Alexandria Metal Finishers

Gold will be yellow to orange in color depending on the proprietary process used. It will range from matte to bright finish depending on the base metal. Exhibits good corrosion resistance, good conductivity, high tarnish resistance, and excellent solderability. Silver plating can be white matte to very bright in appearance and depending on the base metal will have good corrosion resistance. Although it will tarnish easily silver is one of the better electrical conductors. Solderability is excellent but does decrease over time. Certain types of silver perform very well on seals, bushings and high friction applications because of its excellent lubricity and smear characteristics. Rhodium is the rarest of the precious metals offered and is similar to stainless steel in color. Its metallic appearance lends to its high reflectivity, and thicker coatings are very brittle. Rhodium is almost as hard as chromium, has good abrasion resistance and excellent corrosion resistance. In fact, once plated the best methods for removal are mechanical. Very few acids are strong enough to break down this coating.

Beryllium is used as an alloying agent in the production of beryllium-copper because of its ability to absorb large amounts of heat, and resist oxidation when exposed to air. Beryllium-copper alloys are used in a wide variety of applications because of their electrical and thermal conductivity, high strength and hardness, nonmagnetic properties, along with good corrosion and fatigue resistance. These applications include the making of spot-welding electrodes, springs, non-sparking tools and electrical contacts. It is, however, brittle, chemically reactive, expensive to refine and form for this reason it is imperative to get the job done right the first time. With over 50 years of plating experience we have fine-tuned our process to a superior result. Some exotic metals are characterized by their extremely high melting points, which range well above those of iron, cobalt, and nickel. These are sometimes called refractory metals. Because of these high operating temperatures the adhesion between the base metal and plated metal has to be very reliable. The most extensively used of these metals are tungsten, tantalum and molybdenum.

The electroless nickel plating services we provide at Alexandria Metal Finishers are used to provide a corrosion and wear resistant surface on a variety of metal substrates. Electroless nickel continues to gain favor in a variety of industries due its combination of desirable material properties and ability to provide complex parts with a very uniform plating thickness. We offer low, medium, and high phosphorous nickel plating to defense, aerospace, and commercial manufacturing standards using manually controlled processes. Electroless nickel offers corrosion and wear resistance as well as a low coefficient of friction, making it ideal for a number of machinery components and other harsh applications. We can carefully control the plating thickness, depending on the grade of material used, resulting in a uniform part that rarely requires additional processing. Although it has been used extensively for a number of years, electroless nickel is still considered a relatively new plating process, and is misunderstood by many in the industry. This is partially due to the inability of many finishing providers to properly apply the plating. Since electroless nickel plating relies on a chemical reduction reaction, control of the process is critical in obtaining optimum results. A typical EN bath is more sensitive to operating conditions than an electroplating bath, and care must be taken to control the process within relatively tight parameters to achieve the best performance.

The use of electroplating has found its way into virtually every industry; these dynamic coating processes can impart a number of characteristics that enhance and improve the surface features of metal substrates. This includes appearance and corrosion resistance, special or engineered surface properties, and solderability; electroplating adds value to every substrate it is applied to. As plating processes become more specialized, maintaining engineered specifications becomes more critical. For over 50 years we have developed plating processes that can meet these ever increasing demands. At Alexandria Metal Finishers, we specialize in electroplating, and provide the plating processes and volume capacity to meet the requirements of a broad range of industries. Our plating processes include the application of plating such as tin, nickel, sulfamate nickel, copper, and tinlead in 6040 and 9010 ratios, as well as clear, gold, black, and olive drab zinc plating.

In addition to the extensive variety of plating and finishing options we offer at Alexandria Metal Finishers, we provide numerous value added services. Value added services include pre-plating, and post-plating treatment as well as comprehensive nondestructive testing. For customers developing a new design, or investigating the modification of an existing part, our experts offer consulting services designed to optimize part life and performance while minimizing costs. There are a myriad of plating and finishing treatment options available, and the fact that an existing treatment is doing an acceptable job does not necessarily mean that the optimal coating is being used. It may be possible to improve part life or reduce costs selecting a new finishing process. Pre-plating treatment options include alkaline cleaning, abrasive plating, and a number of undercoat treatments such as anodizing or chromate conversion coatings. This ensures that maximum adhesion to the substrate is achieved. Post-plating processes include dry film lubrication, etching, and testing. Multiple types of mechanical and chemical testing equipment can be used to verify coating thickness.