luna@lunaele.com
Yes—plating (coating) can have risks such as peeling/flaking (脱落), bubbling (起泡), and pinholes (针孔), especially if there are issues with the base material surface preparation, plating process control, or storage/handling. We control these risks through process controls, incoming verification, and shelf-life/packaging management.
Main risks Peeling / flaking: usually caused by weak adhesion, contamination on the base metal, improper pretreatment/activation, or plating thickness/structure problems. Bubbling: can be linked to hydrogen embrittlement, improper curing/heat treatment (if any), plating defects, or post-plating corrosion reactions due to moisture/salt contamination. Pinholes: typically related to insufficient thickness/coverage, bath condition issues, agitation/control problems, or surface roughness/pores on the base metal. How we control (recommended measures) A) Plating process controls Control pretreatment steps (cleaning, degreasing, activation) to ensure strong adhesion. Maintain plating bath parameters (metal concentration, acidity, temperature, current density, filtration) within specified ranges. Control plating thickness and coverage with defined targets and tolerances (and perform coating verification where applicable). Use appropriate post-treatment/finish steps (e.g., sealing/rinsing/passivation if specified) to improve corrosion resistance and reduce defects. Implement in-process checks (e.g., visual inspection under magnification, adhesion testing sampling). B) Incoming / incoming-material controls Verify base material cleanliness and alloy/finish certificates. Require coating/finish data from the plating supplier (thickness range, type of plating). Perform receiving inspection sampling for coating integrity (appearance, adhesion, and defect screening). C) Storage and handling controls Use anti-corrosion / anti-tarnish packaging (moisture barrier bags, desiccant, humidity indicator if needed). Control warehouse humidity and storage temperature. Define shelf-life based on plating type, and apply FEFO (first-expire-first-out). Use ESD-safe packaging if required and limit exposure time to ambient air. D) Verification and acceptance testing Depending on your requirements, we can provide tests such as:
Adhesion test (e.g., tape test / bend test / cross-hatch method as applicable) Microscopic inspection for pinholes/voids Corrosion tests (e.g., salt spray / damp heat / humidity aging as specified) What we need from you To align the controls with your product requirements, please share:
terminal part number and plating type, your target environment (automotive, industrial, outdoor/high-humidity, etc.), and your required standard/acceptance criteria (RoHS/RoHS-compliant, corrosion test method, visual defect limits). Then we can confirm the exact control plan and acceptance criteria for peeling/bubbling/pinhole risk.