Zinc Plating

Benefits & Uses

Zinc plating is one of the most versatile surface-finishing processes available. Zinc plating is used for a variety of engineering and functional applications. One of the main uses of zinc plating is to improve the corrosion resistance of steel parts. When applied, zinc works as a sacrificial coating to prolong the life of the basis metal. The corrosion protection of zinc plating can also be enhanced through a variety of chromate and seal post dip applications.

Our Capabilities

Varland Metal Service has extensive capabilities and advantages when it comes to barrel zinc plating. We have the ability to zinc plate over ferrous alloys including low and high carbon steels (including heat treated/case hardened steels), stainless steel, etc. We also are able to zinc plate on copper alloys.

Excellent Corrosion Protection
Our highly reliable zinc plating and chromating processes produce finishes with excellent corrosion protection properties. Corrosion resistance is a function of both the thickness of the zinc plating and the type of chromate/post dip treatment that is specified. Some degree of corrosion protection will be gained from commercial zinc plating with clear chromate, however superior results can be achieved on parts plated with higher zinc thicknesses coupled with the proper chromate/post dip treatment. There are a variety of chromating/post dip options available including:
- Trivalent clear chromate (hexavalent-free)
- Trivalent clear chromate + yellow dye (hexavalent-free)
- Seal (typically combined with a clear chromate finish)
Excellent Adhesion
Our zinc plating processes provide excellent adhesion and ductility allowing parts to pass even the toughest adhesion tests. This means that parts that get crimped, bent, or staked during assembly will remain adherent.
Delicate & Threaded Parts
Our plating process control and engineered material handling solutions allow us to barrel plate externally threaded and dimensionally-critical parts with excellent success.

Note: to achieve good results, raw parts must be properly engineered to allow for plating build-up
Production Capacity
We have the production capacity to handle your zinc plating requirements. We have two fully automated barrel plating lines that can handle very large volume needs. Computerized process control of these lines ensures consistent and highly reliable plating. Our large zinc plating production capacity also allows us extremely quick turn-around times—typically three to five days in house.
Flexibility
In addition to our automated zinc plating lines, we also maintain a manual plating line for more specialized jobs, small lots, etc. Our same process controls, combined with experienced operators, help us achieve the same degree of quality on parts plated on our manual line.

We have been solving zinc plating problems on hard-to-plate parts for years. Our Engineering and Production Staff has extensive zinc plating knowledge and experience.

Contact Varland today to find out more about our zinc plating capabilities and how we can help you with your zinc plating needs.