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Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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Electroless Nickel Plating of Hardened Shafts

Q. We have asked our supplier to provide shafts made from CDS 220, coated in electroless nickel 3-5 microns thick. The end of the shaft is required to be hardened to 58c rockwell minimum.
They produced them fine for a couple of months, but are now saying that the manufacturing process cannot cope with plating a hardened shaft. The issue we are now getting is plating flaking off.

electroless nickel plated hardened shaft

Should a hardened shaft be able to take the plating, and if so what is the likely cause of this issue?
Thanks

Steve Blair
manufacturer - Dundee
2005

A. I think the problem has a commercial remedy. They probably charged you an extremely low price to get the order. Soon they found out the charged price cannot cover the added processing steps to prepare the hardened steel and simply aren't willing to sustain it any longer. Negotiate with them for a slight better price in exchange for the same initial quality or find another supplier.

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico
2005

Very insightful response, Guillermo. Thanks!

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. We have an application of a pneumatic cylinder on which we require a hardness of 50-55 HRC by electroless nickel plating. Our cylinder material is EN-24, and we require a 20 micron plating thickness.
Are we required to harden the cylinder before plating?
Does hardening the cylinder before plating affect the adhesion of plating on cylinder?

SHABBIR KHEDAWALA
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
February 11, 2013

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