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

Lead Plating (Electroplating) Services per MIL-L-13808

Artistic Plating Company provides industry-leading precision lead plating services to MIL-L-13808.  Our expertise in providing technical barrel, rack and vibratory lead plating services is currently employed in numerous industries including the defense, railway, aerospace, bearing, fire-protection and battery sectors.

Artistic Plating’s lead plating services are employed for highly corrosive applications due to the outstanding performance of lead in corrosive environments especially when dealing with strong mineral acids such as sulfuric acid.  Lead also has outstanding solderability making it ideal for use in critical electrical and electronic applications. 

Artistic Plating also specializes in demanding plate-to-gauge lead plating services for bearing applications in the defense, aerospace and railway industries (reference Bearing Plating Services in our Finishing Solutions section).  Our dedicated Quality Control department provides preplate, in-process and post-plate dimensional and RMS inspections of inner and outer bearing surfaces to ensure dimensional and surface finish requirements are met.  Heavy build lead plating services have been provided up to 0.020 inches in thickness per side.

Lead Plating Services – Lead Properties

Lead is an extremely soft, malleable metal that has the highest atomic number of all the stable elements.  When freshly abraded lead can have a bluish-white color but it readily oxidizes to a dull gray color when exposed to oxygen-bearing environments.  It is this thin oxide layer that protects the basis lead from further oxidation and lends it’s extreme resistance to hydrochloric and sulfuric acids. 

Historic use of lead dates back to over eight thousand years ago due to its widespread availability and ease of extraction from its ore found in the earth’s surface.  The Romans used lead extensively in plumbing due to its formability and corrosion resistance.  Its elemental symbol, Pb, comes from its Latin name plumbum.  Its early use in waterways is where the English word “plumber” finds its origin.   

Lead plating is a functional finish that provides a dull gray and slightly mottled deposit.  Due to the matte nature of the deposits they are susceptible to rinsing stains and discoloration from handling.  If a bright and uniform appearance is desired, the lead surface can be overplated with a thin coating of bright tin or the deposit can be subsequently reflowed to a bright appearance.  

Lead plating services on bearings are commonly used for break-in purposes on highly loaded bearing applications generally in the range of 3,000 to 8,000 PSI where the surface speed is relatively low.  Heavier coatings are used in loadings up to 3,000 PSI where the thicker coating allows for imbedability of contaminants especially on grooved bearing designs.

Lead Plating Services – Lead Specifications

The most common lead plating service certified by Artistic Plating is MIL-L-13808.  Artistic Plating also can certify lead plating services to most company-specific lead plating specifications.  A summary of lead plating services per MIL-L-13808 is provided below:

Lead Plating Services to MIL-L-13808

Type I:  Without a preliminary copper coating
Type II: With a 0.33um (0.000015 inch) minimum preliminary copper underplate

Class 1 – 25 um (0.001 inch) minimum lead plating thickness
Class 2 – 13um (0.0005 inch) minimum lead plating thickness
Class 3 – 6 um (0.00025 inch) minimum lead plating thickness

Additional information noted regarding lead plating types:

6.1.1 Type I – No Copper Underplate: Lead may be plated directly on copper, brass or copper rich alloy surfaces.  For steel surfaces, the type II process with a preliminary copper coating should be used to obtain adequate adhesion and corrosion resistance.

6.1.2. Type II – Copper Underplate:  Recommended for all applications except where the presence of the initial thin copper coating is detrimental to the use.  The thin undercoat of copper increases the salt spray resistance of lead coatings varying in thickness from 6 to 25 um (0.00025 to 0.001 inch) by as much as a factor of two as well as improving adhesion of the lead to the steel.

Lead Plating Services – Why Artistic Plating? 

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

• Diversity of Substrates:  Artistic Plating provides lead plating services on nearly any metallic substrate including hardened and alloyed steels, stainless steels, cooper and copper alloys including beryllium, chromium and tellurium copper, brass alloys, Inconels, Hastalloys, Monels, ductile & cast iron.
• Demanding Plate-to-Gauge Requirements:  Artistic Plating specializes in demanding plate-to-gauge lead plating services required for bearing applications.  Our QC department is proficient in OD and ID bore micrometers and profilometer inspection to ensure bearings meet print dimensional and RMS requirements. 
• REACH Compliance:  Artistic is at the forefront of environmental compliance and can certify our lead plating services as needed to the current REACH regulations.
• Competitive Pricing:  Artistic Plating has been providing quality lead plating services for over twenty years.  Competitive pricing in lead plating services is paramount to gaining and maintaining our customers in today’s competitive global marketplace. 
• Lean Lead Times:  With inventory a word of the past, rapid turn around is a key principle that we focus upon to provide the service our customers need.
• Value Added:  Artistic prides itself on meeting the 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 lead plating services.

Extensive in House Analytical and Quality Lab Services:  SPC is employed in all wet-lab work surrounding our lead 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, coulometric 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.