Summary for pitting in pvd plated parts Discussion
Pitting in PVD plated parts is discussed as a defect seen on TiN and gold PVD coatings over nickel-plated brass watch cases, where the user reports pitting in service that does not appear in conventional 3.5 micron 23 kt gold plating. S. Ram asks for the cause and a fix. The only answer in the thread is cautious: the problem cannot be diagnosed without more process details, but the issue could be in cleaning. The responder suggests that holes or defects in the nickel plating, possibly caused by debris left on the parts after polishing, may be responsible for the pitting. The discussion does not give a definitive root cause or remedy, but points first to cleaning and the condition of the nickel underlayer as likely places to investigate.
Q. We do PVD process of TIN and gold on nickel plated brass watch cases. On usage we found pitting on these cases which is not there in conventional gold plating of 3.5 mic of 23 kt. Can you suggest what is the reason for this problem and how to solve it?
S. Ram
Employee – INDIA
2007
A. It’s really not possible to say what the problem is without more details about your process. It could be in the cleaning step. Holes in the nickel plating due to debris left on the parts after polishing could be the cause.
Jim Treglio – scwineryreview.com
PVD Consultant & Wine Lover
San Diego, California
2007