Gold plating (also called gold coating) is one of the important types of metal plating techniques used in industrial as well as non-industrial applications.

If you are an amateur, you should understand the technology for the gold plating process and relevant parameters that affect the process. If you are a company providing gold plating services, it is always beneficial to update your knowledge about new gold plating equipment and technology. If you want to pursue a career in the gold plating industry, you can search for different courses about electroplating processes.

To educate yourself or your staff on gold plating equipment and technology, you should:

1. Understand the basics of the gold plating process and relevant terminology.
2. Join courses that include gold plating in their syllabi.
3. Register with associations that provide information about different plating processes.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Understand the basics of the gold plating process and the relevant terminology

If you have very little exposure to the gold plating process and technology, you can learn the basics by browsing different resources such as websites of gold plating companies. Some reputable data publishing companies also provide the basics of electroplating processes, including the gold electroplating process.

I recommend: Gold Plating Services, a reputable supplier of gold plating equipment and chemicals, gives technical information about gold plating such as details of the process, density of a gold coating and specifications of the gold plating process. You can also learn the basics of electroplating principles at Metal Arts Specialties, a gold plating company that also offers gold plating restoration services

Search for courses on gold plating education and training

Some institutions and associations offer courses for electroplating that contain gold electroplating as a part of the syllabus. You can also search for customized courses if you want yourself or your employees to be experts in gold plating technology.

I recommend: Kushner Electroplating School, a provider of basic electroplating programs, also offers customized courses for different types of electroplating processes including gold plating. You can also opt for the web-based training (WBT) about the electroplating process and remediation of hazardous wastes at Trainex. The Institute of Metal Finishing is an international organization that provides different courses for multiple sciences, such as electrochemistry and surface coating.

Join associations for gold plating companies

Associations of electroplating and coating companies provide a platform for communication and interaction between the experts, service providers and customers of different types of plating technologies.

I recommend: Join the National Association for Surface Finishing, an association of individuals and companies involved in the surface finishing industry. The Electrocoat Association is a non-profit trade association that brings together end-users and suppliers involved in the electro coating industry.

Seek advice from an expert for your gold plating machine

If you have a problem with your gold plating system or if you want to know which gold plating solution best suits your requirements, you can get advice from experts who have been in the field of plating services for many years.

I recommend: National Metal Finishing Resource Center provides a list of experts that can help with technical problems, waste management, regulatory compliance and pollution prevention. You can post your questions at finishing.com to get help from the experts in finishing technology.

Gold plating is a method of placing a layer of gold onto another metal. Although you may first think of gold plating in terms of jewelry, gold plating is actually used in a wide variety of projects, including on such varied items as electronics, silverware, plumbing fixtures, guns, automobile accessories and personal mementos.

Whether you are operating (or plan to operate) your own gold plating business or just need items—large or small—plated for other products you're producing, there are several possible avenues. Consider the following:

1. Do you need to purchase gold coating machines?

2. Will you require gold plating equipment and supplies?

3. Is your best gold plating solution to contract the work out?

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Purchase a new or used gold plating machine

Whether you're just starting up a gold plating business or you're seeking to replace old machines, there are a number of good sources for buying plating machinery. Gold plating machines vary greatly, running from small business and hobby-type machines to larger, industrial machines. Seek one that will best suit the heavy or light use you require.

I recommend: Brush Plating Specialists sells several gold plating machines, plus accessories. Gold Plating Services offers gold plating system kits, complete with accessories. Becker Industries provides a nice line of gold plating machines; click on the model that interests you to gather more information.

Find gold plating equipment and supplies

When it comes to gold plating supplies, there are numerous sources. Some offer only common chemicals, while others provide a wider line of accessories, including kits and safety equipment.

I recommend: Warren's Gold Mine sells gold plating supplies, such as chemicals and accessories. Dalmar Plating offers kits for those working in jewelry and automotive industries. Contenti Jewelry Making Supplies provides plating racks, anodes, beakers and safety equipment for gold plating.

Discover gold plating services

If gold plating isn't the primary aspect of your work, it may make business sense to hire the services of gold plating companies. Most offer plating for jewelry, and some offer it for automotive work, technology or other commercial and industrial needs.

I recommend: Three Rivers Gold Plating Company offers professional gold plating for commercial needs. Metal Art Specialties provides gold electroplating services on jewelry, engineering and specialty items; they offer several colors, including rose and white gold plating. Professional Plating is a business-to-business (B2B) provider of plating on small and large items. Precision Plating Company does plating for electronics and other technologies.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you don't envision gold plating being your primary business but still require limited gold plating services, consider buying your own equipment. Gold plating isn't difficult to learn, and modern gold plating machines are easy to use.

