Professional Zinc Alloy Surface Finishing Solutions
Gold Plating
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Workshop Planning Data
Gold Plating — Data Zinc Alloy Finishing Managers Need
Gold plating (rack and selective) and gold electroforming produce premium jewelry-grade finishes on zinc alloy, brass and silver — with tight karat control and high-value output per square meter.
350 m²Workshop Area
14 peopleTeam Size
120 kWInstalled Power
100-300k pcs/dayDaily Output (10 h)
Quality Inspection & Control
| Check item | Method | Acceptance standard |
|---|---|---|
| Gold thickness | X-ray fluorescence | 0.05-5.0 μm per karat spec |
| Karat / purity | XRF analysis | 24K ≥ 99.9%, 18K ≥ 75% Au |
| Color match | Colorimeter ΔE | ΔE ≤ 1.0 vs karat master |
| Adhesion | Bend + thermal shock | No flake at 150 °C × 30 min |
| Wear resistance | Taber / rub test | No wear-through at spec cycles |
| Contact resistance | Milliohm meter | ≤ 10 mΩ for industrial contacts |
Workshop Layout & Floor Area
| Zone | Area |
|---|---|
| Clean-room plating line | 110 m² |
| Electroforming shop | 80 m² |
| Precious metal store (vault) | 20 m² |
| QA lab + XRF | 40 m² |
| Rinse / DI / recovery | 50 m² |
| Waste & gold recovery | 25 m² |
| Utility & lockers | 25 m² |
| Total workshop | 350 m² |
Manpower & Shift Plan
| Role | Headcount |
|---|---|
| Platers / operators | 7 |
| Gold solution technicians | 2 |
| QC inspectors (XRF) | 2 |
| Precious metal control | 1 |
| Supervisor | 1 |
| Maintenance | 1 |
| Total (2 shifts × 10 h) | 14 |
Power & Utility Demand
| Equipment | Demand |
|---|---|
| Rectifiers (precious metal) | 35 kW |
| Heaters / chillers | 30 kW |
| Pumps / filters | 15 kW |
| Clean-room HVAC | 18 kW |
| Electroforming power | 10 kW |
| Lighting & auxiliary | 12 kW |
| Installed total | 120 kW |
| Typical running load | ≈ 95 kW |
Production Flow Chart
PretreatmentPolish, clean, activate
Strike LayerNickel or silver strike
Gold PlateRack / barrel / selective gold
Rinse & RecoveryDI rinse + gold drag-out recovery
Dry & QCXRF thickness + color check
Protect & PackSeal, wrap, pack
Daily Capacity — 10-Hour Operating Day
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Cycle time | 30-60 min |
| Load per batch | 30-80 kg |
| Batches per 10 h day | 10-16 |
| Daily output | 100,000-300,000 pcs |
| Monthly output (26 days) | 2.6-7.8 million pcs |
Output Value Estimate
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Plating fee per piece | USD 0.02-0.12 |
| Daily output value (10 h) | USD 8,000-25,000 |
| Monthly output value | USD 210,000-650,000 |
| Annual output value | USD 2,500,000-7,800,000 |
Related Products — Complete Gold Plating Solution
Machines, chemicals and consumables selected from the real QLQ product range for this process. Every product page is live and ready to quote.
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QLQ-CR-1 Current rectifier(200A-1000A)
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Gold thickness vs cost
| Application | Typical thickness | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Costume jewellery, sealed | 0.03-0.1 um flash | Colour only, seal carries wear |
| Decorative hardware | 0.1-0.3 um | Handling and light abrasion |
| Watches / premium | 0.5-2 um | Long wear, hard gold alloy often used |
| Technical contacts | 1-5 um hard gold | Wear resistance and contact resistance |
Gold cost tracks thickness directly - specify by wear requirement, not by habit.
Defects and causes
| Symptom | Cause |
|---|---|
| Dark or burnt gold | Current density too high, low gold concentration |
| Poor adhesion on nickel | Passive nickel surface, weak activation |
| Colour varies along the rack | Current distribution, contact resistance |
| Blistering after sealing | Organic contamination in the gold bath |
FAQ
Can gold be plated directly on zinc alloy?
No. A copper and nickel base is required for adhesion and corrosion; direct gold on zinc alloy fails quickly.
What is the cheapest way to keep the gold look?
A thinner gold flash over a well-controlled nickel base plus a clear seal - the seal does the wear work.