Quality vs Management Objectives in the Electroplating Industry
As we’ve shared in the past, when electroplating electronics components such as connectors and contacts for mission critical applications, quality is of key concern. Quality objectives are defined and monitored by quality standards such as ISO9001 and AS9100, and the organizations that support them. Selection of which matrix to monitor is at the discretion of…
Understanding the Differences between the “Big 3” Gold Plating Specifications
A Guide to Understanding Military Plating Not all gold electroplating specs are created equal. Choosing the right one can be very confusing. Today, there are three “go to” plating specs for gold: MIL-DTL-45204D, AMS2422 and/or ASTM B488. Hopefully this guide can eliminate some of the mystery. Let’s start with some history. MIL-G-45204C, the primary military…
5 Key Design Considerations for Plating Connector Parts and Contacts
5 Key Design Considerations for Plating Connector Parts and Contacts When plating parts for mission or safety critical applications such military, aerospace, medical and other sensitive uses, there is very little room, if any, for error. Since plating is often the last step when producing various components such as connector parts and contacts, it’s important…
Controlling Precious Metal Plating Quality and Costs Using Thickness Measurement
Precious metal electroplating is commonly used in numerous electronic applications for the medical, aerospace and defense industries. When dealing with precious metals such as gold, rhodium and palladium, accuracy and precision are critical to controlling costs. Contact and connector parts must meet thickness requirements called out in MIL or ASTM specifications, and it’s imperative that…
Our Tips for Dealing with Supply Chain Issues
The pandemic has generated a lot of disruption for manufacturers and consumers alike. Higher prices, labor shortages and supply chain bottlenecks are the more threatening issues that manufacturing companies have recently endured. Today, we’re going to focus on tips that we’ve learned over the years to help alleviate your supply chain challenges. Tighten Up Your…
Improving Reel-to-Reel Plating Quality with Online Vision Inspection Systems
When plating precision electronics components, quality and consistency are mission critical factors. A core aspect of any quality assurance program is the need to inspect completed parts, measuring them against the customer’s requirements and applicable standards. Failure to do so could cause expensive challenges that could potentially outweigh the cost-saving benefits of reel-to-reel plating. This…
Controlling Color Consistency when Gold Plating Electronic Components
Occasionally, customers will come to us with concerns about the variance in gold color across an entire lot. In essence, they have a mindset of, “If it looks good, it is good,” and, “Anything that doesn’t look good, isn’t good.” In the retail space, specifically jewelry, they would have a very valid concern. Various types…
Achieving Reliable Solderability for Plated Electronic and Connector Components
In previous blogs, we’ve discussed many of the specification requirements and process considerations involved with industrial plating. Today, we continue with solderability. This refers to how easy a metal is to solder to. The goal is to wet the substrate or metal to be soldered with an even coating of solder. As you could imagine,…
How Does Part Geometry Affect Plating?
From an electroplater’s perspective, all parts are not created equal. The shape, or geometry, of the part directly impacts everything in the plating process, and careful considerations and decisions must be made before plating begins. Among the variables an electroplater must consider are: Changing any one of these can impact the choice of plating method,…