for plating.
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03
Electro-deposit
With the part as the cathode, current drives metal ions out of solution and onto the part.
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04
Post-treat
Chromates, passivates, sealants or baking lock in the protection.
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05
Verify
Thickness and appearance are inspected before parts are packed and shipped.
In the tank
Current, chemistry and care
Clean parts, a balanced bath and steady DC current: that is how an even, durable finish is built.
The science in plain terms
Electroplating uses a solution of a metal salt and an electrical direct current to coat an electrically conductive item with a layer of that metal. The process that makes it happen is called electro-deposition, and it works like a battery (a galvanic cell) running in reverse.
The part to be coated is placed in a tank containing a solution of one or more metal salts and is connected to an electrical circuit. When current passes through the circuit, electrons moving through the solution drive a chemical reaction: the dissolved metal is reduced to its ground state, becoming pure metal rather than a metal compound, and it deposits on the part, covering it in an even layer.
Electroplating vs. other finishes
Electroplating adds metal to a part. That sets it apart from electropolishing, which removes a thin layer to smooth and brighten a surface, and from anodizing, which grows an oxide layer out of the base metal itself, usually on aluminum.
Ready to finish your next run?
Send us your prints with certification requirements, or drop off a sample part, and we’ll get back to you with a free estimate.