Copper Plating

Copper Plating

High-conductivity coating ideal for electrical and undercoat applications.

Process Overview

Copper Plating

Copper plating serves dual purposes — as a functional undercoat that improves adhesion and smoothness for subsequent platings, and as a standalone coating where electrical conductivity, heat conduction, or a warm decorative appearance is required. We offer acid copper for levelling and alkaline copper for adhesion on difficult substrates.

Coating Thickness

3–10 µm (strike) | 10–75 µm (functional)

Typical Turnaround

3–5 business days (standard)

Copper Plating example

Available Types

Types of Copper Plating

Acid Copper

Deposited from a sulphate bath, providing excellent levelling and brightness. Used as a thick undercoat to smooth out surface defects before chrome or nickel plating, and for decorative copper finishes.

Alkaline Copper (Cyanide)

Provides outstanding adhesion on zinc die-castings and steel. Used as a thin strike layer before acid copper to ensure bond integrity on difficult substrates.

Strike Copper

A thin, adherent copper layer applied as the first deposit on substrates that require a special bonding layer before thicker coatings.

Why It Works

Key Advantages

  • Excellent electrical and thermal conductivity
  • Outstanding undercoat adhesion properties
  • Good levelling — fills surface defects
  • Warm decorative appearance
  • Enables subsequent plating on difficult substrates
  • Ductile and malleable deposit

Where It's Used

Applications

  • PCB and electronics manufacturing
  • Undercoat for nickel and chrome plating
  • Electrical busbars and connectors
  • Decorative copper-finished products
  • Zinc die-casting plating preparation
  • EMI shielding applications

How We Do It

Our Process

1

Substrate preparation and cleaning

2

Alkaline copper strike (for adhesion)

3

Acid copper electrodeposition

4

Intermediate polishing (if required)

5

Follow-on plating or passivation