Finishing Options

Passivation:
Primarily used for cleaning and descaling stainless steel parts. While cleaning provides an enhanced appearance to the metal, it also ensures maximum corrosion resistance and prevents product contamination. MIL-S-5002

Electro-polishing:
Widely used to provide parts a shiny and smooth surface, e-polishing removes a few layers of atoms from a part (typically .0002"-.0005"), smoothing the surfaces and rounding the edges. Often used on metal parts such as stainless steel screens and decorative items.

Tumbling:
Tumbling is used to give parts a smoother surface area, to clean, and to break sharp edges. Parts are mixed in a vibratory tumbler with a selected media.

Tin plating:
Electro-tin plating is used for excellent solderability and corrosion resistance. More details can be found at "Shielding Design Options".

Gold:
Gold plating is used in electronic parts where electrical conductivity and high corrosion resistance are required. Under Mil-G-45204 are Types I and II, grades B & C are known as hard gold. Type III, grade A is known as soft gold (best used for wire bonding). If all you need is a gold flash, only 3 to 5 millionths of an inch of Type I, grade B is needed. Specify thickness from 10u" up to 100u".

Silver:
Silver plating such as matte finish silver (Type I) and bright finish silver (Type III) are sometimes used where high electrical conductivity and excellent solderability (but decreases with age) are required. Has good corrosion resistance, depending on base metal. QQ-S-365. Specify thicknesses from <100u" up to 1000u".

Nickel:
Nickel plating is generally used to improve corrosion and wear resistance of the underlying base metal. Electroless Nickel ( Mil-C-26074) is good on flat or gently formed parts. Electroplated Nickel (QQ-N-290) is also available. Both types of nickel plating are not recommended on parts with sharp, formed features as the brittle plating will crack when the part is formed. Appearance of nickel can be similar to stainless steel in color, or an almost white, dull-grey color. Nickel plating is magnetic. Specify thicknesses ranging from 100u" up to 600u" and up.

Anodizing:
Anodizing, an electrolytic process, converts aluminum surfaces to aluminum oxide. A hard coating, and resistant to corrosion. The process changes the molecular structure of the metal surface, giving it a thin, protective film. Anodized finishes are usually colorless, but can be dyed in a variety of colors. Aluminum is often anodized, as is titanium, magnesium and tantalum.

Blackening (Black Oxide):
For ferrous metals, a black, uniform coating commonly used for decorative purposes. Can provide very limited corrosion protection. Used to reduce light reflection, the more popular types of blackening are black oxide on copper and brass (Mil-F-495) and black zinc on steel (QQZ-325).