From bare substrate
to certified finish.
Six precision stages. Every deposit verified against IPC Class 3 specifications. Traceability maintained from incoming inspection to final microsection QA.
Surface Preparation
Micro-etch and alkaline clean removes oxides, organics, and residual flux. Surface roughness Ra < 0.4μm ensures adhesion across all subsequent deposits.
Tolerance
Spec Ref
IPC-4552 §3.2
Electroless Copper
Catalytic copper deposition seeds through-hole barrels to 0.5–1.0μm. Uniform coverage on aspect ratios up to 20:1 — critical for HDI and backplane substrates.
Tolerance
Spec Ref
IPC-6012 Class 3
Pattern Plating
Acid copper builds trace and pad geometry to 25–35μm. Pulse-reverse rectifiers maintain ±2% current density uniformity across 24×18" panels.
Tolerance
Spec Ref
IPC-A-600 Class 3
Nickel Barrier
Electroless or electrolytic nickel, 3–5μm, acts as diffusion barrier between copper and gold. Phosphorus content 8–10% for maximum corrosion resistance.
Tolerance
Spec Ref
IPC-4552A §4.3
Gold Finger Finishing
Hard gold (Co-alloyed, HV 130–200) on edge connectors to 0.76–1.27μm. ENIG immersion gold 0.05–0.1μm over electroless nickel for solderability.
Tolerance
Spec Ref
IPC-4552 ENIG / IPC-4556
Cross-Section QA
Microsection coupons cut from every panel. SEM and optical at 400× confirms deposit thickness, adhesion, and void-free barrel fill. Full FAISR documentation.
Tolerance
Spec Ref
IPC-TM-650 2.1.1
Full process documentation available with NADCAP audit package
Five finish families.
One certified line.
Every bath calibrated to the thousandth of an inch. Selective masking available for mixed-finish panels.
Gold Plating
Electroless Nickel
Immersion Tin
ENEPIG
Selective Plating Available
Laser-cut masking for mixed-finish panels. Gold fingers + ENIG pads + OSP in a single panel run. Minimum feature size 0.2mm. Contact engineering for DFM review.
Audit-ready documentation.
Every shipment.
NADCAP accreditation means an independent body has verified our chemistry, process controls, and QA records against aerospace industry standards — not just our own word.
Chemical Processing
Accredited for electroplating, electroless plating, and anodizing processes serving aerospace prime contractors.
Aerospace QMS
Quality management system certified to aerospace standard. Full FAISR, PPAP, and first article documentation.
Class 3 Qualified
Qualification and performance specification for rigid printed boards. Class 3 — high-performance electronics.
Quality Management
ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management system covering incoming inspection through final shipment.
Environmental
Full RoHS 3 and REACH compliance. Lead-free baths available for all finish types. SDS documentation on request.
Defense Compliance
DDTC registered for defense and space applications. Export-controlled process documentation available under NDA.
Boards that launched,
operated, and survived.
“We qualified Plate as our sole-source ENIG supplier after they held ±0.04μm across 1,200 panels over six months. That consistency is what you need when your boards end up in a satellite that can't be serviced.”
Senior PCB Engineer · Orbital Systems Group
Class 3 ENIG, 18-month qualification
“The NADCAP certification wasn't a checkbox for us — we needed a partner who could produce the full audit trail on demand. Every Plate shipment arrives with microsection photos and SPC charts. Our Tier 1 auditors have never flagged a single panel.”
Quality Director · Vantage Medical Robotics
ENEPIG + selective gold, ISO 13485
“We went from prototype to a 5,000-panel production run in eight weeks. Plate's engineering team caught a via aspect ratio issue in our DFM review that would have caused barrel cracking. That's the kind of partnership that keeps a startup alive.”
Hardware Lead · Meridian Edge Computing
Hard gold fingers + ENIG, rapid scale