Electroplating: the route, the tolerances it holds, materials and design tips, with an indicative cost. One of 56 processes in the free finder.
SurfaceFamily
5Route steps
47Parts in finder
Electroplating deposits a thin metal layer (zinc, nickel, chrome and others) on a part electrochemically for corrosion resistance, wear or appearance.
At a glance
When to use it, and when not
Best for
Corrosion protection, wear surfaces and decorative finishes on metal parts.
Watch for
Bath and waste handling, thickness control, and adhesion that depends on prep.
Step by step
The typical route
Raw material to finished part. Steps vary with material, volume and tolerance; this is the free route from the finder.
Clean
Clean and activate the surface.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Plate
Electroplate the metal to thickness.
Tooling Plating line Tolerance - Lead -
Rinse
Rinse thoroughly.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Bake
Bake high-strength steel for hydrogen relief.
Tooling Oven Tolerance - Lead -
Inspect
Check thickness and coverage.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Materials
Materials it suits
Grade
Why it suits this
Zinc / zinc-nickel
Cheap corrosion
Nickel / chrome
Wear, looks
Gold / silver
Conductivity
Design
Design tips
A few general pointers for Electroplating. The full, part-specific DFM list is in the dossier.
Plating build-up on threads/fits.Allow for thickness or mask.
Deep recesses (poor coverage).Open geometry.
Cost
What it costs
Electroplating for corrosion, wear, conductivity or looks; priced by area and plating metal/thickness.
PER-PART COST vs VOLUME
Per-part cost drops as volume spreads tooling and setup over more parts. The exact figures for your part at your volume, in your currency, are in the dossier.
MODEL EST.
$5.0 to 8.4per part at 1 off
A rough ballpark only. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency, with the full breakdown.
GET THE FULL DOSSIER
Everything you need to quote and source it
The free route above is yours. To actually put a number on this process and buy it well:
Should-cost at your exact volume in 12 currencies, with the material, processing, tooling and overhead breakdown
Who to source from, typical MOQ and lead time, and the exact RFQ checklist to send
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Electroplating deposits a thin metal layer (zinc, nickel, chrome and others) on a part electrochemically for corrosion resistance, wear or appearance. The typical route is: Clean; Plate; Rinse; Bake; Inspect. Corrosion protection, wear surfaces and decorative finishes on metal parts.
What does Electroplating cost per part?
It depends on size, tolerance and volume. As a rough ballpark it starts around $5.0 to 8.4 per part at low volume and falls with quantity. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency. Model estimates, not quotes.
What tolerance can Electroplating hold?
It depends on the feature and the finishing operations used.
What materials suit Electroplating?
Common choices are Zinc / zinc-nickel (Cheap corrosion); Nickel / chrome (Wear, looks); Gold / silver (Conductivity).
See the exact route and should-cost for your part
The free finder maps your part to its process and full route. Pro adds should-cost at your volume, sourcing and an RFQ draft.
