Want To See What Electroplating Can Do? Products Where Electroplating Is Common
Electroplating Finishes range in color to texture. Each one provides a different look to the surface of metal objects, and each one can be used for a number of products. If you are unsure if electroplating is right for the product your company manufactures, take a look at some of the following products that are frequently electroplated to get a good idea of how this industrial application can work for your products.
The Wrought Iron Look Without the Wrought Iron Price
Wrought iron is favored because it is typically very strong and its sharp black appearance is striking against the surroundings. Fencing is the most common installation of wrought ironwork, but it may be used as decorative details. There are just two tiny problems with real wrought iron. One, it can rust quickly, and two, it is generally expensive. To get the wrought iron look without the rusting and wrought iron price, electroplating is used to apply both texture and blacker-than-black color to high quality, low iron content steel. Then you end up with something that is much more durable, equally as strong, and still resembles the favored product without the favored product price.
The Futuristic Vehicle
Some of the more recent vehicles featured at car shows have electroplated finishes that make the prototype vehicles look as though they came back in time for a visit. While electroplating has been used on cars and motorcycles for years now, these more futuristic applications are something to see. The colors are not what you would expect, surprising everyone at the car shows with an appearance of flatness and minimal texture, but upon closer inspection, more color than you thought. What looks like a drab matte warm gray is actually a smooth, less shiny, olive green-gray. That is all in the electroplating technology that gets this color and finish variation to mimic something different up close versus far away.
The New Metal Roof
Houses are now installing new metal roofs that last decades. The roof sheets are electroplated with dozens of different colors so that consumers can select something they really like that will not look too industrial and still complement the look of their home. The finish is usually a "satin," with a lot less shine but not to the point where it is a complete matte finish. Some of the styles and colors mimic other roofing options so that customers do not have to feel like they are sacrificing the look of another material when they choose the metal roof.