Posted September 09, 2014 8:41AM
It has recently come to our attention that some of our customers may not be getting the plating they need. More and more we understand that when our customers go to some plating shops they are being told "you don't need that." A case in point is with Electroless Nickel. The thicknesses called out in the various specs represent "thickness per side." Many of our customers have been told that the thickness callouts are "total." Per Al Becker, our Technical Sales Manager, this can make it difficult for us to be competitive because we are quoting twice as much plating as the "other" shop.
Another area of concern with Electroless Nickel is heat-treatment, or baking. The Mil-Spec recommends that ALL aluminum receive a heat-treatment to improve adhesion. Many of our customers have been told that the baking is simply not necessary.
How about baking on items heat-treated to a hardness above Rockwell C31? Hydrogen Embrittlement Relief Baking (for at least 3 hours) is required after plating to keep the parts from failing. Again, our customers are being told that it's not needed.
Tom Coss, our Chairman, has stated "The times we live in demand strict adherence to blueprint and specification requirements. Most companies are required by their customers to have some level of quality system in place. Not all companies understand or fully comply with their quality system. As a result, some bad parts are being shipped to OEM customers. The liabilities that can result when nonconforming parts are discovered in the field can be HORRENDOUS."
As a metal finishing company with over 20 years of demonstrable quality data and demonstrable continuous improvement, Santa Clara Plating Co., Inc. has a mature quality system, we understand it, and we complywith it.
We will make you this deal: Contact us for a free consultation to determine exactly what plating thickness and what related processing may be required on any job where you are presented with a wide variation of quoted prices from your processing vendors. It may be that all are not quoting exactly the level of thickness and processing the job requires. And the worst case: If you have reason to suspect that you are not receiving blueprint plating thickness on some items, bring them to us and we will thickness test them for you at no charge. Better to be safe than sorry!! Call Al Becker at (408) 727-9315 x230 or Marshall Roe at (408) 727-9315 x232.
Related Services: Electroless Nickel Plating