Common surface techniques for showerheads

1. Conclusion: Prioritize electroplating and carefully choose the baking paint process
2. Electroplating:
The most common technique is often manifested as silver. A good electroplating layer has almost no bubbles on the surface, which will quickly fade away when exposed to water vapor. It can be tested by blowing air onto the surface of the showerhead. In addition, the national standard stipulates that the electroplating layer of the showerhead needs to undergo a 24-hour salt spray test, and the corrosion resistance performance needs to reach level 9 to be considered qualified. Many big brands can reach the highest level of level 10, so be sure to check and inquire when purchasing.
Electroplating is a process that uses electrolysis to attach a layer of metal film to a metal surface. A protective layer is formed on the surface of the substrate to enhance the corrosion resistance and wear resistance of the shower, and to improve its appearance glossiness and aesthetics.
The international shower electroplating process mainly adopts three-layer electroplating
Three layer electroplating includes copper plating on the bottom layer, which seals the substrate and increases adhesion; Intermediate nickel plating (multi-layer nickel plating process is also used in high-end products), achieving the effect of anti-oxidation and anti-corrosion; Surface chrome plating, due to its stability in air, can maintain surface glossiness for a long time.
A small number of businesses promote the use of “five layer electroplating”, “six layer electroplating” and other methods for showerheads, attempting to guide the electroplating process to be better with more coatings. However, in reality, the opposite may be true. “Five layer, seven layer electroplating” is often used to compensate for defects in the substrate and manufacturing process. Due to poor substrate quality or poor craftsmanship, the issue can be resolved by adding a coating.

The national standard stipulates that the electroplating layer of showerheads needs to undergo salt spray testing, requiring bathroom products to reach level 9 in 24-hour acidic salt spray testing, with a surface defect degree of less than 0.1%, and the highest level being level 10. Usually, legitimate manufacturers or well-known bathroom brands will take the initiative to use the salt spray test level as a promotional point to prove to users that the product has excellent electroplating technology. Pay attention to checking and inquiring when making a purchase.
3. Drawing:
For showerheads, the wire drawing process is mainly applied to 304 stainless steel substrate, which is treated with wire drawing on the basis of electroplating. The initial processing is consistent with the electroplating process, requiring several layers of electroplating. The electroplating process involves depositing bright chrome on the last layer to create a mirror effect, while the wire drawing process involves depositing a layer of nickel to present a matte texture.
Afterwards, further processing was carried out on the nickel layer to create a brushed texture through friction, which not only covered up the mechanical patterns and mold defects generated during production, but also formed new textures. Due to different drawing methods, the resulting textures also vary, commonly including straight lines, random lines, ripples, and spiral lines.
Apply another layer of vacuum coating (PVD) on top of the texture to prevent oxidation, discoloration, and fingerprints.
4. Baking paint:
The process of multi-layer coloring followed by high-temperature baking can produce a variety of colors, but it should be noted that the scratch resistance, wear resistance, and durability of the baked paint film are not as good as electroplating, and there is a risk of paint peeling and delamination
In general, if there is a color requirement that cannot be met by electroplated products, priority can be given to baking paint with better texture.