Professional Zinc Alloy Surface Finishing Solutions

Nickel/Tin Plating

Nickel: Anti-corrosion, wear-resistant, barrier layer; Tin: Solderable, soft protection, anti-oxidation.

1. Process Flow Chart

2. Process Video

3. Process Details

1. Barrel plating drum into nickel tank (bright nickel/matte nickel) or tin tank

First, put the workpiece-loaded barrel plating drum into the corresponding plating tank, which can be a bright nickel tank, matte nickel tank or tin tank based on the production process. Make sure the drum is fully immersed in the plating solution to ensure all workpieces are evenly contacted with the liquid.

2. Control time and current according to thickness requirements

Set the electroplating time and working current strictly according to the target thickness of the coating. Keep stable parameters during the whole process to ensure the coating thickness meets the required standard.

3. Water washing transition to next process

After electroplating, move the drum to the washing tank for sufficient water cleaning to remove residual plating solution. After thorough rinsing, transfer the workpieces to the next production procedure smoothly.

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Workshop Planning Data

Nickel/Tin Plating — Data Zinc Alloy Finishing Managers Need

The automatic barrel plating line plates zinc alloy small parts with copper, nickel, tin and color finishes in batches of 50,000+ pieces, delivering uniform thickness and color at the lowest cost per piece.

650 m²Workshop Area

22 peopleTeam Size

260 kWInstalled Power

1.2-2.5M pcs/dayDaily Output (10 h)

Quality Inspection & Control

Check item	Method	Acceptance standard
Coating thickness	X-ray fluorescence / coulometric	Per spec: Cu 3-8 μm, Ni 3-10 μm, Sn 3-6 μm
Adhesion	Bend / peel / thermal shock	No flaking at 150 °C × 30 min
Color match	Colorimeter ΔE / master	ΔE ≤ 1.5 vs approved master
Salt spray	NSS chamber	12-72 h per finish spec
Pitting / roughness	10× inspection	No pitting, nodules or burnt deposits
Thickness uniformity	5 positions / batch	CV ≤ 10% across barrel load

Workshop Layout & Floor Area

Zone	Area
Automatic barrel line (12-16 tanks)	260 m²
Chemical storage / dosing	60 m²
Rectifier room	40 m²
QA lab + X-ray	50 m²
Dryer / centrifuge / sorting	80 m²
Rinse & waste treatment	110 m²
Utility & lockers	50 m²
Total workshop	650 m²

Manpower & Shift Plan

Role	Headcount
Line operators	10
Chemical technicians	3
QC inspectors (incl. X-ray)	3
Wastewater operator	1
Supervisor	1
Maintenance / electrician	2
Logistics & sorting	2
Total (2 shifts × 10 h)	22

Power & Utility Demand

Equipment	Demand
Rectifiers 12 V × 500-2000 A (4 sets)	80 kW
Tank heating + cooling	55 kW
Barrel drive motors (12-16)	24 kW
Pumps / filters / dosing	30 kW
Exhaust + scrubber	22 kW
Dryer + centrifuge	20 kW
Wastewater treatment	18 kW
Lighting & auxiliary	11 kW
Installed total	260 kW
Typical running load	≈ 205 kW

Production Flow Chart

PretreatmentPolish, degrease, activate

Alkaline CopperStrike layer for adhesion

Acid Copper / Nickel / TinBuild thickness + brightness

Color FinishGold, gun, black, antique etc.

Rinse ChainRecovery → counter-flow → DI

Dry & SortCentrifuge, inspect, pack

Daily Capacity — 10-Hour Operating Day

Parameter	Value
Batch cycle	25-45 min
Load per barrel	40-80 kg
Parts per batch	50,000-100,000
Batches per 10 h day	14-20
Daily output	1,200,000-2,500,000 pcs
Monthly output (26 days)	31-65 million pcs

Output Value Estimate

Parameter	Value
Plating fee per piece	USD 0.005-0.015
Daily output value (10 h)	USD 7,000-18,000
Monthly output value	USD 180,000-470,000
Annual output value	USD 2,160,000-5,600,000