Sheffield Platers, Inc.

02/24/2023

Thank you so much for your feedback, Raymond. We appreciate you sharing your positive experience and writing this awesome review!

12/14/2022

Important updates regarding CARB Hex Chrome Ban and the upcoming public hearing. Listen to the podcast below with Bryan Leiker. Show your support and plan to attend!

Metal Finishing Association of Southern California, INC.

11/30/2022

An explanation of Electrolytic Plating:
Electroplating can be defined as the deposit of a very thin layer of metal “electrolytically” to a base metal to enhance or change its appearance. Electroplating is done in a liquid solution called an electrolyte, also known as a “plating bath”. The plating bath is a specially designed chemical bath that has the desired metal (i.e. silver, gold) dissolved as microscopic particles (positive charged ions) suspended in solution.

The plating bath solution serves as a conductive medium and utilizes a low DC voltage (direct current). The object that is to be plated is submerged into the plating bath and a low voltage DC current is applied to the bath. Generally located at the center of the plating bath, the object that is to be plated acts as a negatively charged cathode. The positively charged anodes that will complete the DC circuit are carefully positioned at the edges of the plating tank. A power source known as a rectifier is used to convert AC power to a carefully regulated low voltage DC current.

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The resulting circuit channels the electrons into a path from the rectifier to the cathode (object being plated), through the plating bath to the anode (positively charged) and back to the rectifier. Since electrical current flows from positive to negative, the positively charged ions at the anodes flow through the plating bath’s metal electrolyte toward the negatively charged cathode. This movement causes the metal ions in the bath to migrate toward extra electrons located at the cathode’s surface outer layer. By means of electrolysis, the metal ions are taken out of solution and are deposited as a thin layer onto the surface of the object.

This process is called electrodeposition. Theoretically, the thickness of the electroplated layer deposited on the object is determined by the time of plating, and the amount of available metal ions in the bath relative to current density. The longer the object remains in the DC activated plating bath, the thicker the electroplated layer will become. Typically, plated metal thicknesses can range from .10 microns for flash gold plating to 20 microns or more for heavy silver plated flatware.

The inherent shape and contour of the object can affect the thickness of the plated layer. Metal objects with sharp corners and edges will tend to have thicker plated deposits on the outside corners and thinner deposits in the recessed areas. This occurs because the DC current flows more densely around the outer edges of an object than the less accessible recessed areas. Items such as watches with sharp faceted corners are difficult to re-plate uniformly. This is due to the excessive buildup of plating deposits that occurs on the sharp corners and prominent surfaces of the watch case. Careful placement of the anodes and modification of the current density are necessary to offset this effect.

With rare exception, electroplating processes will not conceal preexisting surface blemishes such as scratches, dents, or pit. In fact, the plating process has a tendency to make most surface imperfections even more noticeable. It is therefore necessary to remove any undesirable surface marks prior to the plating process.

Since most typical plating thicknesses are so thin, surface treatments such as chemical etching, glass bead blasting and other applied textures are unaffected in surface character or dimensional depth by the electroplating process.

For decorative finishes, the metals typically used by the jewelry and decorative metals industry for electroplating are gold, silver, nickel, palladium, platinum, ruthenium and rhodium.

For engineering finishes, the most commonly plated metals are brass, cadmium, stainless steel, copper, gold, nickel, silver, tin, and zinc. These types of finishes are primarily concerned with functionality of the plated finish rather than surface beauty.

The generic sequence of operations required prior to the electroplating process would include the thorough cleaning of the object, stripping of old plating and surface contaminants, refurbishing and final polishing. The surface of the object is then cleaned and activated by a mild acid rinse prior to final plating. Depending on the metal object, sometimes a thin strike plate (i.e. nickel over stainless steel) is required as a pre-plate to allow the plating process to occur.

11/30/2022

The Importance of a clean, bright Metal Finishing operation is vital to sustainability, employee morale, and customer confidence,

11/16/2022

A Plating Operator is actively involved in various processes within the plating department including cleaning, etching, plating. The plating Operator must maintain the work area in a safe environment while working with chemical processes..You will be part of our plating operator/technician team on the hand rack line processing hermetic connectors. These are small alum connectors. This will include all pre and post-processing for, gold, tin, electroless nickel, duplex nickel etc...

02/08/2022

Products Finishing recently interviewed Vincent Noonan, CEF, the incoming president of the Metal Finishers Association of Southern California (MFASC) to learn about his goals for the industry.

Vincent Noonan, CEF, Vice President Strategic Operations at Sheffield Platers, has been named the new president of the Metal Finishers Association of Southern California.

01/20/2022

This "What is SPI E-Nickel PTFE Plating" blog post will dive head-first into one of our core competencies, SPI E-Nickel PTFE.

Read more on our News Blog or visit our website!

This "What is SPI E-Nickel PTFE Plating" blog post will dive head-first into one of our core competencies, SPI E-Nickel PTFE.

01/18/2022

Congratulations to our very own Vince Noonan for stepping up as President of the MFASC in 2022 to take on the many challenges facing the surface finishing industry. We know you will do an amazing job!

⬇️ Click below to read more from Vince.

Metal Finishing Association of Southern California, INC.

01/17/2022

Sheffield Platers returned to the WESTEC/AeroDef 2021 conference on November 16-18, 2021 at the Long Beach Convention Center after two years.

Learn more in our quick read blog.

Sheffield Platers returned to the WESTEC/AeroDef 2021 conference on November 16-18, 2021 at the Long Beach Convention Center after two years.

12/31/2021

Happy New Year! Wishing all the best to you and yours as we head into 2022.

12/23/2021

Happy holidays. Here’s to a joyful holiday season and new year filled with health, happiness, prosperity and more!