Chicago Plating, Inc.
(630)718-1600 Fax: (
P.O. Box 164
Bill Crawford, President
E-Mail: bill@chicagoplating.com
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11Ways To Save $
Eleven Ways To Save Money On Metal Finishing
1. Change the finish altogether.
Are you still using Cadmium on a part because that is how the print was drawn in 1968? If so you may consider Zinc, Tin or one of the Zinc Alloy platings available.
2. Loosen up the range of plating required.
When you specify .0002" minimum and .0003" maximum you make the platers' job harder and he is going to charge extra. A good rule of thumb for electroplating is that a -0% and +100% range is the minimum you can expect. A range of .0002" to .0004" is OK, but .0005" to .0007" is not. Even 100% range may be too small on long thin parts.
3. Use yellow dichromate.
.0001" Zinc and dichromate will last as long in a salt spray chamber as .0003" Zinc and clear chromate. In situations where the color is not a problem you will save money by buying less plating with a more resistant chromate.
4. Allow the Powder Coater to use their regular color.
Before specifying an exact color number or gloss level, ask what they run on a daily basis. Because it takes time to switch to a different powder the cost for special powders is much higher.
5. Change to barrel plating.
Some parts are rack plated for cosmetic look when barrel plating would give the same corrosion protection for a lower cost. Parts which started out at small quantities may lend themselves to barrel plating when the run sizes increase.
6. Change to rack plating.
Even though the price per part may be higher, if the reject rate is lower or the end customer wants better cosmetics it may be worth the cost. Some large stampings can actually be rack plated for a lower cost than barrel plated
7. Chromate Aluminum instead of anodizing.
If the part is going to be painted or it is not seen while in use chromating of Aluminum may give sufficient protection at a lower cost.
8. Buy better raw material.
Sometimes expensive polishing and buffing can be reduced or even eliminated by purchasing better raw material. It is the total cost of the part that matters.
9. Package parts correctly for transportation to and from the finisher.
A surprising amount of damage can result from parts bouncing around in the back of a truck on the way to the plater. Invest in cell pack, layer pack or other protective containers for critical parts.
10. Consider generic materials.
A substantial savings can sometimes be gained by using generic black Fluorocarbon rather than specifying Teflon. The chemical structure can be identical but the cost for the generic finish is less.
11. Find a better metal finisher
I bet you knew I would suggest this eventually. For more money
saving ideas call me, William Crawford, at (630) 718-1600 or fax me at
(630) 718-1690.