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4.5 - Machined Parts Tips for Quality Assurance “Hey, the plating is peeling off of my parts. You should check your cleaning tanks!” This advice by a disgruntled machine shop production manager would indeed be well taken by his/her plating vendors. The cleaning process prior to plating must be performed adequately and intensely for strong adhesion. But if this has already been done correctly, the question then becomes, what happens when plating peels in spite of an adequate cleaning process? Most steel parts are machined and sent to a plating vendor, whereby a requirement of 32 Rockwell hardness or less is attained. This type of part is commonly referred to as a “soft part.” Even though the part is considered soft, in actuality the part experiences localized hardening on the surface a few molecules thick - as a direct result of grinding, lapping, or machining processes. Taking these particular types of parts, and processing them as if they were hardened steel will rectify any peeling that may be experienced. The steps that are commonly performed to accomodate machined parts is as follows: 1. Degrease Part
Steps #2, #3, and #6 are not normally included in the general plating cycle, but are critical to improving adhesion for peeling prevention. In addition, parts that are stamped with identifying logos, numbers, or names after plating may experience peeling if the plating vendor is not given prior notice. The vendor needs to perform this additional step when made aware of this situation: Add “Ductilizer” to the plating process to improve the pliability of the coating. This final processing change will enhance the electroplating to better absorb the shock of stamping, and result in a decreased occurrence of peeling. Sincerely, |
