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

Silver Plating (Electroplating) Services per QQ-S-365, ASTM B700

Artistic Plating Company has provided quality decorative and functional silver plating services to QQ-S-365 and ASTM B700 for over sixty years.  Our expertise in providing precision barrel, rack and vibratory silver plating services is currently employed in numerous industries including the medical, telecommunications, aerospace and electronics industries. 

Artistic offers a wide range of silver plating services including Type I Matte, Type II Semi-bright and Type III Bright deposits.  Purities up to 99.9% pure are available.  Artistic has the ability to underplate with our various nickel plating services including both bright electrolytic nickel, sulfamate electrolytic nickel and electroless nickel deposits as well as copper plating if required. 

RoHS compliant post plate chromates are available to comply with inhibited deposits if specified.  In addition, sealed nitrogen-filled packaging is available to eliminate the potential for tarnishing of uninhibited deposits.  This exceptional packaging system can extend the shelf life of products plated with our silver plating services ensuring low contact resistance and solderability at time of assembly.

Silver Plating Services – Silver Properties

Silver is an extremely ductile metal with a brilliant white luster.  It has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals as well as the highest optical reflectivity in the visible range (gold performs better in the infrared range). 

Silver has been known since ancient times for making jewelry and high-end utensils and is generally considered a precious metal.  In reality silver is more properly designated a semi-precious metal due to the fact that it readily tarnishes forming silver nitrate or silver sulfide on the surface when exposed air or water containing ozone or hydrogen sulfide.

Silver Plating Services – Silver Specifications

The two most common gold plating services certified by Artistic Plating are QQ-S-365 and ASTM B700.  Artistic Plating also can certify our silver plating services to AMS 211G, AMS 2410J, AMS 2412G as well as most company-specific silver specifications.  A summary of silver plating servies per the ASTM and MIL specs is as follows:

Silver Plating Services to QQ-S-365

Type I:  Matte Deposits
Type II: Semi-bright Deposits
Type III:  Bright Deposits

Grade A:  With Supplementary Tarnish Application (Chromates)
Grade B:  Without Supplementary Tarnish Application

Silver Plating Services to ASTM B700

Type 1:  99.9% Min Purity
Type 2:  99.0% Min Purity
Type 3:  98.0% Min Purity

Grade A: Matte Deposits – Deposits without the Use of Brighteners
Grade B:  Bright Deposits – Deposits obtained with the Use of Brighteners
Grade C:  Bright Deposits – Deposits obtained by Mechanical or Chemical Polishing of Grade A Coatings
Grade D: Semibright Deposits – Deposits obtained by the use of addition agents (grain refiners)

Class N – Without Supplementary Tarnish Application (Chromates)
Class S – With Supplementary Tarnish Application

6.3.4 Underplating: A nickel or nickel-alloy intermediate layer, at least 1um thick, shall be applied before the silver electroplate when the product being plated is made from copper or copper alloy. Nickel underplating are also applied for other reasons.

Silver Plating Services – Why Artistic Plating? 

Artistic Plating provides expertise in silver plating services to fulfill even the most demanding applications.  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 silver plating services:

• Diversity of substrates:  Artistic Plating provides silver plating services on nearly any metallic substrate including copper & copper alloys including beryllium 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 silver plating services on delicate parts employing specialty 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 legislation and can certify our silver plating services as needed to the current RoHS, EVL and REACH regulations.  This includes Grade A or Class N deposits that require a chromate application.
• Competitive Pricing:  Artistic Plating has been providing quality silver 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 highly value ensure 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 silver plating services.
• Extensive in House Analytical and Quality Lab Services:  SPC is employed in all wet-lab work surrounding our silver 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.