How do you price your plating?
Why are you any different than the other plating companies?
What is your turnaround time?
Which colors are best for high use aircraft?
What is your warranty policy?
What is the thickness of your plating?
How large a piece can you plate?
Do you work weekends if needed?
What types of material do you plate? Do you plate plastic?
Can you disassemble / reassemble parts we send you?
Do you plate non-aviation parts?
How many finishes do you have?

Q: How do you price your plating?
A: Generally, pricing is based on an individual part basis. We can provide pricing on standard aircraft interior such as cup holders, lap belts, etc. however, because of the complexity of some unique pieces and the condition of previously plated parts, we always suggest getting a firm quote. Keep in mind, there's much more to any purchase than just price, you have to look at the true cost or value of making that purchase. A product can be lower in price up front but missed deadlines and poor product quality and problems that require rework increase the true price. We exceed at providing value. Our customers truly appreciate the value we provide. They like our ISO 9001/AS91000 processes, quality assurance programs, luxurious look, durability, delivery, responsiveness, professional partnering philosophy, selection of finishes, government compliance record, financial soundness and stability. Remember, not all plating suppliers are created equal.

Q: Why are you any different than the other plating companies?
A: Aside from the readily apparent quality of the product and unmatched turn-times, we are the only decorative plating company dedicated 100% to  aviation that has an ISO9001/AS9100 certification. Under these stringent processes, we closely monitor chemical procurement, plating bath chemistry, equipment calibration, temperature control devices, and visual inspection criteria. Each part is hand-worked through a meticulous 50 step process that includes sealing each part with a copper base plating. These are extra steps we take because we refuse to short cut or compromise our process just to save a little money on the front end. When you short cut the process, you risk premature discoloration, chipping and peeling. There are many other reasons too numerous to list here but you can read all about them in our website.

Q: What is your turnaround time?
A: We've set up our operation to meet whatever delivery schedules you might require. We've found that delivery requirements become tighter as the interior nears completion. Our customer service department stays in continuous communication to see when orders are needed or which parts of orders are needed before others. Our average turn time on all orders has historically run 3 ½ days. Included in that number are many, many, 1 and 2 day turnarounds. We are also set up to handle AOG (Aircraft On Ground) turns usually within 24 hours.

Q: Which colors are best for high use aircraft?
A: The most durable decorative plating finish is Chrome. The Chrome finish is created chemically in the plating bath at the time the current is applied to the part to form a hard durable finish. All other finishes whether clear coated or not are just about equally as durable. Nickel and Gold finishes are durable without a clear coat and if scratched will not tarnish as a result of the scratch. A clear coating is applied to finishes that are produced using alloy-based metals to achieve the desired finish color. These finishes are clear coated immediately in the plating process to prevent oxidation. Once the clear coat is applied and properly cured, these coatings have an equal hardness rating to the nickel and gold finishes.

Q: What is your warranty policy?
A: Our standard written policy a 3 year warranty against defects in craftsmanship, normal wear and tear excluded. The reality however, is that if there is ever a problem with our plating, we are going to make it right. It's just that simple. We believe in partnering with our customers and we stand by our work. We've done tens of thousands of parts over the last 20 years, and we really have not had any warranty problems. We believe this is attributed to the extensive, thorough and extremely high quality assured plating process that we use to produce our product.

Q: What is the thickness of your plating?
A: The thickness of the plating is really determined by the configuration and fit and tolerance requirements of the part. Generally, the total thickness ranges from 2-5 thousandths. That includes copper, nickel, final finish color and clear coat, if required. The thickness of the gold ranges from 40-50 millionths. We could get just as good an initial look using just 10-15 mils. of gold instead of the 40-50 mils. we use, but we'd risk the surface dulling, wearing off in spots and easily scratching shortly after installation.

Q: How large a piece can you plate?
A: Our standard tank length is 10 feet, the longest in the industry. We can and frequently do plate even longer lengths as well as odd size and large pieces. Given a little notice and planning, we can build auxiliary tanks for special projects as required by our customers.

Q: Do you work weekends if needed?
A: Our plant normally operates 2 shifts 6 days per week. It is not unusual for our operation to run 7 days a week. We do whatever is needed to meet our customer's requirements.

Q: What types of material do you plate? Do you plate plastic?
A: Our operation is primarily set up to process any metal material found on today's business aircraft and each metal has it's own unique processing requirements. We can plate plastic parts and have established a process to do so for one of our current customers. Plastic plating is a vastly different process than metal and the delivery lead-time requirements are much longer than that required for metal parts. Plastic material compositions vary greatly from one type of plastic to another and each composition requires a unique plating processing procedure. We are willing to sit down and assess the possibilities of projects involving plastic on a case by case basis.

Q: Can you disassemble / reassemble parts we send you?
A: Yes. We can D & A most parts such as latches, gaspers or other mechanical units. We realize that fit & function are critical se we test all assemblies prior to shipping. We cannot D & A seat belts, electrical switches or other parts as mandated by Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR).

Q: Do you plate non-aviation parts?
A: No. Our system and entire facility is designed specifically for aircraft parts. Plating other types of parts causes numerous issues and can contaminate the sensitive plating solutions. Quality is paramount for our customers and we will not compromise the integrity of the plating at any cost.

Q: How many finishes do you have?
A: We have over 125 standard finishes and the ability to color match any existing finish you may currently have. We are always exploring new color ideas and monitoring trends in the industry so don't be surprised if our list of available finishes grows considerably.