Bright nickel plating has been used in nearly every area of manufacturing. Whether it is plumbing, automotive, food service, military, machine and equipment components, or fasteners bright nickel provides an aesthetic finish with good corrosion resistance. Bright nickel electroplating processes may be in coil/sheet lines, reel-to-reel, barrel or rack processes.
For this discussion, we will consider the rack and barrel processes. Bright nickel typically serves as a bright finish to provide a cosmetically pleasing finish over steel, brass, or copper. Usually, it is a decorative underlayer for “bright gold”, “bright silver”, and bright chrome. Bright nickel provides depth of finish, therefore, enhancing the cosmetic appeal.
Just as there are different, end-use, applications there are also different proprietary processes to achieve the desired results. When looking at the processes available it is important that this is not a “one size fits all” scenario. You as the finisher have to know your process inside and out as well as what the finish requirements are. Read more.