Our goal is to be the best metal finishing company in the Southeast. Producing the highest quality, most aesthetically pleasing and durable coatings within the shortest amount of time. We take pride in working closely with our customers to meet their needs, and deliver the highest quality parts to them and their end-users. We are a three-generation family-owned business, and we intend to pass it down for years to come.
About Us
Fowler Industrial Plating is an ISO certified metal finishing company.
We specialize in High Quality Electroless Nickel Plating, Electrolytic Hard-Gold Plating and Black Oxide for alloys of Steel and Copper. With a combined experience spanning nearly 90 years, we have the knowledge and ability to offer a superior level of quality for any situation. We are ISO 9001:2008 certified, and we provide public notary services!
Fowler Industrial is strategically located just outside of Chattanooga, which allows us the geographical advantage of being able to serve not only the Southeast, but the Midwestern and Northern states, as well. For more product info, click here.
Why choose us?
01.
High Quality
We have spent the last 40 years fine tuning the Electroless Nickel, Hard-Gold and Black Oxide processes to produce the finest coatings in the world. Our customers have been unable to find the same quality elsewhere.
02.
Fast Turn-Around Times
Our devotion to quality does not inhibit us from offering the fastest delivery times. Our typical turn-around time is 5-7 business days, but we also offer 4-day, 3-day, 2-day and same-day service.
03.
We Take on the Tough Jobs
At FIP, we are Process Engineers and proud to accept the tough jobs that other metal finishing companies shy away from. Whether you’re looking for a simple nickel coating on steel, stainless steel, copper, or aluminum, or you need to plate cobalt and gold onto graphite, we are your go-to shop.
Our Mission
Strict adherence to our developed and established processes and procedures, as per our ISO 9001-2008 standard.
Constant Process Engineering to produce better, more aesthetically and durably pleasing coatings.
Harmonizing our workflow logistics to provide as quick a turnaround time as possible.
Continued education of our employees and associates.
Working with our customers to understand their needs and goals.
We are proud of our company and of the level of quality we have been able to achieve. We are always working to improve on every aspect of our services.
Meet Our Team
Madison Greening
Owner, Operator, Office Manager.
Randall Fowler
Founder & Chemist
Rick Van Dijk
Dry Processing Technician
Gene Fowler
Founder
Our features
Electroless Nickel Plating
By definition, Electroless Plating is metal deposition by a controlled chemical reaction. In contrast to an electroplating solution, electroless nickel (EN) solutions require no external source of current to plate. EN baths utilize a hypophosphite-based reducing agent salt that is dissolved in solution. The process provides a continuous build-up of deposit, since the metal being plated is itself a catalyst for the plating reaction. This is why EN is also known as autocatalytic nickel plating. Fowler Industrial Plating most often uses a mid-phosphorous, high gloss plating process which, as deposited, provides a coating that is 91-97% nickel, with the balance as phosphorous. Knoop hardness, as deposited, is around the 550 range, but can reach hardness levels exceeding 900 Knoop, which approaches 90 Rockwell C, following a post-plating heat treatment. All nickel plated parts are immersed into a PTFE-based Teflon solution as soon as they are plated. FIP also offers nickel-cobalt coatings. Ask for details.
Hard-Gold Electroplating
Bright, hard-gold electroplating deposits a 99.7% gold / 0.3% cobalt alloy onto the substrate. Many people ask if it is “real gold.” Yes, it is real gold, and boasts a karat value of over 23. Bright, hard-gold is used extensively in the electronics industry (printed circuit boards), as well as the cryogenics industry, among others.
Black Oxide
Fowler Industrial Plating offers Black Oxide coatings for alloys of steel and copper, but nearly any base metal can be black oxide coated, if a copper strike layer is plated to the surface prior to immersion into the oxide bath. Both solutions are highly alkaline. Black Oxide for steel uses a nitrite-nitrate salt to generate the oxide layer and copper alloys use a chlorite or chlorate formula. Steel baths are operated at 285F and copper baths at 180-190F. Black Oxide provides a deep black coating for both aesthetic and mild corrosion resistance. Following the oxide application, the steel parts are immersed into an oil post-dip, while the copper parts are either left as-is or clear-coated with a lacquer that is formulated for the task.