How do you measure gold plating thickness?

A. A very common method for accurate measurement for thickness of electroplated metals is by microscopic measurement of metallographic prepared cross sections. This is a destructive test, but can be performed on almost any shape for almost any type of coating.

How is plating thickness measured?

Magnetic film gages are used to nondestructively measure the thickness of a nonmagnetic coating on ferrous substrates. Most coatings on steel and iron are measured this way. Magnetic gages use one of two principles of operation: magnetic pull-off or magnetic/electromagnetic induction.

Which is a typical range of thickness for electroplating?

Coating thicknesses are typically found in the range from 0.1 to 85+ microns, depending on the application, and it is imperative that the thickness of coatings are monitored and controlled. Proper coating thickness is required to ensure consistent part performance and appearance.

What does XRF measure?

XRF (X-ray fluorescence) is a non-destructive analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition of materials. XRF analyzers determine the chemistry of a sample by measuring the fluorescent (or secondary) X-ray emitted from a sample when it is excited by a primary X-ray source.

How thick is gold plating on electronics?

Gold plating is the deposit of a thin layer of gold metal on a substrate, typically in the 0.25 – 5 micron range (0.00001”-0.0002”).

How thick is gold flash plating?

When gold‐plated contacts are required, the connector industry tends to provide two different thicknesses: 15 microinches and 30 microinches. Both thicknesses exceed the typical industry definition of gold flash, which is less than 10 microinches.

How much thickness does plating add?

There are differences of plating layer thickness by the kind as chrome plating is possible to yield 0.1～0.2mm, and as nickel plating and copper plating are possible to yield above 1mm.