Shanghai Autra Precision Surface Treatment Co., Ltd.
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AUTRA Precision Surface Treatment
PROCESSING · PERFORMANCE

Processing performance & requirement selection

Enter the processing evaluation from performance targets, or view complete coating parameters and applications.

Choose the substrate first, then tick the properties you need

Choose a material category, tick properties and enter values; grade, workpiece size, quantity, batches, lead time and drawing photos can be added in the next step.

Buying chemicals? Go to product selection ↗

Reference values have conditions of applicability; achievable figures must be confirmed against the workpiece.

01 · Choose the substrate

Just choose the closest option first; exact grade, heat-treatment condition and existing surface treatment can be added in the next step. Special materials are evaluated by engineers from drawings and samples.

Common metals

Metals requiring dedicated evaluation

Non-metals · evaluated per project

Material groups are used to describe requirements; they do not mean every listed material can be plated directly or that mass production is promised. Titanium alloys, zinc die castings and non-metals in particular require pretreatment and adhesion to be confirmed first.

02 · Detailed processing performance requirements

Tick first, then fill in

The small box on the left is a selection button, not an input field. Click the box or the property name to expand the specific requirements; enter a value if you have one, or choose "Please have an engineer help confirm" if unsure.

First choose the focus closest to your use

This is a requirement priority, not a coating performance score. Hardness, coefficient of friction and wear life are different metrics; multiple high requirements must be verified under the same operating condition.

After choosing a focus, enter the specific targets. Please also describe the test method and operating conditions; engineers will evaluate on that basis.
Which properties need to be considered together?

Hardness × lubricityYou can set a balanced goal, but the highest hardness and lowest friction coefficient of different processes cannot be combined directly into a guaranteed value.

Thickness × dimensionsProtective thickness must also take mating clearances, bore diameters and critical tolerances into account.

Heat treatment × substrateSubstrate, thermal distortion and dimensional limits must be confirmed; heat treatment temperature is not the service temperature.

Corrosion resistance × operating conditionsSalt spray test time is not service life; substrate, media and pass criteria must be confirmed together.

View coating selection data ↗

Reference from existing processing data: 1–100 μm; the specific range is evaluated per workpiece.

Quick fill (customer target, not a capability commitment):
Conditions for applying the reference data

Existing processing data lists 1–100 μm, and some product documents state that more than 80 μm is possible. Applicable ranges differ by coating type, substrate and structure; these are not uniform minimum or maximum values. Please enter your drawing requirement or let an engineer recommend one.

Data include a record of 1000 h neutral salt spray for a specific process.

Quick fill (customer target, not a capability commitment):
Conditions for applying the reference data

1000 h is limited to a specific process and thickness; substrate, test standard, thickness, heat treatment and pass criteria must be confirmed in writing. The 100 h in the technical details is a historical comparison test, not a capability limit, and cannot be converted into service life.

View technical data ↗

A specific composite coating: HV550–600 as-plated; HV1000–1200 after heat treatment.

Quick fill (customer target, not a capability commitment):
Conditions for applying the reference data

This record applies to a SiC composite coating with 300°C heat treatment; holding time, test load, etc. need confirmation, and it does not represent all processes. Hardness is not wear life; please state separately whether the substrate allows heat treatment.

View technical data ↗

Evaluated by friction mode and actual mating; there is no uniform life limit.

Conditions for applying the reference data

Describe repeated sliding, abrasive wear or other wear modes, plus the mating material, load, speed and lubrication. The historical wear curves available are incomplete, so no unverified quantitative life ranking is given.

View technical data ↗

Distinguish dry friction, oil-lubricated or other lubrication environments.

Conditions for applying the reference data

The coefficient of friction depends on the counterpart, load, speed and environment; results from different tests cannot be combined into general upper and lower limits. If you have a friction coefficient target, please provide the test conditions as well.

View technical data ↗

Industry reference: typical resistivity of electroless nickel is about 30–100 μΩ·cm.

Conditions for applying the reference data

Data come from Nickel Institute technical documents and are not an AUTRA processing guarantee. Resistivity varies with coating composition and heat treatment; a workpiece's contact resistance and a material's resistivity are different metrics and must be tested under the actual contact condition.

View technical data ↗

Surface hydrophobicity is evaluated by metrics such as contact angle.

Conditions for applying the reference data

Contact angle must state the liquid, temperature, droplet volume and time of measurement. Surface hydrophobicity does not equal waterproofing or sealing of the whole part; actual wear, thickness and cleaning conditions should also be considered.

View technical data ↗

Evaluated based on the contact material, operating temperature and cleaning method.

Conditions for applying the reference data

Please describe the resin, adhesive or other contact substance, as well as the current sticking problem, operating temperature and target life. Food-contact or similar requirements need separate confirmation of the corresponding compliance documents.

View technical data ↗

Magnetism, low reflection, temperature resistance or special media can be discussed separately.

