There are two common electroplating processes for plastic products: water plating and vacuum ion plating.

Vacuum ion plating, also known as vacuum electroplating, is now a relatively popular method. The products produced have a strong metallic feel and high brightness. Compared with other coating methods, the cost is lower and the pollution to the environment is small. It is now widely used in various industries.

Vacuum electroplating has a wide range of applications, such as ABS materials, ABS+PC materials, and PC material products. At the same time, because of its complex process flow, and high environmental and equipment requirements, the unit price is more expensive than water electroplating. Here is a brief introduction to its process flow: Products Surface cleaning–>static removal–>spray primer–>baking primer–>vacuum coating–>spray topcoat–>baking topcoat–>packaging.
The general method of vacuum plating is to spray a layer of primer on the material before electroplating. Since the material is plastic, air bubbles, and organic gases will remain during injection molding and moisture in the air will be absorbed when placed. In addition, because the plastic surface is not flat enough, the surface of the directly plated workpiece is not smooth, has low gloss, poor metallic feel, and may cause bubbles, blisters, and other undesirable conditions. After spraying a layer of primer, a smooth and flat surface will be formed, and the generation of bubbles and blisters in the plastic itself will be eliminated, allowing the effect of electroplating to be displayed.

Vacuum electroplating can be divided into general vacuum electroplating, UV vacuum electroplating, and special vacuum electroplating. The processes include evaporation, sputtering, gun color, etc.