Stainless Steel plating questions
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Q. I am confused by my part supplier that Stainless Steel parts can't be coated with Blue Zinc. So he is giving me parts coated with Nickel. I need this part to be electrically conductive in addition to having a bright, nice finish. Please advise if SUS 304 can be coated with blue zinc, which would be contrary to what I am told. What Stainless Steel grade would you recommend to get the part conductive and look great at the same time? Thanks
Koe KGParts - Singapore
A. Although I can't think of an example of an item that is blue zinc plated on stainless steel, I don't know of any reason to think it is impossible or even particularly challenging on a technical basis. But plating onto stainless steel usually must start with a nickel strike to activate the surface. The work would then need to go very quickly from this nickel strike tank to a zinc plating tank, and this may be quite impractical on a production basis for most plating shops.
Nickel is considered a decorative finish, more so than blue zinc, and is somewhat better for conductivity as well. The ideal decorative and conductive finish is gold plating, but that may be too expensive for the part in question, about which you have said little so far.
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 Ted Mooney, P.E. RET finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
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Q. Thanks for your reply. The part is a spring type component used to conduct current from a battery. I have the part on hand now and the finish is quite dull with the nickel plating on. You mentioned that nickel is a good choice for finishing. Do you think that I might have been fleeced? As in the part was never plated? I'll like to achieve a chrome like finish on these parts.
Koe KG- Singapore
A. I can't comment on whether you may have been fleeced based on your assessment that the finish is "quite dull"--maybe the plater was trying to satisfy you with a dull nickel finish. But I can say that it doesn't need to be dull, and usually isn't in situations like this. The nickel plating can be quite bright, but you might want to consider specifying "electroless nickel" because that is very widely used for applications like this. Look at the charging contacts of your cordless phones, radios, DC adaptors, etc.--these are usually electroless nickel plated.
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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
February 7, 2011
Q. Usually we don't go for plating on Stainless steel parts
But it is not like that it can not be done, is it true.any concept
- India
