Twickenham Plating Group Limited
About us
Twickenham Plating Group (TPG) provides specialist technical plating services typically for electronics, telecommunication, aerospace, automotive and military applications.
We offer a range of plating services for customers throughout the world, including selective gold plating, reel to reel plating, and barrel/vat/rack plating. Finishes available include gold (pure and hard), silver, palladium, palladium/nickel, electroless nickel, nickel, black zinc nickel, tin, zinc cobalt (olive drab and black).
We are able to plate to your design specification or can develop a specification or process solution to cost effectively deliver your desired finish. We have recently developed a new process for a specific customer requirement to provide a new bespoke “space grade” electroless nickel and gold coating for their mission critical connectors to work successfully in the harsh environment of space.
The technical team can carry out materials investigations, and material specialists are able to advise about the different characteristics of finishes. We specialise in plating on various substrates from copper, copper alloys, such as brass and phosphor bronze, and ferrous metals, including stainless and carbon steel, to aluminium alloys and tellurium copper.
Twickenham Plating Group’s Quality Management System is certified to AS9100 for the Aerospace industry as well as ISO 9001:2015, and the company’s environmental management system is certified to ISO 14001:2015.
For more information on Twickenham Plating Group’s range of plating processes or finishes, visit the TPG stand (B70) at Southern Manufacturing 2026, or contact 01202 692416 or info@twickenham.co.uk
Products & services
Aluminium Conversion Coating
Chromate conversion offers a cost effective non-electrolytic process for coating aluminium resulting in excellent corrosion resistance, a good pre-paint finish and good adhesion qualities. Applications. Aluminium conversion coating is generally found on space / aerospace products or where corrosion protection is required with good electrical conductivity. TPG can apply aluminium conversion coatings to a variety of different shaped components. TPG can also apply this process selectively in conjunction with other finishes such as electroless nickel silver etc.
Copper Plating (Cu)
Copper is a reddish-orange natural metallic element that is a soft, malleable, and ductile with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Copper also has good antimicrobial properties and is now being used to reduce the transmission of bacteria in hospitals. The major applications of copper are electrical wire (60%), roofing and plumbing (20%), and industrial machinery (15%). Copper has excellent conductive properties and therefore make it suitable for use with electrical components. When used as a base coat for nickel steel plating, electroplated copper provides superior protection against corrosion in comparison to other materials. Copper is often used as a base coat for other plated layers due to it’s good adhesion properties. TPG have a number of processes available to electroplate copper using jigs, barrel and selective / all over reel to reel plating.
Electroless Nickel Plating
Electroless Nickel Plating uses a solution that is a nickel phosphorus alloy. Electroless Nickel plating provides a bright finish. Composition of the plating solution can be tailored to suit different applications. TPG offers low phosphorus, medium phosphorus and high phosphorus (non-magnetic) electroless nickel plating. Medium phosphorus electroless nickel is used for corrosion and wear resistance. High phosphorus electroless nickel delivers a pore free barrier coating protecting the underlying substrate from attack and offering outstanding corrosion protection and chemical resistance. Electroless Nickel plating delivers an even thickness of deposit. The uniformity of coating achieved with Electroless Nickel lends itself to the plating of irregular shaped components, with inside corners and cavities are not too thinly coated and outside corners not too thickly coated. It is extremely resistant to corrosion and therefore suited to plating parts used in harsh environments, such as in the defence, oil & gas, and marine industries. In these applications Electroless Nickel can help extend the life of a part, therefore reducing the costs of replacement and repair. TPG have considerable experience in applying electroless nickel to a range of metals including aluminium, kovar, copper and steel etc.
Gold Plating (Au)
Gold is bright and slightly reddish yellow in colour. It’s high malleability, ductility, resistance to corrosion and conductivity of electricity have led to its continued use in electrical connectors in all types of electronic devices. It is also a good reflector of electromagnetic radiation such as infrared and visible light, as well as radio waves. Gold plating is often used in electronics, to provide a corrosion-resistant electrically conductive layer. When Gold is plated directly onto copper, the copper atoms tend to diffuse through the gold layer, causing tarnishing of its surface and formation of an oxide and/or sulphide layer. Therefore a suitable barrier metal, usually nickel, is often deposited on the copper substrate before the gold plating. This also improves the porosity of the gold and its wear resistance. TPG have a number of pure and hardened gold solutions and can apply the correct gold to your product using a variety of different plating methods. TPG specialises in selective gold plating which offers the advantage of reducing material consumption / cost whilst maintaining functionality and performance.
Nickel Plating (Ni)
Nickel is a silvery-white lustrous metal that can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, wear resistance, or used to build up worn or undersized parts. It is one of only four elements that are ferromagnetic, meaning they are attracted to magnets and are magnetic themselves. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile. It is also often used as a barrier layer such as between copper and gold to prevent migrations of the two materials. Application. In chemical, pharmaceutical & petrochemical industries nickel plating is used for its special properties, such as hardness or corrosion resistance. Electronics applications range from very large electronic pieces to nano-scale technology. TPG have a number of processes available to electroplate nickel (including stress free nickel) using jigs, barrel and selective / all over reel to reel plating.
Palladium Plating (Pd)
Palladium is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal with a low density and low melting point. As Palladium does not react with oxygen at normal temperatures it will not tarnish in air. Palladium whilst still a relatively soft metal is harder than most gold deposits. Palladium is used most commonly in catalytic converters for the automotive industry where it is used to convert as much as 90% of the harmful gases produced by combustion. It is also widely used in electronics due it’s electrical conductivity and durability. TPG’s expertise in the application of palladium is well known in the industry and the process sequence can be adapted according to the product requirements.
