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Thread 523/44
Costs of electroless Ni and Cu plating
June 10, 2009
Hello,
I wonder about the costs of electroless Ni and Cu plating in comparison to each other. Say we have an identical workpiece and we want to create a layer of identical thickness on it and we neglect the costs/efforts for pre-treatments. Are the costs the just determined by the Cu and Ni-price? This would mean Ni is about 2-3 times more expensive than Cu plating. Is that correct in real life or are there other factors to consider?
Thanks a lot for you help!
RESEARCHER - Sweden
publicly reply to Andreas Fischer
First of two simultaneous responses -- June 11, 2009
While nickel may be 2-3 times the cost of copper, it is a rather small part of the total cost of plating. Copper may be slightly less expensive, but only by perhaps 10-20%, and that can vary from one shop to another.
Specify the plating which will best suit your needs.

Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina
publicly reply to Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Second of two simultaneous responses --
Far too many variables to make such a gross simplification. A great deal depends on the specifications and quality inspections that you call out. Rarely would they be similar.
Competition is a major factor. If you have 5 superior EN platers within 25 miles, it is going to cost less than if there was only one. The same with the type of copper that you specify.
- Navarre, Florida
June 11, 2009
publicly reply to James Watts
July 8, 2009
Thanks a lot for your answers!
I was rather interested in the total costs of the plating bath itself, neglecting any personal- or service cost. So lets put it like this: If you compare a electroless Nickel and a Copper bath, which both produce the same total amount/layer thickness of metal, which would be the cheaper one?
Greetings,
Andreas
- Sweden
publicly reply to Andreas Fischer
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