There are various types of industrial electroplating such as gold plating, silver plating, nickel plating, etc. based on the type of metal that is being plated or based on its application, a specific type of plating is used. Not just the cost of being a concern, a specific type of electroplating is used keeping a specific objective in mind. On this article, we will go over few basics of Industrial Silver Plating.
Industrial Silver Plating is used by various industries including electronics industry, military, aviation, automotive and several other commercial industries. Silver is an excellent metal that is highly ductile with an elegant shine and reflectivity. When it comes to electrical and thermal conductivity, silver is second to none. Whine gold plating and other plating have their own use, silver has the highest amount of electrical and thermal conductivity as well as highest level of optical reflectivity within the visible range. Some might say gold has the more reflectivity but that is within the infrared range, not within the visible range.
Due to its high temperature sustainability, silver is used to coat nuts and bearings that perform under high temperature of up to 1200 degree Fahrenheit. Pure silver is also used for soldering electrical wires as it offers great solderability and bonding. Practically all electrical circuit boards have wires soldered in silver due to its bonding and electrical conductivity.
While there are other metal electroplating options, Industrial Silver Plating is often the first option if precious metal coating is needed. The main reason for electing silver is because it is far less costly compared to other precious metal such as gold or platinum. Silver costs about one tenth of the cost of gold roughly which makes silver a good option for precious metal coating.
Aside from the cost issue, Industrial Silver Plating is used to increase the life of an item by adding a coating around the surface. Other standard coating like tin or alloy coating doesn’t increase the life cycle of the metal as much as it does with silver coating. Silver therefore is the primary choice among engineers when it comes to selecting a coating that will not only increase the product life cycle but ass a shine and increase the look of the item.
Cheapre options like tin or alloy are used for certain coatings but they do not offer nearly close amount of thermal or electrical conductivity and it is not corrosion resistant either. So when it comes to selecting a metal for its conductivity and corrosion resistance, Industrial Silver Plating is basically the primary and in some cases the only option.
Electroless Nickel Plating 