Nickel plating is widely used in almost every industry imaginable. For the past 50 years at MP Eastern, we have continued to innovate our techniques, developing industry leading standards in nickel plating which focus on attention to detail, durability, and a premium finish. Our customers operate throughout the UK and beyond, from large multinational aerospace and military defence contracts, to the automotive motorsport industry and everything in between.
Read on to find out more about what nickel plating is, why you need it, and how MP Eastern offers premium nickel plating services at an affordable price.
Simply put, nickel plating is a process by which a substrate, such as plastic or metal, is coated with nickel. This coating can range in thickness depending on a customer’s needs. Like all forms of plating, nickel plating is carried out for either decorative or engineering purposes. Plating is used to protect the underlying material against wear or corrosion. A variety of different metals can be used for this purpose, each with their own characteristics and uses. Nickel is most commonly selected for:
Our nickel plating processes allow us to coat a wide range of materials, including several difficult to coat substrates through our pre-treatment method. Materials we can coat include:
We also nickel plate many other surfaces. Our highly trained technicians are happy to answer any of your queries about the materials we cater for, if you would like to know more.
Nickel plating is perfect for decorative use. We have the precision facilities and equipment to offer three beautiful decorative nickel plating processes, each of which creates a captivating aesthetic in its own right:
All three can be used for engineering purposes, though decorative nickel plating is best used over components which will be visible.
Our matt finish nickel plating services are perfect for engineering environments. This coating provides excellent corrosion resistance for components intended for more rigorous use out of sight.
We offer both electrolytic and electroless nickel plating. Both techniques have their advantages:
The form of nickel plating to use will depend on the material you would like to coat. Our technicians can help you decide on electroless or electrolytic plating.
Nickel plating is used throughout manufacturing due its effectiveness for both practical and aesthetic purposes. It is especially useful in:
“Chrome finish” has entered into our common language when we refer to a shiny metallic look. Often, people will talk about the chrome plating on a piece of metal or plastic, not realising that it is actually coated in nickel. The reason nickel is often used instead of chrome is because it has a number of advantages. First of all, nickel plating does not pick up fingerprints the way chrome does. While chrome is attractive to look at, a nickel finish using our bright nickel plating looks just as beautiful as chrome, but will not pick up fingerprints in the same way. Nickel plating is also significantly more affordable than chrome, and while electroplating in chrome provides good resistance to wear and tear, electroless nickel plating provides both a glossy finish and a sturdy texture.
Both chrome plating and nickel plating are great options for a beautiful finish and adding protection to a component, but nickel plating comes out on top in terms of flexibility through our bright, semi-bright, satin, and matt finishes, along with great durability.
Both our electroless nickel plating process and our electrolytic nickel plating are carried out to rigorous industry regulations. When possible, we encourage our customers to use national, international, or defence standards so that we can ensure each coating is applied with the highest level of care and attention to detail. Typical standards for non-engineering nickel plating include:
Electrolytic nickel plating
Electroless nickel plating
When ordering, please provide the following information:
The MP Eastern database also contains a huge library of nickel plating specifications, including legacy options. If you would like to know more about nickel plating, we are happy to answer any of your queries, get in touch with us today.