The Importance of Coating and Plating Inspection in Steel ...

While steel is a robust metal widely used across multiple industries, it is also impacted by environmental conditions and, thus, requires protection. Steel relies on coating and plating to protect it and enhance its durability, appearance, and resistance to corrosion. These are two crucial steel manufacturing processes; thus, coating and plating inspection is necessary to ensure quality, longevity, and performance across different applications.

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Read the blog to learn why coating and plating inspection is important in steel manufacturing.

What are the Different Types of Coating and Plating?

Multiple types of coating and plating methods are used in steel manufacturing. Some of which are discussed here:

Electroplating

It uses electrolysis to coat the metal. The cathode and anode are submerged into an electrolyte chemical bath, and the negatively and positively charged ions move, plating the substrate metal components into the desired metal, such as copper or nickel.

Immersion Plating

In immersion plating, the substrate metal is submerged into an ion solution that contains the coating metal. The process uses no electric current to create any charge.

Anodizing

Anodizing creates a protective oxide layer on a metal by submerging it in an electrolytic solution. As the current passes through the solution, the anode releases the metal, creating a thick cathode layer. Aluminum is the most common anodized metal.

Galvanizing

Galvanizing is the process of creating a thick zinc carbonate layer on a metal. It is achieved by immersing metal in a molten zinc bath. When the substrate is removed from the tub, zinc reacts with oxygen and Co2 in the atmosphere, producing zinc carbonate.

Powder Coating

Powder coating is an electrostatic process wherein a powder-based substance with an electric charge opposite the substrate is used for coating. As the charge is opposite, the powder particles rush to the metal’s surface and stick to it. When the substrate undergoes heat treatment, the coating hardens, creating a protective layer.

Surface Protection

The aim of coating and plating is surface protection. Steel is used across various industries and is exposed to different environmental conditions. While quality steel is designed to cope with adverse conditions, coating, and plating act as barriers against moisture, corrosion, and metal degradation, allowing it to perform for an elongated duration.

Quality Assurance in Steel Manufacturing

Coating and plating inspection is an integral part of quality control. Here are specific quality control measures that achieve the high steel quality:

Visual Inspection

Visual inspection of all coating and plating operations is indispensable to ensure quality standards as it achieves uniformity, adherence, and defects.

Thickness Measurement

All metal components undergo thickness measurement to verify coating thickness per specifications, which is crucial for durability and performance.

Corrosion Resistance

Testing methods assess the material’s corrosion resistance, determining the coatings’ effectiveness in protecting the steel surface.

Coating Defect Detection

The coating defects can be generally detected by visual inspection as the imperfections on the metal surface, such as cracks, bubbles, peeling, uneven coverage, etc., are visible to the naked eye.

Adhesion testing assesses the bond strength between the coating and the substrate and detects potential adhesion issues.

Importance of Coating and Plating in the Automotive Industry

The importance of coating and plating in the automotive industry must be maintained. Auto manufacturers aim for durable products, as automobiles are meant for years. Corrosion is the biggest culprit that causes vehicles to retire. The most significant benefit of coating and plating is corrosion resistance, which protects cars from the harsh conditions in which they operate and allows them to run on the roads longer.

Regulatory Compliance

Coating and plating inspection must adhere to industry regulations and standards to achieve flawless and quality products. In the USA, the Environmental Protection Agency sets the regulatory standards to be followed.

Final Words

To guarantee quality in steel manufacturing, coating and plating inspection is inevitable. The inspection includes measuring coating thickness, corrosion resistance, adhesion, integrity, etc., to guarantee the reliability and longevity of steel.

We follow industry regulations and standards at New Mexico Metals LLC, Albuquerque, and manufacture quality steel products. We have a thorough inspection process for all our metal components, which plays an integral role in achieving the desired steel quality, which meets stringent standards, functionality, and durability of steel in various applications.

Contact us today to shop from our diverse range of steel components.

Frequently Asked Questions

Que: What role does plating inspection play in steel manufacturing?

Ans: Plating inspection ensures proper application, thickness, and adhesion of metal plating, guaranteeing improved hardness, aesthetics, and resistance to wear, contributing to the overall quality of steel products.

Que: What is the difference between Coating and Plating?

Ans: The key difference is that coating fits conductive and non-conductive surfaces, while plating is for conductive surfaces.

