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Metal Plating Services

SR MFG delivers a one-stop electroplating service for metal parts—from sheet metal or machined prototypes through production plated parts. Based on your application requirements, we select the appropriate plating system and inspection plan, and provide traceable inspection records and supporting documentation. We routinely plate carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, and similar materials; aluminum plating is evaluated case by case based on part geometry and the pretreatment route before execution. Quality verification can be aligned to your project requirements, including coating thickness per ISO 2178 (for magnetic substrates), adhesion per ASTM B571, and corrosion performance per ASTM B117 / ISO 9227, with test duration and acceptance criteria defined by your drawing or specification.

What Is Metal Plating?

Metal plating is an electrochemical deposition process. Parts are immersed in an electrolyte containing metal ions, and a DC current is applied so the ions are reduced and deposited onto the surface, forming a thin metal or alloy coating. Plating is commonly used to improve corrosion resistance, wear resistance, electrical conductivity, reflectivity, and cosmetic consistency.The plated layer forms a metallic coating that can:

help prevent oxidation and rust
improve wear resistance
enhance electrical conductivity
increase reflectivity
boost corrosion resistance (depending on the plating system)
improve appearance and decorative finish

Pros and Cons of Metal Plating

Advantages

Strong metallic appearance and high gloss, ideal for parts with strict cosmetic consistency requirements.
Can be tailored to deliver functional benefits such as corrosion protection, conductivity, and wear resistance, with different performance profiles achieved through post-treatments.
Common substrates include carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, and copper alloys. Materials like aluminum and magnesium typically require feasibility evaluation based on pretreatment and the selected plating system.
For high-volume parts, overall cost is often favorable compared with some vacuum deposition processes.

Limitations

Plating relies on chemical systems involving acids/alkalis and metal ions, generating wastewater, spent solutions, and sludge that must be treated in compliance with regulations—so it requires robust environmental controls and process management.

Applications of Metal Plating

Automotive components: engine parts, chassis systems, body trim and exterior panels, wheels, interior hardware, battery connection terminals, motor shafts, charging interfaces, and more.
Electronics & telecom equipment: connectors, switches, relays, printed circuit boards (PCBs), antennas, base-station components, RF connectors, etc.

Aerospace parts, satellites, and spacecraft: turbine/engine blades, landing gear, fasteners, solar panel brackets, antennas, sensors, and related components.
Medical devices: surgical blades, tweezers, forceps, and similar instruments.
Construction: door and window hardware, curtain wall accessories, railings, handrails, and more.

What Problems Does Metal Plating Solve?

Metal parts are often exposed to harsh environments—humidity, UV exposure, and corrosive chemicals such as acids and alkalis. These conditions accelerate corrosion, leading to rust, degradation, and premature failure.

Metal plating adds a protective metallic layer to the surface, improving properties such as corrosion resistance and wear resistance, especially for outdoor or demanding service conditions.

For parts with specific functional requirements—such as electronic components and circuit-related hardware that require electrical conductivity or thermal conductivity—plating can deposit highly conductive metals to enhance current flow and heat transfer.

In practice, plating is not limited to corrosion protection and conductivity. With the right coating selection and process control, it can also deliver features such as self-lubricating behavior, fingerprint resistance, and UV resistance. As surface engineering continues to evolve, new plating and finishing technologies will keep expanding what metal parts can do.

Common Metal Plating Types

Plating includes many processes—such as copper, gold, silver, nickel, chrome, and zinc plating. In manufacturing, the most widely used are zinc plating, nickel plating, and chrome plating. Below is an overview of these three and how they differ.

Zinc Plating

Definition: Zinc plating deposits a thin zinc layer on the surface of a metal, alloy, or other substrate to improve appearance and provide basic rust protection.
Characteristics: Low cost; moderate corrosion protection; typically a silver/whitish finish.
Typical applications: Screws and fasteners, circuit breakers, and general industrial hardware.

Nickel Plating

Definition: Nickel plating forms a nickel layer on a metal (and certain non-metals with proper preparation) by electrolytic plating or electroless plating.
Characteristics: Attractive finish with decorative potential; higher cost; process is relatively more complex; appearance is usually silvery with a slight warm/yellow tone.
Typical applications: Lamp caps, coins, and a wide range of hardware components.

Chrome Plating

Definition: Chrome plating deposits a chromium layer via electroplating or chemical methods. Chromium is a bright, slightly bluish-white metal.
Characteristics: Two common purposes:

Decorative chrome—bright appearance, good wear resistance; rust protection is generally not as strong as zinc plating but better than simple oxidation finishes.
Functional (hard) chrome—used to increase surface hardness and wear resistance for performance-critical parts.

