Do you know the plated hard gold process of the rigid PCB?

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When should we plated hard gold on the rigid PCB?

Some friends say most of rigid PCB will use plated hard gold.
To be honest, this is wrong view, because even most of rigid PCB will use plated technology, but not all need plated with hard gold, may soft gold or silver etc.
Emma have asked our 4MCPCB plated experts, say plated hard gold is need some special area.
Specially those needs repeated insertion and removal rigid PCB.

4MCPCB plated experts also told Emma that electroless gold is the main plated hard gold process material.
Because electroless gold gives good solderrabiltiy, and is so soft to withstand repeated abrasion.

Plated hard gold edge connectors of rigid PCB

The plated hare gold of rigid PCB is the very special surface finish.
In China rigid PCB industry, there were many surface finish solutions.
Different area has a different surface finish solution.
Even just plate rigid PCB process, also have many differing plate method.
For the edge connectors, most rigid PCB manufacturers will use electronic plate hard gold solution.

The detail plated hard gold process of rigid PCB

This part Emma will introduce the detail plated hard gold process of rigid PCB.
Firstly, consider the hold method of the plated hard gold process.
Different rigid PCB manufacturers have differed hold method.
Some of them use protective tape to fix the rigid PCB board, and some of them use a simple mould to hold those rigid PCB.

Second is considering the hard gold plated area.
You know not all of the board should be plated hard gold.
How to protect the area that do not need plated hard gold?
Most of rigid PCB factories will use firm to protect.
But some very some rigid PCB also uses protective tape to protect.

Then the plated worker will mounts the panel on a horizontal electroplating bath.
In fact, this process is the really played hard gold.
And above two steps just the prepare plated rigid PCB hard gold.
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