Que: What role does employee training play in coating and plating inspection?

The metal plating process comprises several steps from pretreatment to post-treatment. There are several plating techniques; however, this aspect will focus on the basic procedures of electroplating:

Step 1: Pretreatment

The pretreatment helps to remove all harmful contaminants on the substrate that may hinder the plating process. It may involve cleaning, rinsing, and other pretreatments that rid the plating surface of contaminants.

Step 2: Determine the Effectiveness of the Cleaning Process

The requirements of your parts often decide the ideal plating process to use. Likewise, it determines how clean your substrate must be before plating occurs. For instance, some CAD plating techniques only require the removal of bulk soil and dirt, while others require the removal of oil and grease.

Step 3: Set up the Plating Station

As electroplating is the focus here, you need materials such as an anode, a cathode, a rectifier, a tank, and a suitable plating solution to set up your plating station.

Step 4: Plating process

The deposition process starts as soon as you turn on the electrical current. In cases where a thicker plated finish is required, you must expose the components to the current for longer. However, you may have to consider variables such as temperature, voltage levels, immersion durations, etc.

Step 5: Post-Treatment Process

Post-treatment cleaning is necessary after achieving the desired deposition on your product. Therefore, electrolytic polishing is an effective means of improving the corrosion resistance of manufactured components.

Step 6: Waste Disposal

The metal plating finish produces heavy metals, which are usually hazardous because of their high toxicity levels. As a result, an efficient way to dispose of this waste is by pretreating the plating wastewater before its disposal.

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Various standard industrial plating finishes are available for use. Here are some of them:

1. Zinc Plating

Zinc remains one of the most cost-effective materials that create galvanized metal on metal substrates. Manufacturers use zinc through molten bath dipping and spraying. The substrate takes the cathode position while the metallic zinc takes the place of the anode in a soluble zinc salt electrolytic bath. The zinc plating technique forms a very ductile coating on plated metal, giving you better control over thickness and uniformity.

2. Chrome Plating

Chrome plating or alodine finish generally involves using chromic acid and trivalent chromium baths to create an overlay on the metal components. The primary purpose of chrome plating is to enhance the aesthetics of the material.

However, chromium plating finishes increase the hardness of the material, thereby giving it a better corrosion resistance property. Chrome plating can restore tolerances on worn-out parts. These chrome-plated components are generally suitable for industrial applications.

3. Nickel Plating

Nickel is another common plating metal valuable in the electroless plating method. Nickel plating helps to create a protective coating on household products such as doorknobs, shower fixtures, cutleries, etc., and it helps to improve its aesthetics and wear resistance properties. This plating method is suitable for aluminum and copper. However, it works well on other metals, serving as a basic plating for chromium.

4. Copper Plating

Copper is the most cost-efficient metal plating that offers high conductivity. Copper plating is standard for electronic products such as circuit boards, and it is a common choice because it provides high plating efficiency and low material cost.

5. Cadmium Plating

Cadmium plating is a metallic silver tender coating deposited on different base metals such as aluminum, steel, copper, and iron. This process is suitable for coating bolts and screws for submarines and military parachute buckles. In addition, it has high malleability, corrosion resistance, ease of solderability, and chemical resistance.

6. Silver Plating

Silver plating is identical to gold plating as it improves the aesthetic appeal of the material used. It is an excellent metal finish type when electrical conductivity is a factor you need to consider. Many manufacturers use silver plating because of its cost-effectiveness, as it is a better alternative to gold. Also, it is effective for plating parts made from copper.

7. Gold Plating

This metal is famous for its resistance to oxidation and its high electrical conductivity. Gold plating is an effective means of transferring these remarkable properties to metals like copper and silver. It has an enormous application in enhancing the conductivity of electronic parts like electrical connectors.

8. Tin Plating

This industrial finish involves depositing a solderable tin layer coating on a material’s surface using electrical current. Electroplating tin is a very cost-effective process because tin is readily available and costs less than metals like gold, palladium, or platinum.

9. Rhodium Plating

Rhodium plating is another standard metal plating finish that deposits a thin coating of rhodium on the surface of a piece of jewelry. This process is the same as rhodium dip or rhodium flashing. It helps to enhance the luster, durability, and light reflection of a jewelry piece.

