Electroplating

Gold Plating Services (MIL-DTL-45204 / ASTM B488)

Gold plating gives a tarnish-free, noble surface with stable, low contact resistance for the life of the part — the standard for connectors, contacts, bonding, and high-reliability electronics. Purity and hardness are selected independently: soft pure gold for wire bonding, hardened gold for connector wear. Gleco plates gold to MIL-DTL-45204 and ASTM B488 at our AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 certified, ITAR Registered Texas plants.

  • AS9100D
  • ISO 9001:2015
  • ITAR Registered
  • Rowlett & McAllen, TX
📍 Available at: McAllen, TX (Rio Grande Valley) only

Gold Plating Specifications

Governing specsMIL-DTL-45204; ASTM B488
Purity typesType I 99.7% Au min; Type II 99.0% (hardened, Co/Ni); Type III 99.9% (wire-bond grade)
Hardness grades (Knoop)A ≤90; B 91–129; C 130–200; D 201+
Thickness classesClass 00 (20 µin) through Class 6 (1,500 µin)
UnderplateNickel underplate (diffusion barrier) standard over copper alloys
Typical usesConnector contacts, PCB edge fingers, wire-bond surfaces, RF/microwave, medical and space electronics
Gold plated rings and formed parts
Gold plating on formed parts. Specified where contact resistance and tarnish resistance matter more than cost.
FAQ

Gold Plating FAQ

Hard gold vs. soft gold — which do I need?
Hard gold (MIL-DTL-45204 Type II, cobalt- or nickel-hardened, typically Grade C) is used for connector contacts that mate and cycle. Soft, high-purity gold (Type III, Grade A) is used for wire bonding and thermosonic applications.
What gold thickness is typical for connectors?
A common connector callout is 50 µin (Class 1) of hard gold over a nickel underplate, but thickness is set by cycle life and your drawing — we plate Class 00 through Class 6.
Do you apply a nickel underplate under gold?
Yes. A nickel underplate is standard over copper alloys as a diffusion barrier and hardness support, preserving low, stable contact resistance.
What specifications do you plate gold to?
MIL-DTL-45204 and ASTM B488, to the type, hardness grade, and thickness class on your drawing, with thickness verified by our on-site laboratories.

Get a Quote

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Gleco Plating — Finish Well

Precision metal finishing since 1979. Plating, anodizing, coatings and passivation from two Texas plants.

  • AS9100D
  • ISO 9001:2015
  • ITAR Registered
  • DFARS Compliant
  • RoHS

Locations

Gleco Rowlett
2220 Grisham Drive
Rowlett, TX 75088
972-475-4300

Gleco McAllen
3800 W. Ursula Ave
McAllen, TX 78503
956-800-4069

info@glecoplating.com

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