A Barrel Plating Line is employed for Electroless Nickel plating, which is normally used for Pistons in brake assemblies.

The absence of electricity on this line eliminates the risk of hydrogen embrittlement in the deposited surface. A final polishing process ensures a superfine finish that meets or exceeds specified surface criteria. This line can handle an average of 72 flight bars per day.

The benefits of the Electroless Nickel process include the production of a surface that has a high immunity to corrosion. It has good wear resistance, with a Vickers Hardness of 600 to 700, which may be increased to more than 900 Vickers Hardness by an appropriate heat treatment. A very uniform autocatalytic deposit is produced, which is known in the US as Autocatalytic Nickel.