Important Information – Team Plating Works

Minor rack OR contact marks are a normal part of barrel and jig plating, not a defect.
Colour can vary slightly from batch to batch (especially Zinc passivations).
Send colour-matched parts together in one batch. Don’t mix work that must be different colours.
Very small jobs carry a minimum charge. Ask here before ordering if you’re unsure or contact us on 011 825 6701 / WhatsApp 073 930 4582

Process limits

Complex shapes, deep recesses, and blind holes plate unevenly, thinner in pockets, thicker on edges and corners. This is a natural limit of the barrel plating process, not a fault, tell us if a feature needs guaranteed minimum coverage
Delicate, thin-walled, finely threaded, or easily deformed parts can be damaged in barrel plating, ask us about jigging instead
A small percentage of part loss (for example, under 1%) can occur during bulk barrel processing and is considered normal

READ BEFORE SENDING

Critical considerations

Two technical points that matter more than anything else on this page. Please read before sending hardened or precision parts.

Hydrogen Embrittlement

Hardened or high-tensile steel (grade 8.8+, spring steel, heat-treated parts) absorb hydrogen during plating, risking delayed brittle failure after the part is in service
We DO NOT offer embrittlement-relief / de-embrittlement baking
Parts sent without a stated grade are treated as non-critical / low-tensile.

Fit and tolerance

Specs for plating any work should be sent to us beforehand. Send to admin@teamplating.co.za
Plating adds real thickness. Tight threads and bores that fit before plating may bind afterward. Consider spec of plating needed AND spec sheet of the part to be plated.
We plate to our specs mentioned here. Unless specified otherwise.
Machine in clearance beforehand, or tell us your required coating thickness.

Masking (if required)

Threads, machined faces, electrical contacts, or bore IDs that must stay bare need to be specified and agreed before the job starts
Masking adds cost and lead time
A small amount of plating “bleed” right at the mask line is normal, not a defect

PREPARATION

Before you send your parts

The final finish is only as good as the metal we start with. Heavy pitting, deep rust or leftover grease will affect both the outcome and the lead time and stripping old plating or paint on our side takes time and adds cost.

Plating reveals existing flaws in the base metal, such as porous castings or weld porosity, it doesn’t create them, and we can’t be held responsible for defects that were already there before the part arrived. Machining fluids, coolant, and thread-locker residue must also be cleaned off, heavy contamination will add cost and delay.

Please ensure, before delivery:

All paint is stripped before it reaches us
You’ve noted the quantity and base material of the load, unlabelled material will be processed based on visual assessment only, which carries risk on unusual alloys
Fasteners are sent loose and unassembled, not pre-threaded together. Tumbling can gall or bind mated threads
Nyloc nuts and any part with a plastic or rubber component are sent separately, they need special attention
Do not send aluminium parts, our plating solutions will destroy them

PACKAGING

How your order should arrive

Each size is captured and invoiced separately, so parts need to reach us already sorted and packaged by size.

Sizes must not be mixed

Package each size separately, each sizes in their own bags or boxes
We do not sort or mix sizes on our side
Separated loads are cleaner to process and reduce the chance of lost parts

FOR EXAMPLE

M8×25 Button head screws	25KGs
M10×12 CSK Cap screws	25KGs
M6×50 Button head screws	10KGs

That’s 3 separate bags, invoiced as 3 separate line items.

Quantities are calculated by weight, not piece count, pieces per kg is a nominal average.

TIMING

Turnaround times

Turnaround varies job to job.

The jigging plant is limited and turn around times will vary. Jigging work should be discussed before hand to avoid any disappointment.

A few factors below drive most of the difference.

Barrel plating

Base material
Batch size & weight
Surface area of part
Type of passivation
Process (zinc, copper, etc.)

A full load (~25kg) needs a minimum of 3 hours for degreasing, pickling, plating, passivating and drying.

Jig Plating (Zinc only)

Quantity
Complex geometry
Drying times
Size of parts

Check on your order via WhatsApp : 073 930 4582

LOGISTICS & ASSURANCE

Working with us

A few practical points on collection, liability, and getting things right the first time.

Collection

Our liability is limited to the cost of processing your job, not the market value of your parts, please arrange your own insurance for high-value goods
Using a courier or third party to drop off or collect? Please confirm who’s responsible for transit before sending work for plating

Quality & compliance

Notify if you would like to send samples before large batch orders
Need a salt-spray test report, thickness certificate, or batch traceability? These must be arranged before the job runs, not after

HANDLING

Important notes

Passivation adds lustre and corrosion protection — but it needs the right handling straight after plating.

After collection

Passivation takes up to 48 hours in open air to fully cure
Incorrect packaging can cause discolouration or corrosion
Water will corrode the zinc layer, bring a covered vehicle. We can’t be held liable for weather damage once parts leave the property
Do not weld or heat-treat plated parts, welding releases hazardous fumes and burns off the coating. If further work is needed, tell us beforehand so we can advise
For longer-term storage, keep parts loosely stacked with air circulating, tightly sealed or damp-stacked parts can develop staining or corrosion weeks later

Multiple loads

Sending parts from more than one job or material? Please bag or tag them separately so nothing gets mixed up during sorting