Prototype Plating Lab
Small-lot engineering plating, done to your drawing.
Send drawings for a quote01 — What you get
Engineering plating, start to approval
For engineers and medical-device, electronics, research and aerospace teams. We read the spec (ASTM B488, B689, MIL-G-45204, AMS 2422), design the process per substrate, run controlled A/B experiments (strike and underplate variants), verify by weight gain or third-party XRF, and deliver a written feasibility assessment with sources and a process drawing you approve against.
Spec interpretation
We read your callout — ASTM B488, B689, MIL-G-45204, AMS 2422 — and turn it into the type, class and thickness the process has to hit.
Substrate-by-substrate process design
Cleaning, activation, strike and underplate are designed for each base metal on the drawing, not copied from a generic sequence.
Controlled A/B trials
Strike and underplate variants run side by side, with results verified by weight gain or third-party XRF.
Written feasibility assessment
A written assessment with sources, plus a process drawing you approve against before production parts are plated.
02 — Typical engagements
Where prototype work usually starts
- Hard gold sliding contacts on stainless and brass
- Gold on hypotubes and formed spring parts
- Nickel-strike vs acid-gold-strike trials
- Nickel-free stacks
03 — How it works
Five steps, every order
01
Consultation
Tell us what you need plated — a photo and a few details are all it takes to start.
02
Assessment
We review material, condition, and dimensions, then confirm a firm quote.
03
Preparation
Meticulous cleaning, polishing, and activation — adhesion is decided here.
04
Plating
Precision electroplating to your specified thickness in our controlled lab.
05
Inspection & Delivery
Every piece is measured and inspected before careful packaging and return.
04 — Pricing
Priced per metal, consulting optional
- Plating at posted rates, per metal.
- Process consulting is optional at $150 per hour with a 3-hour minimum, covering spec review, process design, A/B process drawing and written feasibility assessment.
- Certification (C of C, XRF thickness, Knoop hardness coupon) quoted separately.
- Sales tax 9.75% on plating.
- Payment 50% on acceptance, 50% on completion, wire or Zelle.
The $500 minimum and the $100 per square inch rate apply per metal deposited. Each metal is priced at $100 per square inch plated or the $500 minimum, whichever is greater.
A job that deposits more than one metal (a nickel undercoat plus a gold top coat, for example) is estimated as separate line items, one per metal, each with its own minimum.
Strikes, activation and pretreatment are included in the line for their metal — a nickel strike is part of the nickel line, a gold strike is part of the gold line. They are never billed as separate processes.
SAMPLE ESTIMATE
A small part with a nickel undercoat and hard gold, where each metal falls under the minimum.
- Nickel undercoat (nickel strike included)Minimum applies
- $500.00
- Hard gold top coat (gold strike included)Minimum applies
- $500.00
- Sales tax, 9.75% on platingOn $1,000.00
- $97.50
- Plating total
- $1,097.50
- Process consulting — optional3-hour minimum at $150/hr
- $450.00
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Yes — cobalt-hardened acid gold, 130–200 Knoop on our process data. Certified lots are quoted separately.
Send us your drawings.
Email PDFs of your drawings and spec callouts to pacificintelligence@gmail.com and we'll quote against the drawing notes, one line per metal.