WHAT'S NEW at APC?

Artistic Plating Featured in Products Finishing Magazine for Expansion in Medical Industry
Artistic Plating was recently featured in a cover story of Products Finishing Magazine…

Artistic Plating to once again Exhibit at 2012 Medical Design and Manufacturing Show in Minneapolis, MN
Artistic Plating will be exhibiting in booth 1436 at the upcoming 2012 MD&M Minneapolis show in Minneapolis, MN October 31st through November 1st…

Artistic Plating Launches Expansion of Precision Tin/Lead and Lead Plating Lines
Artistic Plating recently tripled the capacity of precision tin/lead and lead plating services due to recent growth in plating within the bearing, power distribution/transmission and energy sectors…

Artistic Plating Expands with New Flagship Heavy Build Copper Plating Line
Artistic Plating recently launched its newest plating line, which was designed to offer expansion in heavy build copper plating. "This line is truly a state-of-the-art machine that combines over sixty years of plating experience with today’s most modern PLC and SCADA controls…"

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CERTIFICATIONS

Gold Plating (Electroplating) Services per MIL-G-45204, ASTM B488

Artistic Plating Company is an industry leader in functional gold plating services to Mil-G-45204 or ASTM B488.  Our sixty years of expertise in providing precision barrel, rack and vibratory gold plating services is currently employed in numerous industries including the medical, telecommunications, aerospace and electronics industries. 

Artistic offers a complete range of gold plating services including Type I, II and III purity deposits in both soft and hard gold formulations.  Artistic has the ability to underplate with our various nickel plating services including both bright electrolytic nickel, sulfamate electrolytic nickeland electroless nickel deposits as well as copper plating or silver plating if required. 

Gold Plating Services – Gold Properties

Gold plating has excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, offers exceptional solderability and is a superb reflector of infrared radiation.  In addition, gold is a noble metal that does not oxidize or chemically react under normal conditions.    For this reason gold plating it is an exceptional choice for numerous engineering requirements where electrical conductivity (especially at low voltages), solderability and corrosion resistance are design requirements.

Artistic Plating offers gold plating services in both 99.7% pure “hard” gold and 99.9% pure soft gold electrodeposits.  Hard gold plating services are commonly employed in applications where repeated sliding or connection wear is a design consideration such as in female to male interconnect pins or sprung contacts.  Artistic Plating offers hard gold plating that is alloyed with a small amount of cobalt to achieve the required deposit properties.

Soft gold plating services are commonly used where the highest of gold purity is required for soldering, bonding, high temperature or high corrosion resistance applications.  The soft gold plating deposit provides an extremely pure deposit of gold, which maintains the low hardness, and high corrosion resistance of gold consistent with its elemental form.  Soft gold plating is preferred for high temperature applications due to the fact that alloying elements of hard gold plating can oxidize at elevated temperatures.

The appearance gold plating is very much a function of the underplate that is applied prior to deposition of the final gold layer.  If a matte nickel such as sulfamate nickel is applied, the final gold deposit will have more of a matte appearance.  If a brightened nickel such as bright electrolytic nickel is utilized, the gold plating will have a bright appearance.  As with any deposit, the luster of the basis material has a large degree of impact in the luster of the final gold plating.

Gold Plating Services – Gold Specifications

The two most common gold plating services certified by Artistic Plating are MIL-G-45204 and ASTM B488.  Artistic can provide Type I, II and III gold deposits per these industry standards.  Gold plating services to AMS 2422, AMS 2425 as well as most company-specific gold specifications can also be provided.  A summary of gold plating services to ASTM B488 and MIL-G-45204 is provided below:

Gold Plating Services to ASTM B488-01

Note:  ASTM B488 underwent a major revision from 1995 to 2001. The Type callout of the ASTM was revised to parallel that of MIL-G-45204 such that the Type and Codes of the ASTM and MIL specs are synonymous. The Types listed below are per the current 2001 revision of ASTM B488.

• Type I:  99.7% pure gold with a hardness ranging from A (90 HK25 max) to C (130-200 HK25).
• Type II: 99.0% pure gold often referred to as hard gold with a hardness ranging from B (91-129 KH25) to D (> 200 HK25).
• Type III:  99.9% pure gold often referred to as soft gold with a hardness of A only (90 HK25 Max).

