Zinc and nickel are often standalone metals found frequently in the electroplating industry. Alone they are active in conferring their innate qualities on various substrates. Yet, the two are often combined in an alliance – a metal alloy. In fact, zinc nickel alloy plating provides significant and desirable benefits to substrates.
The Benefits of Zinc Nickel Alloy Plating
Manufacturing concerns frequently rely on the process of zinc nickel alloy plating to provide their substrate metals with certain properties. They have found the process to
* Be cost-effective: Even though it is more costly than other forms of plating, when all the factors are considered, it is less expensive in the long run
* Provide exceptional protection against corrosive elements
* Give a lustrous or bright finish to a product
* Be deposited free of any blisters
* Imbue excellent adhesive characteristics
* Cover a large surface with ease and completely
* Be characterized by impressive uniformity of the surface
* A lack of whiskers which can impair a finished product although bent after plating
The combination of zinc and nickel does result in a superior product. In fact, if the part is aluminum, the zinc-nickel alloy is by far the preferred choice. In terms of resistance to corrosion, zinc nickel alloy plating is superior in several ways to using zinc alone. The addition of nickel acts to slow down the sacrificial actions of the zinc. Further improvement can be achieved through passivation treatments and the addition of a top coating, therefore, making the final product acceptable for application for many different industries.
Zinc Nickel Alloy Plating Applications
Zinc nickel alloy plating finds wide acceptance in the automotive industry e.g. brake calipers. Automotive components are the most common recipient of this service. With aluminum parts, the zinc-nickel combination slows down the corrosive process of zinc alone while improving heat resistance. In fact, zinc-nickel is more effective with automotive engines in this sense than other zinc alloys are, including zinc iron or zinc-cobalt.
Other applications for zinc nickel plating include:
* Coaxial cables and cleat bolts: In the transmission industry
* Fasteners: For the aerospace and defense industries
* Tubing: Made for the components and parts of fuel and hydraulic systems in various industries
* Various components of both firefighting and railway equipment
* Light trucks, buses and tractor trailers: For components and other equipment for these commercial transportation vehicles
Zinc Nickel Alloy Plating
Although zinc and nickel are good metals on their own, there is something to be said for the creation of an alliance. The two metals complement each other. They improve the overall performance of the substrate in a way that neither can accomplish on its own. When it comes to improving the performance of zinc and nickel over a substrate, the best solution is zinc nickel alloy plating.
