UNIQUE SPECIALTY APPLICATIONS
PROPRIETARY ELECTROLESS NICKEL PLATING
Over the years HP&C has developed a number of unique plating techniques and processes for certain industries that offer significant customer benefits. Additionally, with some of the largest electroless nickel tanks in the industry (2-4,000 gallon tanks) HP&C has the ability to plate very large parts and quantities that the majority of plating companies cannot even attempt. These large tanks also allow HP&C to run multiple jobs at one time and produce the fastest turn-around times in the industry.
Some of the unique electroless nickel applications include:
Power Generation
Certain power generation parts, particularly impellers, are very difficult to plate due to the types of materials used in their construction (stainless steel or very hard tool steel to which electroless nickel plating does not bond easily), and the part configuration that typically includes many layers and angles as well as blind spots.
Historically, power generation companies have experienced a failure rate as high as 75% for electroless nickel plated impellers. To solve this problem HP&C’s electroless nickel team developed a proprietary, multi-staged system for plating these parts using specially designed fixtures that produce a 100% success rate. These unique plating processes provides power generation manufacturers a reliable finish that delivers the benefits of uniform electroless nickel plating without disrupting production and completion schedules.
High Pressure Cylinders
High-pressure gas cylinders used in the storage and transportation of corrosive gasses are subject to significant degradation when interacting with carbon steel. This produces an unacceptable contamination of the gas.
To prevent this contamination users have resorted to purchasing expensive stainless steel or aluminum cylinders. Electroless nickel plating of a carbon steel high-pressure gas cylinder prevents the degradation, however, the cylinders are extremely difficult to plate because of the very small, and single opening into the cylinder which makes it difficult to obtain the necessary solution flow needed to produce a uniform plating in the standard electroless nickel plating process.
HP&C’s electroless nickel and fabrication teams have developed proprietary processes and unique, specifically designed equipment and fixtures that create the necessary solution flow to insure uniform plating.
Additionally, because of the difficulties of plating high-pressure gas cylinders, plating companies have not been able to process a significant number of cylinders at one time which has constrained supply, produced unacceptable turn-around times, and increased the price of nickel plated cylinders. HP&C has dedicated an entire electroless nickel plating tank to plating high-pressure gas cylinders and the proprietary processes and specially designed equipment and fixtures enable the Company to plate a significant number of cylinders at a single time which not only lowers the cost but dramatically increases the supply of inexpensive nickel plated carbon steel cylinders to the industry.
Now, thanks to HP&C’s recently developed processes and equipment, manufacturers and distributors of industrial gasses will be able to offer a significantly less expensive nickel plated carbon steel high-pressure gas cylinder, with virtually unlimited supply.
Stainless Steel Parts
Electroless nickel generally does not bond well with stainless steel due to the properties of the steel, and often the configuration of the parts. HP&C has developed proprietary processes and fixtures that insures consistent uniform plating of stainless steel parts. Manufacturers are able to offer a plated carbon steel part that provides the corrosion protection of stainless steel at a fraction of the cost.
Computer Shelving, Cabinets and Related Parts
The size, materials used, and geometric complexity of storage shelving, cabinets and other parts used in the computer and electronics industries make those parts difficult to plate.
HP&C has developed processes to ensure uniform plating of these large and bulky items. With some of the largest electroless nickel tanks in the country those parts can also be plated economically.
Firearms
HP&C has applied nickel plating to rifles and shotgun barrels and related parts for decades. The US Coast Guard, for example, requires electroless nickel plating on their firearms not only because it provides excellent corrosion protection but also for the beautiful silver finish.
A flawless finish is required for these parts that are typically sold at retail. HP&C has developed proprietary processes to answer this need and produce a consistently flawless finish that supports a premium price for the rifle or shotgun.
High Temperature Heat Treatment of High Phosphorus Electroless Nickel
High phosphorus electroless nickel is widely used in applications due to its functional properties such as hardness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Applying a well defined method of thermal treatment to the electroless nickel plated steel substrate at temperatures above 600˚C will further enhance these properties by forming a highly protective, thick greenish oxide film and an interdiffusion layer with the substrate. This process generates three distinct barrier layers of protection that promote an improvement in corrosion resistance, adhesion bond, hardness and abrasion properties when compared to a standard as-plated high phosphorus electroless nickel deposit.
Benefits
- Corrosion resistance is increased by the formation of a tenacious a nickel oxide layer, nickel
phosphorus rich layer and nickel-iron diffusion layer which is continuous and ductile - The hardness of the deposit after heat treatment is 650-775 HV
- Deposit adhesion passes the mandrel bend test
- Deposit passivity is improved due to nickel oxide layer
- Taber Wear Index post high temperature heat treatment of 10 mg/weight loss per 1000 cycles
compared to 22 mg/weight loss per 1000 cycles of as plated high phosphorus electroless nickel
PROPRIETARY SALT BATH NITRIDING (SBN-QPQ)
Salt bath nitriding (SBN-QPQ) is a unique heat treatment diffusion process that provides hardness to manufactured parts as well as corrosion protection. Since it is a diffusion process rather than a plating or coating there is nothing to chip or flake off. HP&C has the country’s largest capacity for providing SBN-QPQ services at two different plants, which produces the fastest turn around possible for all jobs, but especially for large jobs that have a significant number of parts.
HP&C has developed a number of specialty process for certain parts that ensures consistent quality and finish including:
Firearms
Similar to electroless nickel plated firearms, firearm parts finished with SBN-QPQ are typically sold at retail and therefore must have a consistently flawless finish. HP&C’s proprietary WI 36.0 finish for firearms parts includes special cleaning and other proprietary processes designed to ensure consistency of appearance and produce the desired matte black finish.
The extra hardness also helps to maintain the desired look even with the harshest of use.
Low Temperature Processing and Long Parts
Certain parts are manufactured from materials that cannot withstand the high temperature normally associated with the standard SBN-QPQ process. HP&C has the ability to apply the process lower than standard temperature for those parts because of its large SBN-QPQ capacity.
Additionally, with some of the largest tanks in the country HP&C, has the ability to apply the SBN-QPQ process to parts as long as 10 feet and weighing up to four thousand pounds.
Houston Plating & Coatings
P.O. Box 418 1301 Georgia
South Houston, TX 77587-0418
Phone: (800) 946-0172 • (713) 946-8920
Fax: (713) 946-8487
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Houston Plating & Coatings
P.O. Box 418 1301 Georgia
South Houston, TX 77587-0418
Phone: (800) 946-0172 • (713) 946-8920
Fax: (713) 946-8487
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