evolve™
evolve™ is the first production-proven chromium-free etching process for plating on plastics. Successfully used in mass production across the Americas, Asia, and Europe, evolve delivers high quality chrome parts to customers, while bringing production efficiency, safety, and regulatory compliance to facilities.
Industries Served
Features & Benefits
- Hexavalent chromium- and PFOS-free
- Superior adhesion
- Excellent optical appearance
- Versatile process cycle
- Suitable for conventional and direct metallization
- Simple process control
- Resistance to rack metallization
- High stability
Sustainability
We are committed to delivering safe and sustainable pre-treatment solutions for plating on plastics applications. Our innovative evolve™ and evolve BOND™ technologies offer safe, reliable, and future-focused Cr(VI)-free etching solutions that meet today's regulatory requirements while preparing you for the future.
Process Steps
| evolve™ Cleaner (Optional) | Removes general dirt, soils, and fingerprints leaving a clean plastic surface |
| evolve™ Pre-etch | Prepares the plastic surface and ensures uniform pre-etching |
| evolve™ Etch | Patented etching solution that ensures maximum adhesion of the subsequent metallic layers |
| evolve™ Neutralizer | Removes any trace of etching solution from the fully water-wetted surface of the plastic substrate |
| evolve™ Activator | A stable colloidal palladium activator catalyzing rapid coverage by an electroless nickel deposit |
| evolve™ Accelerator | Exposes the activator core, ensuring rapid initiation in the electroless process |
| evolve™ Electroless Nickel | Highly stable system depositing a conductive nickel layer in preparation for electroplating |
| evolve™ Inhibitor | Incorporated into the stripping line to prevent rack metallization, used after each plating cycle |
Sustainability has never looked so bright
evolve™ and evolve BOND™ processes successfully replace conventional etching chemistry and meet current and pending environmental regulations. These processes improve worker safety and deliver high-quality finishes, all while reducing worries about supply chain sustainability.