While OEMs rely on their outsourced providers to recommend specific types of coating and metal finishing options, it is still helpful to have a general understanding of the various processes. This knowledge can be effective in knowing the questions to ask the provider about their zinc nickel plating, as well as to evaluate if the recommendation made is the right one for the given application.
The choice of zinc nickel plating is particularly common in the automotive parts manufacturing industries. There are several reasons why this electroplating option is the most widely used throughout the industry, and why it continues to grow in popularity across other industries and applications.
Replaces Toxic Cadmium
Over the last few decades, most manufacturers of industrial or commercial use parts and components have moved away from the use of the toxic materials required for cadmium electroplating. The new technology in zinc nickel electroplating is as effective, and in many cases superior, to the protection offered by cadmium.
It is also fully RoHS compliant and occurs between 12 and 15% deposit of nickel on the surface of the part or component. For steel substrates, this provides an exceptional level of corrosion protection on the surface.
Further Processes
The benefits of zinc nickel plating include high resistance to thermal shock damage and deposits that are bright and blister-free. They also are burn-free, which means the parts can be used as is, or used in conjunction with clear or black options in trivalent passivates for additional surface protection.
In automotive and industrial parts and components, the choice of zinc nickel electroplating makes an ideal surface prep for adding rubber to the metal. These bondable rubber to metal parts are cost effective and save the additional need to add separate gaskets and seals during the fabrication phase.