Palladium/Nickel Plating (PdNi)
Palladium Nickel alloy is now being used a substitute for gold plating, providing a functional alternative at a much lower cost. Originally developed to resolve cold welding occurring in the mating of connectors plated with cyanide gold deposits, before the introduction of acid gold solutions it has excellent electrical properties for contact resistance and solderability. Palladium Nickel is most commonly used to protect and improve contact resistance with electrical connectors but it can also be used as a replacement for gold in electronics for products which require soldering or wire bonding. Also available with gold flash. TPG have refined their PdNi process sequence over many years, combining new solution technology with in-house expertise to offer a cost effective, stress free coating for components.
Rhodium Plating (Rh)
Rhodium is a silvery-white metal. As a noble metal it resists chemical action, does not corrode, and is not easily attacked by acids. When plated onto a component Rhodium offers an extremely bright and hard wearing finish. Due to its qualities Rhodium can be used in circuits and other metal components to prevent corrosion and reduce the effects of high temperatures. It can also be plated onto to silver to prevent passivation. Specific applications include electrical contacts and aircraft spark plugs. TPG is one of the few companies worldwide offering Rhodium plating. Having operated the process for over 45 years we have built a substantial technical ability of depositing Rhodium onto components.
Silver Plating (Ag)
Silver is a white, lustrous metal valued for its conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity. Due to its comparative scarcity is one of the so-called precious metals. It also has good antimicrobial and antibacterial properties and is therefore being used in medical applications. With the highest known electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals silver is commonly used in fabricating printed electrical circuits and for electronic conductors. It is also alloyed with such elements as nickel or palladium for use in electrical contacts. TPG have a number of Silver solutions with different properties and can apply the correct deposit to your product using a variety of different plating methods. TPG can also selectively plate silver which offers the advantage of reducing material consumption / cost whilst maintaining functionality and performance.
Stainless Steel Passivation
Stainless steel passivation is widely used to prevent corrosion. The passivation process uses either nitric or citric acid to remove free iron from the surface which leads to a protective oxide layer, or film, that is less likely to react with air and cause corrosion or rust.
Tin Plating (Sn)
Tin is a soft, malleable, silvery-white metal that is available in abundance throughout many parts of the world. Tin-plating is used extensively to protect both ferrous and nonferrous surfaces. It provides sacrificial protection for copper, nickel and other non-ferrous metals, but not for steel. Tin plating is a non-toxic, ductile and corrosion resistant finish. Tin plating has applications in the electronics industry because of its ability to protect the base metal from oxidisation, therefore preserving solderability. TPG have a number of processes available (either dull / matt or bright) to electroplate tin using jigs, barrel and selective / all over reel to reel plating.
White Bronze (CuZnSn)
White Bronze is a tri-alloy with a composition of 55% Copper, 30% Tin & 15% Zinc. The alloy takes on the appearance of Silver and exhibits exceptional properties that are beneficial in radio frequency (RF) and other electronic applications. The coating is characterised by its high corrosion resistance, excellent levelling, abrasion resistance and good solderability. White Bronze is non-magnetic and therefore ideal for RF applications offering improved intermodulation performance and screening. TPG have many years experience applying this multi alloy coating using barrels and jigs.
Zinc Cobalt Plating
Zinc Cobalt process produces a tough, durable finish with excellent lubricity and greater resistance to seizure, essential for moving parts and threaded connections. Lower toxicity of the process and the deposit makes the coating safer all round than cadmium. Characterised by its exceptional resistance to corrosion, other properties such as ductility, internal stress, weldability and anti-friction make this finish an obvious choice for components which will be used in extreme conditions.
Zinc Nickel Plating
Zinc Nickel alloy is a non reflective coating offering a compatible alternative to cadmium and having a much lower toxicity both with the process and the electro-deposit. It also provides excellent corrosion resistance even when mated to cadmium plated items. Zinc Nickel is particularly suited for protection of aluminium components used in harsh environments such as with electronic connector shells and accessories. Also now used in the automotive, aerospace and defence industries it is fast becoming the popular choice of finish for component protection.
Selective Plating
With selective plating only a portion of a component is plated. This can offer functional benefits when using different coatings on the same component and with precious metals the advantage of reducing material consumption / cost whilst still maintaining functionality and performance. TPG has designed and developed its own selective gold plating machines for the last 40 years. TPG’s Cyclon machine is the world’s only fully automatic coax connector selective gold plating line – capable of plating selectively either externally or internally a large volume of loose parts. Some applications have even been designed to graduate the internal thickness of plating in the bore so that there is a thicker deposit in the contact area further in the connector than at the opening.
Jig/Vat/Rack Plating
TPG Excels in the precious and base metal finishing of a variety of components using the traditional methods of plating. These methods involve wiring up components by hand to jigs or racks which are then submerged in vats of plating solutions. Additionally, the company’s expertise can be applied to plate a variety of different substrates such as aluminium, tungsten, as well as copper, nickel, and steel alloys whilst using internal anode technology and masking techniques to obtain the best possible coating distribution.
Reel to Reel Plating
Automatic reelers and de-reelers control the transfer of the product through the reel-to-reel plants and together with computerised vision equipment even the most fragile of components can be plated. This form of plating lends itself particularly well to the plating of high value stamped components as well as pre-formed and plain strip. TPG offers selective gold and silver stripe both on strip and formed components with a variety of solder finishes. Also, overall and selective plating of most metals on strip and formed components can be completed by full/partial immersion.
Barrel Plating
As the name suggests this method of plating involves placing the items to be plated within a motorised barrel which is then rotated in the plating solution(s) to produce an even coating. This form of plating lends itself particularly well to the plating of high value stamped components as well as performed and plain strip. This form of plating is a high volume and low cost option for loose parts. Also available is a vibrobarrel for plating delicate parts.