CASE STUDIES — Noble Metal Plating Analysis

One of our customers came to us at a time when several of their electrical components were exhibiting adhesion failures of the gold plated surfaces. Their products were used in a medical instrument and were manufactured to exacting requirements. The product had to be re-useable and therefore was subjected to repetitive sterilization processes at elevated temperature and pressure. This was a new product for this customer and these failures were discovered during the qualification phase of the project and were corrected prior to receiving their customers approval.

To resolve this adhesion issue, IST was contracted to put together a team of industry experts which included a chemical engineer and a plating process engineer in addition to our own resources. We developed a series of tests which were used to isolate the root cause of the plating failures. We then began an evaluation of customer's entire electro-plating process. This included a chemical analysis of each plating bath, plating salt type and composition,  cleaning fluids, rinse water, and waste water management.

Technical Skills

  • Team building
  • Project management
  • Problem Solving, Design of Experiments
  • Working knowledge of plating technologies
  • Working knowledge of plating metallurgies
  • Working knowledge of chemical engineering
  • Working knowledge of chemical analysis methodology

ist gets it done!