There are various metal plating techniques used in different industries. Here are some of them:

Electroplating

Electroplating is a metal plating technique that involves depositing a metal or metal alloy on the surface of a workpiece. It is a typical metal plating process involving electric currents in an electrolyte solution to dissolve charged metal particles (ions).

The charged (positive) metal ions get attached to the workpiece, while the workpiece, in this case, possesses a negative charge on the circuit. The dissolved metal particles rise to the material’s surface when you put the workpiece in the chemical solution.

Electroplating enhances the chemical, mechanical, and physical properties of a workpiece. It provides a smooth, quick, and even coating on the plated metal. This thin coating forms a protective and aesthetic appearance on the metallic workpiece.

Electroless (Autocatalytic) Plating

The electroless plating technique is the ideal alternative to electroplating and is a much simpler and cost-effective option. It is also known as autocatalytic or chemical plating because it does not require any external electric current.

Electroless plating deposits metals such as copper, gold, nickel, and silver on the surface of different materials using a reducing chemical bath. It produces catalytic reduction to the path because it is a chemical process that does not require machinery or electricity.

Electroless plating is suitable for hard surface components with excellent corrosion resistance. As a result, the oil and marine industries utilize this process in manufacturing their components. Some common components, such as pumps or valves, often exposed to corrosion, are created with electroless plating technology.

Immersion Plating

The immersion metal plating process involves immersing a metal into a chemical compound that contains metal ions of a noble metal. The ion present in the noble metal usually is stable.

Thus, a natural pull sets in to dislocate the metal ions from the initial metal giving it a thin layer of noble metal ions. This process is a bit slower than electroless and electroplating processes. Also, it is only suitable for noble metals like platinum, silver, and gold.

Carburizing

Carburizing is a metal plating process that solidifies the surface of a metal while allowing the metal beneath to remain soft. This technique is the same as carburization, surface, or case hardening, and it results in the formation of a thinner and solid layer of metal called the surface case.

Manufacturers carburize a part after it has been machined to its final form as it helps to make element contents harder, as in pattern welding. Carburizing is an ideal metal plating technique product designers use to prevent corrosion in industries that use metals.

Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD)

This type of metal plating is a thin film preparation method that physically sublimes the surface of a material source (liquid or solid) gaseous atoms, molecules, or into ionized into ions under vacuum conditions. A film with a specific function is then deposited on the surface of the substrate using a low-pressure plasma or gas.

The essential physical vapor deposition technologies are sputtering deposition, ion plating, vacuum evaporation, arc plasma plating, etc. PVD coating has rapid deposition, strong adhesion, excellent diffraction, and an extensive application range.

Plasma Spray Coating

This metal plating is a highly flexible and effective thermal spray technique that involves spraying heat-softened or melted materials on the surface of a material to achieve the preferred coating. It uses a powerful spray coating technology that can enable the spraying of various materials such as ceramic, metal, and cermet.

Plasma spray applications include jet engine protection, restoring worn parts, and more. The plasma spraying process offers excellent resistance to wear, abrasion, electricity, heat, and oxidation.

Several industries adopt varying metal plating finishes to the best of their product specifications. These finishes are ideal options for different industries. Here are some of their primary applications:

Aerospace

The aerospace sector electroplates its components to achieve a sacrificial coating. Generally, it increases the path lifespan by minimizing corrosion. Adding an extra metal layer to parts can enhance functionality. This is because aircraft components are usually exposed to considerable temperature changes and several other environmental elements.

Automotive

Automakers commonly use electroplating to create customized parts for concept vehicles. Various vehicle customization businesses and restoration industries utilize electroplating in applying nickel, chrome, and several other finishes for motorcycle and vehicle components. In addition, vehicle makers use black oxide coating as it is ideal for machined parts and can last longer.

Power

The power industry electroplates solar components to enhance their electrical conductivity. Manufacturers electroplate solar cell contacts and antennas. Also, they electroplate wires using silver, nickel, and other metals.

Dental and Medical

The medical sector often uses metal plating to add toughness to the components’ surfaces in all medical and dental instruments, preventing metal deterioration. Manufacturers produce tooth inlays with gold plating making them helpful for various dental procedures.

Jewelry

Electroplating is one of the most widely used techniques in the jewelry sector. Manufacturers and designers often use this method to enhance the aesthetic appeal, durability, and color of bracelets, pendants, rings, and other accessories.

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