Q&A

Plating Q&A

Is RoHS compliant plating possible?

All of our plating types are RoHS compliant. Submissions of MSDS etc. are also available.

Can SUS(stainless steel) be plated?

Yes. Both the jig and barrel method can be used to plate SUS.

Can various types of aluminum and aluminum die casting be plated?

Yes, we can use the jig method. Plating on aluminum is one of our strengths.

Can zinc die cast be plated?

Yes. Both the jig and barrel method can be used on zinc die cast. We also offer buff polishing.

Can phosphor bronze be plated?

Yes. Both the jig and barrel method can be used on phosphor bronze.

Is trivalent chromium plating different from trivalent chromate?

Yes, they are different.

Trivalent chromium plating is generally plated over nickel plating. Any base metal can be used, as long as they can be plated. Trivalent chromate is generally done after galvanization, but we can also directly process the chromate on aluminum.

Can copper plating be done to prevent carburization?

Carburization can be prevented by plating at least 13μm, and at most 30μm. Specifications around 25μm are most common.

Can electromagnetic wave shields be plated?

Yes. Metal generally shields electromagnetic waves, but the performance depends on the wavelength. We perform either copper plating or electroless nickel for electromagnetic wave shields. Some products have copper plating on aluminum.

Can you increase the hardness of the electroless nickel film?

Yes. After our electroless nickel, heat treatment(supplier) is performed to set it to the specified hardness (within min-max). Vickers hardness of our electroless nickel is about 550Hv, and some products are treated at 900Hv or higher after the heat treatment. Heat treatments may cause discoloration of the electroless nickel film, but it will not affect the hardness. If discoloration is absolutely a concern, vacuum heat treatment (not available with us) will help prevent it.

Can electroless nickel ?

No, it is not possible. Electroless nickel plating does not have the ability to provide luster. The material itself can have a mirror-finish, and The gloss cannot be controlled. Electrolytic nickel can control the appearance from semi-gloss to a shiny finish.

Is Kanigen plating available?

Yes. Kanigen plating is the product name for nickel liquid, and often refers to electroless nickel plating. We do not use the solution from Kanigen, but

Can copper, nickel, and tin plating be processed with barrels on parts that are easily entangled, and or deformed?

Yes. Although there are some restrictions such as the shape and thickness, we are able to offer precision barrel plating.

AnodizingQ&A

Is Alumite and Anodizing the same?

Yes. Alumite is a term derived from a registered trademark, Almite. In English, it is sometimes referred to as Anodic Oxide Coating. 

Is Alumite RoHS compliant?

Yes.

Can ADC12 (12 aluminum die cast materials) be anodized?

Yes. We process alumite to ADC12 every day. We have lines dedicated to ADCs.

When ADC12 is anodized, it turns brown. Can discoloration be prevented?

ADC12 naturally develops color when anodized. Due to the influence of silicon(Si), the finish may look uneven depending on the flow of hot water. We can use a method to avoid this, but it is not always perfect.

I want to color anodized aluminum die cast(ADC). Is this possible?

In the case of ADC12, only black color is supported. However, ADC 5 or ADC 6 can produce some color. We currently process titanium color on ADC 6 material.

Can two colors be produced through anodize?

Yes. It is called two-color anodize.

We color the entire product with its base color, then re-cut the area needing a different color to add the second color over bare aluminum.

We are currently processing two colors - black and red.

Is it possible to mask and anodize?

Yes. If the dimensions want to be kept, masing prevents alumite film from forming. We select our masking process from silicon rubber, tape, print, masking liquid, etc.

Can A2000 series, A7000 series duralumin aluminum be anodized?

Yes.

Is it possible to bend a sheet metal after it has been anodized?

No. Aluminums is a soft metal that is easy to bend, but alumite hardens the surface and will break the bent part.

To measure the hardness of an alumite, what is the minimum μm needed to measure accurately?

The hardness of alumite remains the same whether it is 5μm or 50μm. However, when measuring Vickers hardness (Hv), even a micro VIckers requires a thickness of 20μm or more. This is because the hardness of the alumite film is measured on the cross section of the alumite film. Vickers hardness is determined by measuring the size of the mark left by a dropped diamond. If the alumite film does not have a thickness of 20μm, it is difficult to accurately measure the mark left by the diamond.

Anodizing will reduce the glossiness.. Is luminous alumite possible?

Yes. Anodized aluminum often loses its luster when thickened, depending on the material. We are able to specify luminous alumite as a requirement and add a chemical polishing process as a pre-treatment to produce luminous alumite.

Can a matte finish be done with anodize?

Yes. We have a chemical matte process as our pre-treatment.

Can lines/creases (hairline, spin, scratch etc.) be made?

Yes.

Depending on the product shape and needs, we may refer you to a supplier of ours, but we are able to respond to each request.

What is the aluminum material that hardens the surface the most?

A1000 series, and A5000 series. Products with high aluminum purity obtain hard film. Next is the A6000 series. Within ADC materials, it will be ADC5 and ADC6.

Aluminum Conversion Treatment Q&A

Is Aluminum Conversion Treatment different from Alodine Treatment?

Aloding Treatment #1000, #1200 uses hexavalent chromium, and the coating contains hexavalent chromium (not RoHS compliant).

We perform chemical conversion treatment using trivalent chromium instead of alodine. Our aluminum chemical conversion treatment is RoHS compliant.

ALT-610, Velscudo, Palcoat 3700, Certech 650 etc., are sometimes listed as trivalent chromium chemical conversion chemicals, but how are they different?

There is no data comparing the above chemicals processed under the same conditions, but we think they have very similar, if not the same performance. At Silvec, ALT-610 and Velscudo can be converted to trivalent chromium. We have handled the liquid for years, which allows us to stabilize their performance.

Can it be processed on Aluminum die casting?

Yes. We perform trivalent chromium conversion treatment on many aluminum die-fast products. We have a 96-hour white-rust free record from JIS’s salt spray test (results vary depending on surface conditions).

What sizes can be processed?

Up to 1250x750x426.

What is the difference between aluminum chemical treatment and alumite?

Aluminum conversion treatment is a process that forms a chemical conversion film using trivalent chromium on the aluminum surface. Alumite is a process that electrochemically grows and forms an oxide film on aluminum surfaces. In aluminum chemical conversion treatment, high corrosion resistance can be obtained by chemical conversion coating. It also has the ability to stabilize adhesions to coatings/ rubber. As for Alumite, functions such as hardness, abrasion resistance, high corrosion resistance can be added. Aluminum conversion treatments are processed at a lower price point.

Does trivalent chromium chemical conversion treatment go well as a coating base?

They go well together because it can stabilize the adhesion to the paint film and improve corrosion resistance. As an example, color aluminum (aluminum sheet for construction), has two methods for pre-painting - 1. Alumit 2. Chemical Conversion. With chemical conversion treatment, chromate or phosphoric acid chromate treatment is applied before coating it with various paints. This chromic acid chromate is trivalent chromium conversion treatment. There may be some treatments that use hexavalent chromium, but trivalent chromium is used more often as it is much more human/environment friendly.

Can non-chromium chemical conversion treatment be performed?

THAI SILVEC is currently not equipped with the chemicals for this, however SILVEC Japan is fully equipped. Please consult us for questions and inquiries.

Is Trivalent chromium conversion treatment RoHS compliant?

Our trivalent chromium conversion treatment is RoHS compliant. We can submit MSDS etc.

What metals can be processed besides Aluminum?

It can be processed directly, as long as they are Zinc die-cast