Nicobuild™ Hard Nickel Plating

Nicobuild™ was exclusively developed by Electromold in 1988 and combines years of experience with many outstanding achievements.  Nicobuild™  provides a cost effective and long lasting rebuild and repair process for damaged or worn components.  This patented process is a method of plating a hard nickel surface onto worn or damaged components. Nicobuild™ is an electrolytic plating process which uses an electric current to selectively deposit hard nickel onto a metallic surface.

Unlike welding, Nicobuild™ uses NO heat therefore eliminating any chance of distortion or annealing. The hardness range is 50 to 55 Rockwell C and in some cases as high as 65 Rockwell C can be achieved. The deposit thickness can vary from microns to a heavy deposit with no maximum thickness.  We have used Nicobuild™ to plate and reclaim worn parts in excess of 5mm.

This is how Nicobuild™ can help you.

  • The deposit is 50-55 Rockwell C, in some cases up to 65 Rockwell C
  • Machineable with conventional methods and tools.
  • There are no edge lines or pitting.
  • No heat distortion or annealing
  • Can be bonded to most metals including Nitrided Metals, Stainless Steels, Copper and Aluminium
  • Thickness of deposit is accurate
  • The area of deposit can be selectively and accurately positioned
  • Can be deposited into recessed areas where no other process can reach
  • Nicobuild™ can be blended to a feather edge
  • Rework time is greatly reduced using Nicobuild™
  • Almost any thickness can be achieved
  • Sharp corners can be reproduced
  • Any surface finish can be obtained, from a grained surface to a mirror finish.

Our Nicobuild™ process can be performed to military specification QQ-P-290

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Some advantages of Nicobuild™ are as follows:

Can be deposited onto most metals and becomes part of the parent metal.

  • Can be deposited onto High and Low Carbon steels, Nitrided steels, Stainless steels, Hardened steels and many, many more.
  • Small thickness of Nicobuild™ can be deposited very evenly.
  • Can be deposited into deep cavities, recesses and corners more accurately and evenly than hard chrome or welding.
  • Nicobuild™ does not de-laminate, and can be feathered into the parent metal with no edge lines.
  • Recovers old worn out and damaged parts giving a hard surface for a long wearing life.
  • Reduces investment, operating and repair costs.
  • Machineable with conventional methods and tools.
  • As NO heat is involved, NO distortion, warping or annealing occurs to the base material.
  • The area of deposit can be selectively and accurately positioned.
  • Due to it’s hardness and lubricity factors Nicobuild™ is ideal for areas where seals are used.
  • Can be deposited into areas where no other process can reach.

Electromold's Nicobuild™ has been used successfully on array of parts and components from Marine, Defence, Motor Sport, Food Processing, Mining, Aerospace and general heavy equipment repair.

TIPS ON REWORKING NICOBUILD™

The following are some guides on how to rework our Nicobuild™ process. This information has been collected over the years from our 'in house' testing and experiences in re-machining for our customers. Use these guides to rework our nickel and you will achieve the best results.

Our Nicobuild™ process is a selective plating process with no maximum thickness and a hardness of 50 RC - 55 RC. Internally the nickel hardness could be as high as 65 RC. With this process some form of reworking will be necessary, the amount will depend upon the thickness of deposit.

TURNING
This machining method is quite acceptable for most bearing journals and other diameters on shafts. The most important factor is to use a very sharp cutting tool with a positive angle and a small (approx. 0.5mm) nose radius. Best results are given with carbide or ceramic tip tools.

Take small depth of cut approx 0.1mm to 0.3mm. Use slow speeds & feeds, remembering the nickel has a hardness of 50 - 55 RC and as high as 60 - 65 RC in an inside diameter. The nickel will wear the tips very quickly and sharpening will be required often so as to not work harden the surface and generate heat. Use of cutting fluid is also a requirement but not necessary.

Intermittent cutting should be avoided, for example, keyways. This causes tool deflection as tool tends to push away on the hard nickel. This type of application should be ground.

MILLING
This form of rework is not greatly recommended but when performed correctly is quite acceptable. Extreme care must be taken when removing the 'Over Grow'. This is best achieved with a Tungsten Carbide 'D' bit cutter, taking small cuts at high revs, with the cutter rotating with the job. NOTE : If there is any chipping or stripping of the nickel from the base material, Electromold will not accept responsibility.

REAMING
Reaming is possible but great care must be taken. Always ream in the direction which pushes the nickel downward onto the steel. If you hand ream either direction should be O.K.

E.D.M.
This form of reworking is one of the best. You can achieve very fine finishes with spark eroding as the nickel is an excellent conductor. Normal E.D.M. settings are used as the nickel is similar to heat treated tool steel, except electrode wear can be slightly more. Care should be taken that nickel overgrowth is not cut off during sparking and an arc-out occurs. Make sure there is ample flashing.

GRINDING
This form of machining is also an excellent means of reworking. The nickel will not clog the grinding wheel unlike other plating materials, hence quicker grinding times are achievable. The most important fact to remember when grinding nickel is to use plenty of coolant. If ground dry and taking heavy cuts the nickel has a tendency to graze, crack and chip. Also the wheel will glaze over, so coolant is very important even for small amounts of machine grinding. In addition, make sure that the wheel is kept sharp, especially for final cut.

DRILLING
This form of reworking is NOT desirable as chipping at corners may occur.

SILVER SOLDERING
This process is very easy and is quite successful. Use a normal flux on the surface first. Use a low heat to heat the nickel to working temperature but not glowing RED. A small tip flame is best and work the torch in it's normal manner. If you use these guides you will find that the silver solder will flow easily into the nickel and no cracking or distortion will occur.

POLISHING
The grain structure of nickel is extremely dense, so very high finishes can be achieved with polishing. When polishing steel and nickel together, the stone should span both steel and nickel to avoid ramping. Nickel will polish into a feathered edge with no step or detection on moulding.

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IMPORTANT

When placing an order with us, we require the following:

Specific instructions on the area to be built up. Preferably with a sketch and if possible, job is to be marked.

Thickness of build up required per side, to your finished machine size.

Type of steel and Heat Treatment performed e.g. THROUGH HARDEN, CASE HARDEN, NITRIDED, etc.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate in contacting one of our technical representatives. We trust that our Nicobuild™ process meets with your expectations and we look forward to being of service to you and your company in the near future. 

If you require any further information regarding this process or any of Electromold’s plating processes, please contact us on (03) 9464 0922 and one of our technical staff will be able to assist you.

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