Conditions for applying the reference data

Please describe the use case and acceptance requirements as fully as possible. There may be trade-offs between multiple goals; please mark which must be met and which you hope to improve.

View technical data ↗

Substrate, performance values and additional conditions are carried over to the next step automatically and are not written into the URL.

You can select multiple properties, and continue even if you don't know the values
SURFACE PERFORMANCE MATRIX

Compare coating characteristics with radar charts

Compare the selection focus of each coating type by hardness, wear resistance, lubricated sliding, corrosion resistance, dimensional fit and special functions.

01 / Performance comparison

Electroless nickel & composite electroless plating

Color radar chart overview; click a coating to view its performance and suitable conditions.

Coating characteristics radar chart

Coating selection focus radar chartQualitative selection focus plotted by hardness, wear resistance, lubricated sliding, corrosion resistance, dimensional fit and special functions. Outer ring = main characteristic, middle ring = overall consideration, inner ring = check separately; not measured scores.HardnessWear resistanceLubricated slidingCorrosion resistanceDimensional fitSpecial functions

Outer ring: main characteristicsMiddle ring: overall considerationInner ring: check separately

Drawn qualitatively from the performance characteristics in the data to compare selection focus; not a numerical score from a uniform test.

Overview comparison

Selection focus of each coating type

Click a coating and the radar chart highlights its main characteristics, while the right side shows a performance summary and data links.

  • SiC compositeParticle-reinforced · wear-resistant working surfaces
  • PTFE compositeSliding friction reduction · anti-stick & mold release
  • Ni-P-BHigh as-plated hardness · wear and impact resistance
  • Ni-P-Co-WLubricated sliding · wear resistance & high hardness
  • High-P nickelCorrosion resistance · media & environment evaluation
  • Low-P nickelAs-plated hardness · low-phosphorus composition & fits
  • Black nickelBlack appearance · low optical reflection
View details ↗Enter processing requirements →
View test conditions & actual data

Hardness, wear, friction and corrosion each have their own test conditions. The product data on the right retain the specific process, specimens and heat-treatment condition; when you need numerical comparisons, open the charts of the same test group.

SRV oil-lubricated friction & wear ↗Abrasive wear comparison ↗Corrosion data & conditions ↗
02 / More options

Other surface treatment methods

Starting from target performance and part substrate, choose process directions worth further evaluation. The category pages below cover applications and selection points.

Strike · coverage · ductility

Copper electroplating

For parts that need an underlayer transition, leveling or bright appearance; alkaline and acid copper must be evaluated separately for the substrate and subsequent coatings.

View copper electroplating ↗
Wear resistance · leveling · brightness

Electrolytic nickel & chrome plating

Coating structures of electrolytic nickel, decorative chrome and hard chrome can be discussed for decorative appearance, low stress or functional wear resistance.

View nickel & chrome plating ↗
Solderability · electronic parts

Tin electroplating

Bright, matte and electronic-component tin plating, selected with subsequent soldering, storage and appearance requirements in mind.

View tin electroplating ↗
Electrical contact · solderability

Gold & silver plating

For contacts, pins and specific functional surfaces, evaluated by contact environment, thickness, appearance and precious metal consumption.

View gold & silver plating ↗
Decorative color · coating structure

Alloy electroplating

Tin-based and copper-tin-zinc alloys, suitable for discussing decorative effects by color sample, underlayer structure and service environment.

View alloy electroplating ↗
Clear protection · decoration

Electrophoretic coating

Clear cathodic electrocoating can serve as a protective layer for decorative metal parts; underlayer, appearance and curing temperature must be checked.

View electrophoretic coating ↗
Plastic substrates · subsequent electroplating

Plastic surface metallization

Choose etching, activation and metallization steps by resin material and part structure, then determine the subsequent coating.

View plastic metallization ↗
Spray coating · large-part preparation

PEEK coating, MoS₂ spray coating & large-scale sandblasting

Polymer protection, dry-film lubrication and surface cleaning of large parts, evaluated by workpiece substrate, operating conditions and subsequent coating requirements.

View the three processes ↗

Supporting steps

The following steps serve coating formation, protection or rework and should be considered together with the target surface solution.

Metal & aluminum alloy pretreatmentCleaning, activation and zincate for aluminum partsCoating post-treatment & special auxiliariesPost-plating protection, polishing and process supportStripping & reworkChoose the stripping method by original coating and substrate

The performance of other methods depends on substrate, coating structure, thickness and test conditions; selection is guided here by applicable goals, and specific figures must be confirmed through samples and technical documents.

PROCESSING FAQ

Before preparing processing drawings, check these questions

Which substrates can be evaluated? How are thickness and tolerances confirmed? How are bores, selective plating, rework and inspection agreed? The FAQ page compiles processing capability references and a checklist of documents to submit.

View customer processing FAQ ↗
Back to performance requirements ↑ Enter part evaluation requirements ↗