Finishes
Build-up layers and decorative top coats for ABS parts, from mirror chrome to satin.
“Nothing is impossible.” With this in mind we bring plastic products to life with plating. You will find it hard to believe what you see is plastic.
BUILD-UP LAYERS
Plastics do not conduct electricity like metals, so they are made conductive before plating.
Etching: the bath breaks the butadiene bonds in the ABS. It contains chromic and sulphuric acid and runs at 62–68 °C.
Activation: Sn²⁺ and Pd²⁺ ions are placed on the broken butadiene bonds, forming a tin and palladium film on the etched surface.
Electroless nickel: nickel is deposited by autocatalytic chemical reduction, without electric current. Corrosion and wear resistance are very high and thickness is equal at every point regardless of part shape. We run two chemistries: hot electroless nickel (sulphate, ~55–60 °C) and cold electroless nickel (chloride, ~30–40 °C).