Gold plating (or gold coating) provides a goldlike appearance to industrial and nonindustrial products. In the jewelry industry, gold plating improves the look of different ornaments. In the manufacturing and semiconductor industry, gold plating enhances conductivity and hardness of the components’ surface.

Understanding gold plating key terms will help you make smarter choices. This guide covers some of the common terms that you will hear from gold plating vendors, including electroplating, karat system and KHN or Knoop Hardness Number.

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Electroplating

Electroplating is an electrolytic method that deposits a very thin layer of metal on a metallic surface to enhance its appearance. Many gold plating service providers use this method to deposit gold on metal components.

I recommend: You can read through an explanation about the electroplating process at Finishing.com, an informative Web site for the finishing industry.

Karat

Karat is a unit that specifies the purity of gold. You must not confuse this with the unit 'carat' that indicates weight of a precious stone. If you want to buy pure gold, you will need to ask your vendor for 24 karat (or 24K) gold. 18K gold indicates that the product has 18 parts of gold and remaining six parts of other metal. You can understand this scale by reading through informative articles on reputable Web sites.

I recommend: Dickielee.com, an e-commerce business that offers handmade fashion jewelry, provides information on the karat system.

Microinches

Mostly, metal plating companies specify the thickness of metal coating in microinches. One microinch is one-millionth part of one inch and is equivalent to 0.254 micron.

I recommend: Metal Arts Specialties, a provider of custom gold plating services, offers a chart for conversion of different thickness units in the metal plating industry.

Knoop Hardness Number (KHN) or Knoop scale

For industrial products, the hardness of the gold plating is a very important parameter. You can specify the hardness of gold plating using a measurement system called the Knoop scale.

I recommend: Gordon England, a consultant, provides information on micro-hardness tests and a calculator for KHN. You can also read through an article on micro-hardness tests at CALCE Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering at the University of Maryland.

MIL spec plating

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory develops and publishes specifications for metal plating processes. You must check the specifications of the gold plating that your metal plating service provider follows.

I recommend: Nu-Metal Finishing, an ISO-certified surface finishing service provider, offers a summary of MIL specifications for gold plating services. Gold Plating Services is another metal plating service provider that publishes information on MIL spec plating.

Brush plating or selective plating

Brush plating or selective plating is one of the most popular gold plating methods. This method is specifically useful for on-site metal plating application requirements.

I recommend: Brush Plating Specialists, a brush plating service provider for the aerospace, electronics, petroleum and printing industries, publishes information on the basics of the brush plating method, its benefits and comparison with other plating methods.

Barrel plating

Barrel plating is an electroplating method suitable for plating small products in batches.

I recommend: To understand the basics of the barrel plating method, you can read through an informative article at Cooper Plating, a reputable metal plating service provider. Professional Plating is another plating service provider that offers information on the barrel plating process.

Gold plating methods are very much in demand in industries like computer and personal electronics manufacturing, research and development, and the vanguard of technologies like superconductors. Gold is the basis for an amazing variety of products and procedures in today's business world.

When a company needs to know about the possible uses of a gold plating system, the web can be a resource. Websites detail the various gold plating applications and uses that are common in big industries like PC manufacturing and luxury goods refurbishing. Business leaders can use the web for:

1. Detailed information about a program for gold plating services that a company might be considering.

2. Learning more about how clients use materials that are shipped to them in order to be up on common techniques and procedures in an industry, or using gold plating equipment.

3. Tips on getting into the best practices within a certain field for using gold plating or gold coating correctly.

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Use gold plating for engineering purposes

One main use of gold plating is in trials, for the development of specialized products that achieve certain benchmarks. The reflective property of gold, its relative density and other properties make it uniquely suited for some lab work and product development purposes.

I recommend: For a look at what kind of uses gold is put to for engineering purposes, see this Gold Plating Services guide (read #3). This technical paper from Epner Technology further illustrates how gold plating can be used on a variety of projects for quality engineering.

Find out about using gold plating for electronics

Gold plating is also often used for electronics, from 'superchips' with conductive properties to circuit boards, where gold plating enhances operations. A business that has a hand in producing quality electronic products will want to get in-depth information on how a gold plating solution speeds up processing for a particular product, or how it enhances connectivity on a board.

I recommend: This page from the Gold Bulletin online details some of the main uses for gold plating in electronics, for purposes of conductivity, such as in circuit boards. See more from the Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory.

Find decorative uses for gold plating in products

Of course, there's also gold plating as a decorative solution. From large items like bathtubs to smaller ones like earrings, gold plating is popular for giving items the brilliant sheen that only this precious metal produces. Gold plating companies on the web will make this process easy.

I recommend: Take a look at ideas for gold plated home furnishings at this Directory M page. Learn about yellow or white gold plating restoration for jewelry at Gold Price.