Automotive Plating

Automotive Plating Services for Enhanced Electrical Components

Over time, numerous factors can damage a vehicle's finish and cause premature rust, including:

• Tree sap
• Bugs and pests
• Bird droppings
• Gas
• Dust
• Acid rain
• Road and sea salt

As these contaminants eat away at the paint, the underlying metal becomes more vulnerable to corrosion. That's why electroplating is indispensable in automotive manufacturing. This process enhances the durability, corrosion resistance and longevity of different automotive parts, such as wheels, bumpers, engines and frames.

Our Premier Automotive Plating Services for Electrical Components

SPC offers high-quality finishing services for cars, trucks and motorcycles. For decades, we've served the automotive sector with plating services to restore the structural integrity of metal parts. We even work with non-metallic components like plastic bumpers, door panels, grilles and wheel rims.

Aside from these exterior components, our experts at SPC can plate various electrical components to improve corrosion resistance and performance, including circuitry systems, wiring, connectors and semiconductors.

Electrical Components We Work With

Modern vehicles rely on electronics for controlling the motor and battery system. Since metals are natural conductors, electroplating is an excellent way to increase the conductivity of metal parts like antennas, wires and cables. Our electroplating services cater to a variety of electrical components, including:

• Lead frames: Lead frames are vital components, as they connect the wiring from semiconductors to large-scale automotive circuitry systems. They enable the transfer of signal from the die to the board. Plating lead frames can improve the adhesion of the wire bonds and die attach. It also enhances the lead frame's solderability.
• Electrical contacts and connectors: You can plate connectors and contacts in electrical circuits to thwart corrosion and boost conductivity, ensuring more consistent and reliable electrical connections.
• Wires and cables: Manufacturers often electroplate these components to improve conductivity, corrosion resistance, longevity and mechanical properties.
• Printed circuitry boards: These components are often electroplated for added protection. Plating helps safeguard the board's exposed metal against corrosion, extend its service life and improve solderability. It also protects the board from oxidation.
• Semiconductors: Semiconductor chips are essential components in hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs). They're responsible for managing energy efficiency, motor control, battery systems and power distribution. Electroplating benefits semiconductors in several ways, like improved electrical conductivity, friction reduction and heat resistance. Various materials can be used to plate semiconductors, including copper, nickel, tin, silver and gold.

Custom Plating Solutions for EVs

Hybrid vehicles and EVs have a unique set of needs in automotive manufacturing. Fortunately, SPC offers customized plating solutions for these types of vehicles.

Electroplating plays a substantial role in EV manufacturing. We use this process to create corrosion-proof coatings for various EV components, including chassis parts, connectors and terminals. Plating helps protect these parts from salt, moisture, chemicals and other environmental factors, increasing their operational life.

Electrical conductivity is critical for EV performance. That's why we use electroplating to apply conductive coatings to battery terminals, busbars, connectors and other components. This process provides efficient power transmission and low electrical resistance within the EV's electrical system.

Additionally, electroplating can provide heat-dissipating coatings for parts like cooling systems and heat sinks in EVs. These barriers help manage heat produced during vehicle operation and regulate operating temperatures.

Gold Plating Benefits for Automotive Electrical Components

In some cases, we can plate electrical automotive components with gold, such as connectors and semiconductors. SPC also provides gold plating services for exterior automotive parts like wheel rims, door handles, hood ornaments and emblems. Gold offers significant long-term value due to its unparalleled tarnish resistance and durability.

At SPC, we have years of expertise in automotive gold plating services. We can provide expert guidance and support in this area, and we can even recommend more affordable automotive plating materials, such as palladium alloys, when possible.

Here are some advantages of plating automotive components with gold:

• Corrosion and wear resistance: Because gold is inherently corrosion-resistant, it's a great choice for automotive parts frequently exposed to harsh weather conditions and environments. It effectively protects against rust and increases the life span of these automotive components.
• Solderability: Gold-plated surfaces are highly solderable. This is a notable feature for automotive components that require soldering during repair and assembly processes.
• Chemical stability: Gold is a chemically inert material, meaning it does not react with most chemical substances. This chemical stability can provide adequate protection against chemical corrosion, making gold ideal for any automotive parts exposed to abrasive chemicals or fluids.
• Heat resistance: With a melting point of 1,947 degrees Fahrenheit, gold is incredibly thermal-resistant. It retains excellent stability at extreme temperatures, which makes it suitable for electrical automotive parts exposed to high operating temperatures.
• Electrical conductivity: Gold is electrically and thermally conductive, so it's commonly used to enhance the electrical conductivity of electronic automotive parts.

Why Choose SPC for Your Automotive Plating Needs?

At SPC, we combine technical excellence with industry-leading customer service. Here are the benefits of partnering with us for automotive plating projects:

1. Diverse Plating Services

We have expertise in plating with a wide range of materials. Aside from gold, we also work with:

• Copper: Copper is naturally conductive, malleable and corrosion-resistant, making it an excellent choice for plating substrate materials.
• Silver: Silver has a high melting point that makes it suitable for high-temperature automotive applications.
• Palladium: Palladium has the lowest melting point of platinum metals, and it won't react with oxygen under normal temperatures. This means it won't tarnish when exposed to air. Palladium creates a heat-resistant, electrically conductive surface ideal for electric automotive components. The material is also harder than both silver and gold.
• Alloys: Alloying certain metals can enhance the characteristics of different materials. For example, plating automotive components with a nickel-zinc alloy can maximize corrosion resistance and prevent red rust development up to 1,000 hours.

2. Solutions Customized to Your Needs

From traditional automotive systems to EVs, we can tailor our plating solutions to numerous components. We'll also discuss your budgetary needs with you to select the most cost-effective plating materials for your automotive manufacturing applications.

3. Comprehensive Service Offerings Beyond Plating

On top of our plating services, we offer a range of additional services like electroplating consulting, surface preparation, immersion washing, parts cleaning and plating testing.

Discover the SPC Difference in Automotive Plating Solutions

With our unmatched expertise in automotive plating services, you can trust SPC to take on even your most complex plating needs. Since 1925, we've proudly served the automotive manufacturing sector and many other industries with superior customized plating solutions.

Whatever your unique automotive plating applications, we'll help you determine the ideal plating materials and processes based on your requirements and budget. Fill out our form to request a free quote for automotive plating services, or call 717-767-6702 with questions about our process.