一、Function: Prolonging the Life of Parts and Enhancing Performance

1. Corrosion Resistance
   Steel and copper alloys are extremely susceptible to rust in the presence of air, salt spray, or chemical media. Processes such as nickel plating, zinc plating, and hard chrome plating can form a dense, stable metal barrier on the substrate surface, isolating corrosive media and extending component life from months to decades.
2. Wear Resistance
   For high-speed friction parts such as engine valve stems, hydraulic pistons, and injection molding screws, substrate hardness alone often fails to meet the required requirements. Hard chrome plating or chemical nickel plating can increase the surface hardness to Hv800–1000, significantly reducing wear rates and minimizing downtime and maintenance.
3. Conductivity/Welding/Reflection
   Silver and copper plating provide extremely low contact resistance, ensuring stable current transmission in high-frequency connectors, IGBT modules, and battery tabs. Tin plating offers excellent weldability and cost advantages. Silver or rhodium plating can also improve the light reflectivity of LED reflectors.

二、Appearance: Make Your Product "Memorable at First Sight"

In the era of consumer upgrading, appearance is a selling point.

1. Decorative Chrome Plating: Mirror-like brilliance combined with a subtle blue sheen lends a premium look to car logos and bathroom faucets.
2. Black Nickel, Gunmetal, and Pearl Chrome: Through composite plating and dyeing processes, a variety of textures, including matte, gradient, and pearl, are achieved to meet the personalized needs of industries such as 3C, jewelry, and e-cigarettes.
3. Spot Plating/Two-Tone Plating: Utilizing masking technology, combinations such as bright silver + matte black, rose gold + brushed nickel, etc., are achieved on the same part, enhancing brand recognition.

三、Economy: Optimize Costs

1. Saving Precious Metals: The Type-C connector on mobile phones is plated with a 0.1 µm thick gold layer only in the plugging and unplugging area, ensuring wear-free operation even after thousands of plugging and unplugging cycles while saving over 90% in material costs compared to using gold throughout the entire connector.
2. Reduced Post-Processing: Bright nickel plating and chrome plating are completed in one step, eliminating multiple post-processing steps like polishing and painting, shortening delivery times, and reducing labor and energy consumption.
3. Improved Product Yield: Through automated lines, online chemical analysis, and closed-loop film thickness control, the defect rate can be reduced from 5% to 0.3%, directly converting into profits.

In short, electroplating is more than just "plating a layer of metal." It uses minimal material, energy consumption, and time to give parts the comprehensive competitiveness of "longevity, ease of use, aesthetics, and environmental protection."

https://www.ly-rectifier.com/app_cat/pcb-eletroplate/