Typical applications: Bright decorative trims on appliances and electronics, tools, faucets, and sanitary hardware.

Key Differences at a Glance

Item	Chrome Plating	Nickel Plating	Zinc Plating
Primary purpose	High hardness, mirror-like finish, long-term protection	Wear resistance, corrosion protection, rust prevention	Basic rust protection + low-cost appearance
Process type	Electroplating	Electroplating / Electroless plating	Electroplating
Relative cost	Highest	Medium	Lowest
Corrosion resistance	Excellent (good chemical stability)	Good	Moderate (poor acid resistance)
Typical uses	Automotive trim, molds, sanitary hardware	Electronics parts, medical devices, hardware	Steel structures, general-purpose hardware

Note: Visual color alone can be misleading. As a rough reference, chrome tends to look brighter/“colder” white, nickel may look slightly warmer, and zinc often appears silver-white—but actual appearance varies by process, passivation, and specification.

What Metals Can Be Plated?

Plating is compatible with a wide range of metals. With the right pretreatment and process selection, most metal materials can be electroplated.

Carbon steel / mild steel

The most widely plated substrates. Common finishes include zinc, nickel, and chrome plating for automotive parts and structural steel components.

Stainless steel

Typically requires activation before plating. Common finishes include nickel and chrome for medical instruments and kitchenware.

High-strength steel

Requires hydrogen embrittlement control (e.g., baking where applicable). Often zinc plated; cadmium plating may be specified in certain aerospace applications.

Pure copper

Excellent conductivity. Commonly plated with nickel, gold, or silver for electronic components and terminals.

Brass

More prone to certain corrosion mechanisms and usually needs proper pretreatment. Often plated with nickel or chrome for hardware and decorative parts.

Bronze

Good wear performance. Often plated with hard chrome for bearings and gears.

Pure aluminum

Plating is possible but requires specialized pretreatment (often including surface conversion steps). May be plated with nickel or chrome for architectural trim and automotive parts.

Aluminum alloys

Typically require activation and specialty pretreatment before plating. Used in aerospace parts and electronic housings where plating is specified.

Die-cast parts

Usually need thorough surface preparation. Often plated with nickel or chrome for automotive interior parts and consumer products.

Zinc alloys

Corrosion-prone and typically need passivation/conditioning before plating. May be plated with zinc or nickel for hardware and decorative items.

Gold

Highly chemically stable; used for electronics and jewelry.
Silver: Excellent conductivity; used for electrical contacts and some optical applications.

Platinum / palladium

Strong corrosion resistance; used in medical devices, catalytic applications, and specialized components.

Metal Plating Process Flow

Metal Plating Process Flow (Video Demonstration)

Grinding → Polishing → Racking → Degreasing / Oil removal → Rinse → (optional: electrolytic polishing or chemical polishing) → Acid pickling & activation → (optional: strike / pre-plate) → Plating → Rinse → (optional: post-treatment) → Rinse → Drying → Unracking → Inspection & packaging

Common Plating Colors

White

Yellow

Black

Blue

White

Yellow

Black

Blue

Explore SR MFG’s Color Library

SR MFG Managed Outsourcing Delivery

If you don’t want to coordinate across pretreatment, plating, post-treatment, inspection, and logistics, SR MFG can manage the entire outsourced plating delivery as your single point of contact. We lock the process and acceptance criteria during NPI, then run incoming/outgoing inspections and deliver the required documentation in production—helping reduce rework and batch-to-batch variation.

Managed Delivery Workflow

1) RFQ Requirements Alignment

Material and heat-treat condition, target plating system/post-treatment, thickness class, Class A cosmetic requirements, critical mating features/masking areas, corrosion requirements, and document list

2) Issue an Execution-Ready Engineering Package (So Everyone Builds to the Same Standard)

Masking Map: defines threads, conductive contact points, sealing surfaces, and other critical areas
Racking Spec: rack contact points, grounding/clamping requirements, and Class A surface protection
Inspection Plan: thickness measurement locations, sampling frequency, tolerances, acceptance criteria, and report templates

3) Sample Validation → Lock the Production Baseline

Confirm appearance, thickness, and assembly-critical dimensions; approved samples/FAI become the baseline for production acceptance

4) Production Execution: In-Process Sampling + Lot Traceability

SR MFG performs incoming verification, in-process sampling, and outgoing inspection; lot numbers and key records are fully traceable

5) Nonconformance Closure

Containment, root-cause analysis, and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA/8D). Rework or re-plating as needed, with process documentation updated accordingly