• Code A: 90 HK25 Maximum
• Code B:  91-129 HK25
• Code C: 130-200 HK25
• Code D: > 200 HK25

Relationship Between Purity and Hardness (ASTM B488-01 and Newer)

Type			Code
Type I			A, B and C
Type II			B, C and D
Type III			A Only

Class			Minimum Thickness [um]
0.25			0.25
0.50			0.50
0.75			0.75
1.0+			1.0
1.25			1.25
2.5+			2.5
5			5.0

6.5.1 Nickel Underplating – For thickness classes except 5.0, a nickel underplating shall be applied before the gold coating when the product is made from copper or copper alloy.  Nickel Underplating is also applied for other reasons (see Appendix X6).

Appendix X6:  Some Reasons for Using a Nickel Underplate

• X6.1 Diffusion Barrier (E.g. migration of zinc into the gold layer from a brass substrate)
• X6.2 Leveling Layer (Brightening)
• X6.3 Pore Corrosion Inhibitor
• X6.4 Tarnish Creepage Inhibitor for Gold
• X6.5 Load-Bearing Underlayer for Contacting Surfaces

Gold Plating Services to MIL-G-45204

• Type I: 99.7 percent gold minimum
• Type II: 99.0 percent gold minimum
• Type III: 99.9 percent gold minimum

• Grade A: Knoop hardness 90 max
• Grade B: Knoop hardness 91-129, incl.
• Grade C: Knoop hardness 130-200, incl.
• Grade D: Knoop hardness 201 and over.

If the hardness grade for the gold coating is not specified, Type I shall be furnished at hardness Grade A (90 Knoop max) and Type II shall be furnished at hardness Grade C (130 to 200 Knoop)

Purity (Type) and hardness (grade) relationship:

Purity			Hardness
Type I			A, B and C
Type II			B, C and D
Type III			A Only

• Class 00: 0.00002 inch thick, minimum
• Class 0: 0.00003 inch thick, minimum
• Class 1: 0.00005 inch thick, minimum
• Class 2: 0.00010 inch thick, minimum
• Class 3: 0.00020 inch thick, minimum
• Class 4: 0.00030 inch thick, minimum
• Class 5: 0.00050 inch thick, minimum
• Class 6: 0.00150 inch thick, minimum

Gold Plating Services – Why Artistic Plating? 

Artistic Plating provides expertise in gold plating services to fulfill even the most demanding applications.  From prototyping and PPAP qualification to full production processing – it is Artistic’s goal to exceed your expectations.  The following points highlight why Artistic Plating is a leader in gold plating services:

• Diversity of substrates:  Artistic Plating provides gold plating services on nearly any metallic substrate such as copper & copper alloys including beryllium, chromium and tellurium coppers, hardened and alloyed steels, stainless steels, Inconels, Hastalloys, Monels, ductile & cast iron and metalized plastics.
• Delicate and Difficult Geometries:  Artistic Plating specializes in gold plating services on delicate parts employing patented oscillating, rock-and-roll, compartmentalized, vibratory and minimum part movement barrel technologies as well as custom-engineered rack fixturing when required to ensure even the most delicate parts are handled properly.  Artistic has a working R&D relationship with several tooling manufactures that has lead to several patented designs.
• RoHS and REACH Compliance:  Artistic is at the forefront of environmental compliance and can certify our gold plating services as needed to the current RoHS, ELV and REACH regulations.
• Competitive Pricing:  Artistic Plating has been providing quality gold plating services for over sixty years.  Competitive pricing in gold plating services is paramount to gaining and maintaining our customers in today’s competitive global marketplace. 
• Lean Lead Times:  With inventories leaner than ever, rapid turn around is a core competency that we value highly to ensure the service our customers need.
• Value Added:  Artistic prides itself on meeting our customer’s needs.  Whether it’s custom engineering packaging, vacuum or nitrogen sealed packaging to enhance storage, Kanban inventory management, light subassembly or multiple finishing combinations – Artistic will work with you to ensure we meeting your needs in gold finishing services.
• Extensive in House Analytical and Quality Lab Services:  SPC is employed in all wet-lab work surrounding our gold plating services to ensure baths are analyzed and adjusted at optimum frequencies to ensure operation between critical upper and lower control points.  Our quality lab employs the latest in x-ray, coloumetric and spectrophotometer technologies to inspect your parts and will work to your requirements to provide testing as needed.  Our quality lab can certify salt spray performance to ASTM B117, adhesion to ASTM B571 and solderability to ASTM B678.  Mounted cross sections of parts are also available.