Nickel plating on composites?

General Composites Discussions Composites Talk
#1

I had a potential client contact me sometime ago, wanting me to build some parts for him. Ended up I had to refer him to someone else as he wanted the parts claved and “Nickel plated”.

Here’s his response when I advised him I knew nothing about nickel plating of a composite part:

“The nickel plating is a new technology that is plated using a non-electrical method. It makes the laminate soo much stronger.”

He never contacted me again, but I’ve always wondered if someone was just pulling his chain.

Anybody ever heard of a technology that makes the laminate stronger?

#2

I know there are TOOLING surfaces where you plate the mold, but not making plated parts.
Dunno.

#3

I’ve done every Google search I can think of and I found that it is possible to do. But not one piece of info I found gives any rock solid numbers for increasing the strength in relation to a composite structure.

#4

I made some F16 equipment covers about a year ago that needed to be nickle plated. It had nothing to do with strength. It was soley for keeping interference out. We also used a lead impregnated foam for keeping signals from leaking out.

Either way its a waste of money for electroless nickle if you looking for strength. I believe our parts which were 3’x15"x10" cost around $600 for one side to be plated.

I know that some RTM molds are a fiberglass base with a very thick nickle surface. But your talking in the hundreds of thousands for a mold like that.

#5

Well that clears it up for me then. Thanks bro!! ;o)

#6

Stuff can be painted to look like nickel plating. See
http://alsacorp.com/ . I don’t see how you can actually plate plastic, and making it stronger? Give me a break-

#7

Maybe he saw something dealing with nanocomposite stuff. But all that is experimental now. Yeah, the use nano-particles in production, but that is normally just carbon stuff.

#8

I ran across this today.

http://www.electrofibertechnologies.com/news.htm