Responsibility Boundaries (Who Owns What)

SR MFG Responsibilities (You Work Only with Us)

Engineering review and risk identification, requirement flow-down, change control, and lead-time coordination
Incoming/outgoing inspection, nonconformance closure, document package delivery, and lot traceability
For customers with requirements similar to AS9100 external provider controls, we can follow the same logic for requirement flow-down, change notification, and nonconformance disposition

Plating Partner Responsibilities

Execute pretreatment/plating/post-treatment per the agreed process sheet, perform internal checks, and provide required process data per project needs

Customer Responsibilities (Provide/Approve)

Drawings and acceptance criteria (thickness, cosmetics, corrosion duration, failure criteria, etc.)
Sample approval and change confirmation (the approved sample becomes the production acceptance baseline)

Are you ready to get started on your metal fabrication project?

Not sure which material is ideal for your project? Feel free to contact us.Our engineering team will recommend suitable material grades and sheet thicknesses based on strength, weight, corrosion resistance and overall cost.

We’ll provide you with a free quote

Who We Serve

SR MFG | Custom Electroplating Process Solutions for Metal Parts

SR MFG provides overseas customers with an electroplating solution built around application-driven selection, standards-based acceptance, and fully documented delivery, covering end-to-end management from prototypes through mass production. Based on your corrosion protection, appearance, electrical/contact performance, and assembly tolerance requirements, we specify the right plating system and post-treatments, and translate thickness targets, test methods, and acceptance criteria into an executable inspection plan—reducing rework and minimizing lot-to-lot variation.

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Metal Plating FAQs

What plating systems do you offer, and how should we write the spec to avoid ambiguity?

Common systems we deliver include zinc/zinc-alloy plating (e.g., Zn-Ni) for corrosion protection, decorative nickel and nickel-chrome, and electroless nickel (EN) for functional performance—selected based on your corrosion, appearance, conductivity/contact, and wear targets.

For the clearest specification, we recommend writing it in this order:
Base material & heat-treat condition → Plating system / governing standard → Thickness (incl. critical surfaces) → Post-treatment (passivation/sealer/topcoat/lubricant) → Salt spray method & duration → Masking requirements → Required deliverables.
This structure minimizes interpretation risk and speeds up acceptance.

What thickness can you achieve, and how is it measured? (ISO 2178 / cross-section)

We plate to the thickness class defined in your drawing/specification, and during NPI we align on critical measurement locations and sampling frequency.

For production, thickness is typically verified using ISO 2178 non-destructive measurement (for non-magnetic coatings on magnetic substrates). For dispute resolution or validation, a cross-section microscopic method can be used for confirmation.

Salt spray: ASTM B117 or ISO 9227? What’s included in the report?

If your spec calls for ASTM B117, note that it mainly defines chamber conditions and operating method—it does not define what “pass” means or the required hours. The acceptance threshold must come from your drawing/spec or a mutually agreed inspection standard.

If your spec calls for ISO 9227, we can run NSS/AASS/CASS as required by the project. Reports typically include the test method and conditions, duration, acceptance criteria, photos, and conclusion.

How do you control hydrogen embrittlement for high-strength steel? Can you provide baking records? (ISO 4042)

For high-strength steel fasteners or load-bearing parts, we identify hydrogen embrittlement risk during RFQ and capture process constraints, de-embrittlement/baking requirements (where applicable), and traceability records in the engineering and inspection documents. ISO 4042 also includes guidance aimed at reducing hydrogen embrittlement risk.

If baking is required, we can provide time/temperature records linked to the lot/batch with the shipment.

How do you handle threads and conductive contact surfaces (masking / post-treatment)?

Threads and tolerance-sensitive mating surfaces are typically managed via plugs/masking or by defining allowed plating zones to prevent buildup that could cause assembly interference.

For conductive contact surfaces/grounding points, we typically use localized masking or specify post-treatments that won’t compromise conductivity. We document rack contact points and masking scope clearly in a Masking Map / Racking Spec to make verification straightforward.

How do you handle rework or re-plating, and what’s the impact on dimensions and appearance?

We first determine the root cause (thickness, appearance, adhesion, corrosion performance), then decide between localized rework or strip-and-replate. Critical dimensions and cosmetic surfaces are re-measured and re-inspected after rework.

Re-plating can lead to thickness buildup, while stripping may affect the base surface condition. For Class A cosmetic parts, slight shifts in gloss or tone can occur—so we rely on approved samples and lot controls to minimize variation.

Metal Plating Technical Resources

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