For many of our jobs, the question of plating comes into
play – there are a variety of different options out there in terms of specific
techniques or metals that correspond to different desired outcomes for the
final product. As a custom metal
stamping business, we don’t do plating ourselves, but we often do jobs that
either require post-plating or stamp pre-plated pieces, and we’ve identified
some key issues to be concerned about when considering when in the process to
plate your piece, and thought we’d share what we’ve observed.
As we mentioned earlier, the two options we come across most
are stamping pre-plated material, or sending off the stamped piece to then be
plated. There does exist a third option
called partial plating, presumably a cost saving measure designed to be
compromise between the advantages of the two.
The advantages of pre-plating are pretty straightforward –
the cost tends to be lower, and there is less opportunity for dimensional
issues in the finished product. Plating
is of course adding a layer of another type of metal onto the work piece for
either corrosion resistance, conductivity, aesthetic or other purposes, but as
a function of the process, it can create dimensional issues that need to be
taken into account, depending on the tolerances desired for the part. This is where using pre-plated material can
be an advantage, as that process has already been performed, and won’t factor
into the final stamped dimension.
However, as a function of the stamping process, a pre-plated
part won’t be 100% plated after stamping, so for applications where perhaps
there is exposure to a harsh environment, or the part is visible and a seamless
finish is preferable, post plating may be desirable. Again, this is typically the more expensive option,
and with the added handling of the pieces, there is an increased possibility
for dimensional concerns to arise.
As with many design and manufacturing considerations, the
key is to identify which factors most affect the characteristics of the final
product that are most important, and make the decision based on those
variables. The benefit (and we would say
the beauty) of being a custom manufacturer is that we have the experience and
capability to cater to whatever peculiarities the job requires.
