Zinc Plating

Zinc plating is an electrolytic surface protection process that deposits a thin uniform layer of zinc on steel or iron parts to improve their corrosion resistance and durability. Parts are suspended on conductive racks and immersed in an electrolytic bath containing zinc salts, where electric current drives metal precipitation onto the surface. This coating protects steel from oxidation by acting as both a barrier and sacrificial anode.

We offer several standard finishes, including clear (bluish) zinc, black zinc, and trivalent zinc with passivation, conforming to anti-corrosion protection standards commonly used in industry. The treatment maintains excellent electrical conductivity, can serve as a base for paint or additional coating, and modifies dimensions very little (≈ 2-15 µm per face). As each part must be carefully cleaned, degreased, pickled, plated, then dried, zinc plating generally adds 10 business days to overall production lead time.

Zinc plating process on metal parts

Compatible Materials

Discover materials we can protect with zinc plating.

Technical Specifications

What you need to know about zinc plating

  • Plating color and appearance may vary slightly between batches; group parts that must match visually in same order.
  • Each part for plating first passes through our deburring line; deburring is automatically included with this service.
  • Each part must have at least one racking hole ≥ 1/16" (1.6 mm) diameter for processing.
  • Bend lines and other tooling marks may remain visible after plating.
  • Zinc being conductive, plating does not create insulating layer; it maintains electrical continuity of parts while offering corrosion resistance up to several hundred hours in salt spray depending on finish.