Electroplating for Dental Applications
Engineered plating solutions for orthodontic and dental components requiring durability, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility.
What Is Dental Electroplating?
Dental devices and tools must withstand repeated sterilization, mechanical wear, and exposure to biological environments. Electroplating enhances durability, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility while maintaining precise geometries required for orthodontic and surgical applications.
Dental Applications
- Orthodontics (arch wires, brackets)
- Dental instruments
- Implant components
- Surgical tools
Components We Support
- Arch wires
- Brackets
- Dental instruments
- Implant components
- Springs, contacts, connectors
Engineering Challenges in Energy Technology Components
Corrosion from Sterilization Cycles
Problem:
Dental tools are repeatedly exposed to chemicals and high temperatures.
Solution:
Gold, rhodium, and nickel plating improve corrosion resistance and extend tool life.
Biocompatibility Requirements
Problem:
Materials must be safe for intraoral use and avoid adverse reactions.
Solution:
Precious metal plating provides inert, biocompatible surfaces.
Not sure which plating solution fits your application? Speak with the team.
Wear & Aesthetic Performance
Problem:
Orthodontic components must maintain appearance and performance over time.
Solution:
Rhodium and gold plating improve durability and visual consistency.
Proven Results in Energy Technology Applications
Gold Plating for Orthodontic Arch Wires
Gold plating enabled biocompatible, corrosion-resistant orthodontic arch wires while maintaining the mechanical performance of Nickel-Titanium and stainless steel. ProPlate developed a specialized process to achieve full adhesion of gold to Nitinol and eliminate plating voids during production. The result was consistent, defect-free plating with improved aesthetics and reliable long-term performance.
The Product: Orthodontic Arch Wires
Besides longevity, functional performance, and aesthetics, bio-compatibility is the fourth essential requirement for dental supply materials. Gold plated Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) arch forms offer both the durability and life of Ni-Ti, and the aesthetics of Gold, while still being bio-compatible and corrosion resistant. Similarly, Gold plated Stainless Steel (SS) arch forms offer both the durability and life-span of SS, and the aesthetics of Gold, while still being bio-compatible and corrosion resistant.
The Challenge
Gold plating onto SS is a well-documented and understood process. However, Gold plating onto Ni-Ti is not. The main challenge for this project was to achieve adhesion between the Nickel-Titanium and the Gold. Also, there needed to be an efficient method and apparatus in order to plate production quantities of the wires without creating any plating voids from contact.
The Engineered Solution
After a complete analysis of the manufacturing process, a special bath was installed at ProPlate®. This bath was used for a unique preparation of the parts. Customized chemistry was developed that effectively activated the Ni-Ti for Gold plating. This new process enabled ProPlate® to achieve full adhesion between the Nickel-Titanium and the Gold, whereas before, it was only partial adhesion at best. ProPlate® also tooled a custom rack to efficiently plate the wires without any plating voids, which helped to drive the overall cost and defect rate down.
Benefits:
- Biocompatible
- Adhesion to Nitinol
- Consistent Color
- Corrosion Resistance
Gold and Rhodium Plating for Orthodontic Brackets
Gold and Rhodium plating improved the aesthetics and corrosion resistance of stainless steel orthodontic brackets while maintaining biocompatibility. ProPlate worked closely with the OEM to develop a controlled plating process capable of achieving consistent, customer-specific color requirements. The result was uniform, repeatable finishes that met both functional and aesthetic expectations.
The Product: Orthodontic Brackets
Besides longevity, functional performance, and aesthetics, bio-compatibility is a fourth essential requirement for dental supply materials. Rhodium or Gold plated Stainless Steel (SS) brackets offer both the durability and life of SS while still being bio-compatible and corrosion-resistant. Gold offers pleasing aesthetics, and Rhodium's “white-metal” appearance is excellent for matching dental enamel and ceramics.
The Challenge
The challenge was consistently color matching the Rhodium and Gold electroplating with the customer's specific expectations. Even when parts are within the required specifications, the final aesthetic appearance of electroplating can vary widely depending on the degree of process control.
The Engineered Solution
After a complete analysis of the manufacturing process, a special bath was installed at ProPlate®. This bath was used for a unique preparation of the parts. Customized chemistry was developed that effectively activated the Ni-Ti for Gold plating. This new process enabled ProPlate® to achieve full adhesion between the Nickel-Titanium and the Gold, whereas before, it was only partial adhesion at best. ProPlate® also tooled a custom rack to efficiently plate the wires without any plating voids, which helped drive the overall cost and defect rate down. ProPlate® worked closely with the engineers at the OEM to determine the aesthetic requirements for the brackets. After a complete analysis of the plating process and numerous trials were run, results from the trials were shared with the OEM to reach the desired appearance. With a unique set of plating layers, a custom plating process was developed to ensure consistent Gold and Rhodium color. Additionally, process controls were instilled to ensure the color variation remained within customer requirements.
Benefits:
- Biocompatible
- Corrosion Resistant
- Consistent Color
Why Energy Technology Companies Choose ProPlate®
Energy technology companies rely on ProPlate for consistent performance in demanding applications. We work directly with engineering teams to understand functional requirements and apply plating solutions that align with real-world operating conditions.
From development through production, our process supports repeatability and long-term reliability in harsh environments.
