Understanding And Bettering Industrial Concepts

3 Reasons To Consider Zinc Nickel Plating

Metal is a common material used in industrial and manufacturing today. Despite the strength and versatility of most metals, some metal components need an additional finish to ensure they are capable of withstanding the test of time.

Plating is a process that adheres a protective coating to the exterior of a metal component using an electrical current and a chromate conversion process. Zinc nickel is one plating option that is growing in popularity.

Learn more about the benefits of zinc nickel finishes to determine if plating your metal components in zinc nickel makes sense.

1. Corrosion Protection

Corrosion is a major concern with any metal component. Exposure to moisture can cause certain metals to rust or deteriorate over time. A zinc nickel plating can protect your metal items against corrosion.

Zinc nickel particles are electrically distributed across the surface of a metal object as the plating process begins. Once the coating is complete, a chemical process (known as the chromate conversion process) occurs.

The zinc nickel particles fuse together and form a solid barrier around the exterior of the metal item during the chromate conversion process. This protective barrier prevents moisture from coming into contact with the underlying metal, which effectively protects the metal against corrosion.

2. Flexibility

In order to ensure that your metal components are protected at all times, you need to finish them with a coating that is as versatile as the components themselves. Zinc nickel is a great option for any metal items that must be bent or flexed after forming.

The solid barrier created from zinc nickel particles during the plating process is very ductile. This means that your coating will maintain its strength and integrity as a metal component continues through the forming and fabrication processes.

3. Thin and Smooth

Zinc nickel plating is renowned for its smooth finish. The protective barrier created via zinc nickel plating is thin, which allows this finish process to be used on threaded metal components and any components that have tight dimensional tolerances.

Very few adjustments need to be made to the final design of a metal component when it will be zinc nickel plated, because the thinness of the finished coating doesn't significantly alter the final measurements of the component itself.

This makes zinc nickel plating a great option for metal components that are part of an intricate or highly calibrated system.

Consider zinc nickel plating as a finishing process for your metal components.