Chemical nickel plating for packaging systems: a success story

Electroless nickel plating is a technology that Argos ST has perfected over the years, becoming a benchmark in the surface-coating industry.

A tangible example of the value that we add can be seen in a project carried out for a global leader in the production of plastic-extrusion lines for plastic packaging and converting materials.

Chemical nickel plating: a sustainable choice

In recent months, we have been focused on a project using chemical nickel plating on moulds for plastic films, a strategic choice on the part of our customer to improve the productivity and quality of the finished product.

The goal of processing is to replace a coating with a high environmental impact, chrome, with a more sustainable alternative. Traditionally, chrome was widely used for industrial coatings due to the protection it offers against corrosion and wear. However, its environmental impact, linked to its toxicity and the strict international regulations on its use, have led many companies to seek more sustainable alternatives.

Chemical nickel plating is the perfect answer to this specific issue, as it combines excellent protection with a significantly reduced environmental impact.

Chemical nickel plating is a chemical process that guarantees deposition of the layer of chemical nickel without the use of electrical current. This achieves uniform width distribution across the entire surface, including with internal surfaces and complex shapes. This solution guarantees corrosion protection and resistance to wear.

Customisation, quality and reliability

One of the key advantages of chemical nickel plating is its extreme versatility, which means that the treatment can be adapted to the specific requirements of each customer.

In this specific case, we applied a highly customised approach, involving precision calibration of the coating thickness based on the operating conditions that components would be exposed to.

This approach has enabled us to offer customers a reliable and durable coating to significantly prolong the useful life of components. It has also been possible to eliminate the need for subsequent processes.

Our extensive experience in the field of chemical nickel plating, stretching all the way back to 1969, was a key ingredient for a final result that entirely satisfied the customer’s expectations.

Chemical nickel plating proved to be a highly effective solution for coating and protecting moulds used in the production of plastic films, offering benefits in terms of quality of the finished product and production efficiency. This coating process has proved its value once again, demonstrating that it is a versatile and high-performance option for many industrial applications.