At R & S Plating, we’ve developed a reputation for providing the very best Indianapolis Black Zinc Finishing services in central Indiana. Our expert technicians use their decades of experience to serve clients from a wide range of industries including automotive, construction, defense, electronics, aerospace, and more.
We offer a broad array of metal finishing services including hard chrome plating, copper plating, passivation, black zinc plating, cadmium plating, nital etching, and more. If you’d like to talk to a member of our staff about the various services we provide, feel free to give us a call at 317-925-2396 or email us.
About Indianapolis Black Zinc Finishing
The team at R & S Plating takes great pride in offering metal finishing services completed to a very high standard. One of the services we’re best known for is Black Zinc Finishing.
Black Zinc Plating Basics
The term “black zinc” can be a little bit confusing. Zinc itself is not actually black; its color is best described as bluish-silver. The dark color of the finished product is created by a black chromate overlay that’s applied after the initial zinc coating. It’s actually two different materials – zinc followed by black chromate.
Benefits of Indianapolis Black Zinc Finishing
There are numerous benefits associated with Indianapolis Black Zinc Finishing. One of the primary reasons it has become a popular finish is its versatility. Black zinc plating works well on a variety of substrates – everything from steel and aluminum to brass and bronze. Other benefits of black zinc finishes are:
Excellent tolerance to high temperatures- Superior adhesive properties
- The ability to withstand stress and strain without breaking
- Low-stress deposit that won’t damage underlying materials
- Exemplary protection against corrosion
- A striking appearance that’s unique among metal finishes
- The ability to mold around a wide range of shapes and sizes
- Increased strength without a lot of added weight
The Process of Black Zinc Finishing
Black zinc plating is conducted using a method called “electroplating.” Electroplating is a relatively complicated process that requires professional expertise to be done correctly. The process is generally conducted using the following steps:
1. Thoroughly Clean the Surface of the Item
Before the actual plating process can begin, the object that’s being treated needs to be cleaned thoroughly. If dirt, dust, and debris are not completely removed prior to plating, flaws in the finish will likely appear.
2. Prepare the Electrolyte Plating Bath
Metal plating takes place in a specially formulated solution called an “electrolyte bath.” The chemical composition of this solution facilitates the Indianapolis Black Zinc Finishing process, which is why it’s crucial that you get the formula exactly right.
3. Immerse the Object in the Electrolyte Bath
The next step in the process is to submerge the item into the electrolyte bath. It’s vital to heat the solution to the correct temperature prior to immersion to ensure maximum adhesion.
4. Add an Electrical Current
The name of this process – electroplating – comes from that fact that electricity is needed to induce the transfer of metal ions. Once the electrolyte bath has been prepared and the item immersed, a current of electricity is introduced. The electric current then triggers a chemical reaction that causes the zinc ions to attach themselves to the submerged object.
5. Leave the Current Running
The thickness of your metal overlay is determined by the amount of time the electrical current runs through the electrolyte bath. The longer the current is present, the thicker the plating will be. The technician completing the job will know exactly how long to leave the item in the solution in order to achieve the desired result.
6. Add the Black Chromate Conversion Coating
After the zinc coating has been applied, it’s the time to add a thin layer of black chromate to create the final finish.
7. Finish It Off
Almost done – now that the black chromate layer has been completed, all that’s left to do is clean the object, dry it, then conduct a thorough inspection to make sure that the plating process was 100% successful. Then it can be readied for shipment.
Call the Indianapolis Black Zinc Finishing Experts at R & S Plating
If you’d like to learn more about Indianapolis Black Zinc Finishing or any of the other metal finishing services we provide, just give us a call. We can be reached at 317-925-2396. You can also send us a message using the contact form conveniently located on this site. We look forward to hearing from you soon!