Aerospace Plating Services

Plating is a surface covering in which a metal is deposited on a conductive surface. The electroplate is used for corrosion inhibition, to improve solderability, to harden, to improve wearability, to reduce friction, to improve paint adhesion, to alter conductivity, or for radiation shielding.

Aerospace plating is essential to the livelihood and growth of the industry. Reliability, precision, and the use of proper materials is crucial. Valence upholds a superior quality management system throughout the metal finishing process.

AS9100 & NADCAP Approved Plating Services

Valence is the industry leader in quality for precision components in the aerospace, satellite, and electronics and medical device industries. With unique selective plating and precision masking techniques for critical plated components, we are the leading plater for satellite and UAV applications, including a proprietary process for precision internal plating of waveguides.

We offer integrated honing and grinding capabilities to complement our cadmium and chrome plating. Using best practice plating technology, Valence Surface Technologies provides numerous plating services:

Plating Services

Cadmium Plating

Cadmium plating is a tough and versatile coating. The soft, attractive coating provides a favorable bonding surface for adhesions. It is also the preferred plating for salt-water environments due to its resistance to mold and bacteria.

Chrome Plating

Chromium plating is effective at providing excellent hardness and lubricity, reducing friction, minimizing wear, and preventing galling. In environments with corrosion or abrasion, chrome plating can withstand negative consequences on wear and tear.

Copper Plating

Copper plate has high electrical conductivity, exceeded only by silver plating. Copper is an excellent and inexpensive coating for many different uses that require conductivity or solderability. As a result of malleability and perfect adhesion, copper can maintain adhesion and serve as a base for added coating and plating.

Electroless Nickel Plating

Electroless nickel plating is a unique process that uses heat and a unique chemical bath to create the nickel without the use of any electrical current. Since electroless nickel finishing does not use electricity, the coating created by the process is very uniform across the entire surface of the part, even parts with complex geometry. Threads and close tolerance features can be plated precisely without edge build up.

Gold Plating

Gold plating advantages include good corrosion resistance, good solderability, and, when alloyed with cobalt, it has very good wear resistance. Gold is commonly used in electrical switch contacts, connector pins and barrels, and other applications where intermittent electrical contact occurs. It is also used as a radiation shield, in infrared reflectors and satellite electronic housings. Valence also offers immersion gold plating.

Manganese Phosphate

Manganese phosphate coating is a conversion coating, the formulation of which contains a manganese salt, phosphoric acid and an accelerator. This process is done under high temperature, and produces a surface that has good corrosion and wear resistance. Manganese phosphate coatings can retain oil and other lubricants.

Nickel Plating

Nickel plating provides exceptional hardness and corrosion/wear resistance. Nickel is one of the four ferromagnetic materials at room temperature and is a fairly active element. However, nickel deposits are slow to react in standard atmospheric environments due to the formations of a protective oxide surface providing excellent corrosion performance on most products.

Nickel Sulfamate

Nickel sulfamate is a plating process that provides a highly ductile plating surface with low internal stress. The versatility of the coating resists high temperatures, maintains high tensile strength, and provides ductility and elongation.

Silver Plating

Silver is also the best heat conductor of all metal plating materials, and offers great solderability. Due to silver’s conductivity, the microwave and satellite industries use it to carry high frequency signals and reduce the amount of heat generated compared with copper. Silver’s lubricity and high temperature resistance allow engine manufacturers to use silver in the place of lubricants. It is used on bearing surfaces and anti-galling applications.

Ti-Cad Plating

Ti-Cad or titanium cadmium plating is a titanium cadmium combination plating that provides corrosion resistance on high strength steel applications. It significantly reduces the negative consequences of hydrogen embrittlement.

Tin Plating

Tin plating is used extensively to protect both ferrous and nonferrous surfaces. Tin is also widely used in the electronics industry because of its ability to protect the base metal from oxidation and corrosion. Depending on the base material, tin is used as a metal plating to maintain or impart solderability. Valence also offers tin lead plating.

Valence performs all of these services to the highest degree of care, with approvals for most prime, aerospace, and military specifications. Our products and services significantly enhance safety, long-term use, and consistency in the aerospace industry. View our specs here.

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Plating Tank Sizes

Valence Wichita	L	Valence Garden Grove	L
Cadmium Types I, II, III	4′	Copper Plate	2′
Electroless Ni-Mid	4′	Electroless Ni- Hi Phos	6′
Electroless Ni-Hi Phos	2.5′	Electroless Ni- Low phos	3′
Hard Chrome	14′	Electroless Ni- Mid phos	7.5′
Hard Chrome	7′	Gold Immersion	2′
TiCad	4′	Gold Plate – Grade A Type lll	2′
		Gold Plate – Grade C, Type II	3.5′
		Gold Plate – Grade D, Type I, Type II	1.5′
		Gold Strike	3′
		Nickel Plate – Bright /Semi Bright	4.5′
		Nickel Plate – Semi Bright	4.5′
		Nickel Sulfamate	4.5′
		Silver Plate – Semi Bright	3.5′
		Sliver Plate – Matte	5′
		Tin Plate	4.5′
		Tin/Lead Plate (60/40)	3′
		Tin/Lead Plate (90/10-95/5)	2.5′

NDT

Shot Peen + Blast

Chemical Processing

Plating

Painting + Spray Coatings

Other Services