Compared to plastic, metal is not resistant to corrosion. Although there has been huge advancement in metallurgy, most metals and alloys are still subject to corrosion. Moreover, they are also affected by chemical reactions and extreme pressures. To improve the quality of these materials, they can be enhanced using specialized coatings.Nickel Plated metals and alloys are just one of the items that have undergone an advance coating process. Through the electroplating process, nickel can be engineered to adapt to various applications. There are more than a couple of nickel-plating processes that are being utilized in the industry depending on the desired finish products.

For thick nickel coatings, an all-chloride solution is being employed. Nonetheless, thick coating cannot be equated with strength because high internal stresses can occur. The Watts nickel plating is probably the most widely used because of the high luster finish it produces. A lot of parts of vehicles, home furnishings, and hand tools are being coated using this system. The bright finish of this kind of plating is perfect for decorative applications and corrosion-resistance quality. For applications that require qualities like wear and corrosion resistance as well as dimensional corrections, the sulfamate nickel plating system is used.    

The differences between the systems being used largely depend on the solution and voltage that are used. These factors will determine the quality of coating that would be produced. In addition, coating of surfaces using electric current is highly efficient compared to conventional coating methods. The electric field moves the metal ions in the solution to coat the conductive material. This ensures that no space is left uncoated. Through this process, other unexpected benefits in terms of materials enhancement are achieved. One of the breakthroughs in advance coating processes is the dry lubrication of moving parts. This application is ideal when high pressure lubricants are breaking down because of excessive duty. It is a characteristic ideal in situations wherein problems with lubricants should be eliminated like in the food industry, space travel, and medicine. Because of their impressive performance in various industries, coatings are now playing a crucial role in many applications requiring efficiency and productivity of various components.