A common spec is MIL-G-45204C. For soft gold, specify Type III Grade A
See the previous answer. You will also need to specify a Class (thickness). For help determining Class contact INTA.
Ideal thickness varies depending on several factors including:
Application
Substrate material
Undercoat
Environment
Other
Contact sales@intatech.com for design support.
Gold has many unique properties making it very valuable and useful. There are other coatings to consider such as nickel, copper, silver and platinum. There may be alternatives for your application. Contact INTA to discuss your project in detail and learn more regarding other options.
Soft gold data:
Thermal conductivity: 300 W/mK
Density: 19.3 gm/cc
CTE: 14.3 ppm/deg C
In many cases it is best to apply an undercoat to the substrate prior to the gold finish. Many undercoats also serve other purposes such as aiding soldering. The most popular undercoat is nickel.
Almost any material other than lead, Cr-6 or cadmium. INTA is RoHS compliant and does not work with certain materials such as lead.
Gold plating is more costly than tin, nickel or silver plating due to the high cost of gold. Gold plating is less expensive than rhodium or platinum plating.
In most cases no, however, there is a chance another less expensive coating will fit your application. Contact sales@intatech.com to discuss your project and discover any potential alternate options.
Five (5) business days for normal orders. We also offer expedite service. For complex projects, projects requiring tooling or large volume orders, lead times will be extended. Check your quote for the lead time.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Due to RoHS compliance and environmental concerns, INTA Technologies Corporation avoids materials such as: Pb, As, Cr, Cd.
Yes.
Design for manufacturability – DFM -- is key to project success. Too much masking and unrealistic tolerances can cause high plating costs and long lead times. Work with INTA Technologies from early in the project to ensure cost effectiveness. COPQ can be limited by use of DFM and INTA Technologies can help.
If a drawing calls for selective plating it makes the finish more expensive and time-consuming to process. To reduce costs consider limiting masking and other labor-intensive functions in the note section of the drawing of finishing spec.
The appearance is matte. The appearance is less shiny than a hard gold coating.
In general, 24 hours. Often, during the quote phase there is dialogue between the customer/prospect and INTA. The following are some common questions that come up. To speed up your quote, please provide detailed information in your RFQ and answers to any applicable questions:
How soon do you need the plating performed?
What is the project budget and/or target price?
Is this a new design? Has it ever been made before?
What testing will be performed after INTA ships the parts? Bake test, bend test, scratch, tape, etc.?
What is the operating temperature of the component or assembly?
What is the end use of the components?
What is the desired quantity? Any outlook on future and/or annual quantities?
Yes. In general, the ceramic will be metallized first, then plated. An undercoat may be necessary. There are also many other techniques used to deposit gold on ceramic but INTA only performs:
Thick film & electroplating
Chemical deposition
INTA does not perform thin film services or vacuum deposition currently. We can provide a referral to a local thin film company. For further information please send an email to contact@intatech.com
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Last revised: 03 DEC 2009
