In safety-critical industries like aerospace, medical, and telecommunications, engineers have to consider factors beyond base material and design for dependable component performance. For example, the right plating finish can make the difference between years of flawless service and early failure.
Precision electroplating can improve corrosion resistance, maintain electrical conductivity, enhance wear life, and ensure solderability. The key is choosing the right material and process to set your finished parts up for success in the field. In this article, we’ll cover what our plating engineers and process experts recommend engineers consider when creating specifications for new or next-generation parts to help them last longer and perform reliably.
Why Electroplating Matters for Longevity
Corrosion, oxidation, and surface wear can quickly degrade performance. In electrical applications, even a microscopic layer of corrosion can disrupt signals or cause connection failures. In mechanical applications, wear can reduce tolerance accuracy or compromise part integrity.
Electroplating addresses these issues by depositing a controlled layer of metal onto the component’s surface, providing protection and enhancing properties without altering the base material.
Selecting the Right Plating Material
Different materials offer different benefits and trade-offs. High-performance parts typically use one of four primary finish families:
- Gold: Exceptional corrosion resistance, stable electrical conductivity, and no oxidation. Common in aerospace, medical, and RF applications where signal stability and reliability are paramount. Hard gold resists wear for connectors, while soft gold offers superior solderability.
- Silver: The highest electrical conductivity of any metal, ideal for minimizing signal loss. However, it can tarnish over time, which may affect performance if not mitigated.
- Nickel: Corrosion-resistant, solderable, and mechanically robust, but magnetic, which may interfere in certain RF/microwave designs.
- Tri-M3™ or tri-alloy: Electro-Spec’s proprietary tri-alloy that is solderable, corrosion-resistant, and non-magnetic, offering an alternative to nickel in magnetic-sensitive applications.
Plating Approaches that Enhance Longevity and Performance
Choosing the right plating material is only part of the equation. The process matters just as much. Electro-Spec offers multiple approaches tailored to part size, geometry, and performance requirements.
Electroplating (Electro-Deposition)
Uses an electric current to deposit metal from a solution onto the part. Provides excellent adhesion and thickness control across a wide range of metals.
Electroless Plating
A chemical (autocatalytic) process that deposits metal without electricity. Ideal for complex geometries or internal surfaces that are difficult to plate using traditional electroplating.
Spouted Bed Electrode (SBE) Plating
Designed for micro-sized, delicate, or complex-shaped parts. Keeps parts in constant motion with ultrasonic agitation and continuous electrolyte refresh, ensuring even coverage in high and low current density areas.
Selective (Controlled Depth) Plating
Applies plating deposit to only functional surfaces, reducing cost while protecting critical areas. Ideal for parts with both cosmetic and performance-critical zones.
Strike/Flash Plating
A thin “foundation” layer applied before the main plating to improve adhesion and prevent substrate tarnish — for example, a nickel strike under gold.
Vacuum Vapor Degreasing
Ultra-precise cleaning prior to plating removes contaminants at a molecular level. Improves adhesion and coating integrity, especially for safety-critical aerospace and medical parts.
Matching the Process to the Application
Electro-Spec’s plating processes are engineered to meet strict industry specifications like MIL-SPEC and AMS standards.
Some examples of application-driven choices include:
- Aerospace connectors: Gold over nickel or Tri-M3 for corrosion resistance and wear life in extreme environments.
- Medical instruments: Electroless nickel for uniform coverage; gold for biocompatibility and sterilization stability.
- RF/microwave components: Silver for conductivity in low-loss applications; gold where corrosion resistance is critical.
- Automotive safety components: Nickel or Tri-M3™ for corrosion and wear resistance in demanding service conditions.
The Electro-Spec Advantage
At Electro-Spec, plating is not a one-size-fits-all process. Every job is approached with precision:
- Strict process control: We continuously monitor and adjust bath chemistry, current density, and temperature.
- In-house quality testing: We verify adhesion, thickness, corrosion resistance, and solderability before shipment.
- Experience across industries: Over four decades of work with aerospace, telecommunications, medical, and automotive leaders.
Design for Reliability from the Start
The sooner plating considerations are built into your component specifications, the more control you have over performance, longevity, and cost. Electro-Spec’s engineering team can consult with you early in the design process to ensure your plating solution is optimized for its operating environment, functional requirements, and service life.
Ready to engineer reliability into your next design? Contact Electro-Spec to specify the optimal material and process for your application and ensure performance that lasts.
