Blog

Chromates and passivates are terms that we all see quite frequently in the various plating specifications. These terms are often used interchangeably; however, they technically differ. In this Plateco Pointer, we will take a deeper dive into the difference of a...

As you know if we've ever plated any parts for you, we're pretty much obsessed with quality. We're constantly striving for perfection in everything we do, and the idea of compromising quality is something that goes against everything we stand for. HOWEVER...we're also...

We have a lot of parts manufacturers ask us if we do hot dip galvanizing. Our usual response: We don't, because we offer something that is very often a better solution - mechanical galvanizing. It's generally accepted that mechanical galvanizing often provides at...

Some parts have what we call double-blind holes, and they can be a real challenge from a rack electroplating standpoint. The parts shown in the photo below have the exact same holes on the bottom that you see on the top. The term "double blind holes" refers to the...

We talk a lot about our unending pursuit of plating perfection, and we certainly will go to any length to give our customers the best zinc plating quality possible. However, here are five things you can do to optimize plating quality: Don't scrimp on packaging. Be...

We know how crucial timely turnaround is for you, so here are three things you can do to enable your plating company to get your plated parts back to you as soon as possible: 1. Accurate purchase orders. Inaccurate orders can get held up in the receiving department...

Castings can be very challenging to plate. Here are the three most common reasons we see for this: Highly porous substrate Rough substrate surface Impurities in the casting Highly Porous Substrate Substrate porosity can cause our process solution to get trapped within...

Our smallest mechanical galvanizing barrel is designed to hold up to 675 pounds of parts; our largest barrel holds up to 2,600 pounds. As you might imagine, mechanically galvanizing only 10 or 20 pounds of metal parts in these barrels can be a major challenge. And in...

Rack electroplating is the most popular type of electroplating for the simple reason that the design, delicacy or large size of some parts makes barrel electroplating more difficult.  Despite the many benefits of rack electroplating, however, there is one inherent...

Did you know that the porosity of your part’s substrate can cause our processing solution to get trapped within the part and cause plating issues? Here’s how it can happen.When we process a part, it’s submersed into a heated tank (typically an acid or soap solution),...

If you look at your zinc plating bills in terms of the plating expense per pound of parts, you've probably noticed that the cost per pound varies from part to part. Specifically, you might have noticed that thinner, flatter parts are more expensive to coat than...

The thickness of the zinc coating on your parts affects not only the amount of zinc used, but the amount of amperage (i.e., power) and the amount of time used to plate those parts. Since zinc, power and time all cost money, it stands to reason that you'll pay more for...