What are combined coatings and what are their benefits?

Combined coatings are an innovative solution that merges two types of surface finishes on a single component: electroplated coatings (such as silver, tin, or nickel) and powder coatings (such as epoxy or polyester). This approach enables the integration of electrical conductivity, corrosion protection, insulation, and mechanical durability in precisely selected areas. It allows for advanced component customization, optimizing performance exactly where it's needed.

In which industries are combined coatings used?

This technology is ideal for industries where components must meet multiple demanding criteria simultaneously. Key sectors include: power generation and renewable energy, electromobility and transportation, heavy industry and aerospace, data centers and industrial automation. The synergy of conductive and insulating properties within one component enables more compact, efficient, and resilient systems.

Why choose Electris as your supplier of combined coatings?

Electris offers an end-to-end service: from surface preparation and precise masking, through fully automated electroplating, to in-house powder coating application. Key advantages include: full process control and quality assurance, flexible production volumes (from prototyping to full-scale series), reduced lead times by eliminating the need for multiple suppliers, tailored coating parameters to meet specific customer requirements. This leads to lower operational costs, improved component longevity, and faster implementation of cutting-edge solutions.

Combined Coatings – Electroplated and Powder

As industrial technologies evolve rapidly, components used in sectors such as power engineering, e-mobility, transportation, and data centers must meet increasingly stringent requirements.

Expectations for copper and aluminum elements continue to rise—engineers and procurement departments seek solutions that not only ensure top-tier technical performance but also streamline logistics and optimize production processes.
In response to these needs, Electris offers combined coating technology, merging the benefits of electroplated and powder coatings into a single component.

What Are Combined Coatings?

In many modern applications, achieving a combination of high electrical conductivity, effective insulation, advanced corrosion protection, and mechanical and chemical resistance within a single component is becoming essential. As a comprehensive supplier of copper and aluminum components, Electris meets this challenge by providing an innovative solution: the integration of electroplated and powder coatings on a single part.

Combined coatings refer to a technology that applies both electroplated layers (e.g., silver plating) and powder coatings (e.g., epoxy) to one component. This results in a component that is both electrically conductive and insulated against external factors such as moisture, heat, and chemicals.

Electroplated Coatings by Electris – Precision, Durability, and Reliability

Electris delivers high-quality electroplating services including tin, silver, and nickel plating on copper and aluminum components. These processes are carried out on a fully automated plating line, ensuring consistent parameters, excellent surface finish, and full control at every stage of the coating process.

Electroplated coatings provide numerous critical benefits—ranging from corrosion and wear resistance, to improved electrical and thermal conductivity, as well as specific mechanical and decorative properties. With layer thicknesses ranging from 1 µm to 50 µm, the coatings can be precisely tailored to customer specifications, whether for industrial, energy sector, or specialized applications.

Electris can process components up to 2100 mm in length, with production flexibility that spans from prototype batches to full-scale series—making us a trusted partner for even the most technically demanding projects.

Powder Coatings – Functionality and Protection for Demanding Applications

Powder coatings offer outstanding dielectric strength—up to 45 kV/mm, enabling safe integration of components in battery systems and other applications requiring electrical insulation. They also serve as thermal barriers, maintaining component integrity in environments up to 300°C, particularly within heavy-duty industrial settings.

Depending on the type of powder used, the coating's flexibility can be adapted to prevent cracking during assembly. Electris collaborates with leading powder coating manufacturers, adjusting formulation and color to meet client specifications.

Why Combine Coatings? Key Advantages of the Hybrid Approach

Conventional surface treatments often fail to deliver all necessary performance characteristics at once. At Electris, the key to combining electroplated and powder coatings lies in selectively applying complementary layers to individual sections of the same component—such as copper or aluminum busbars—to fulfill multiple technical functions:

Electroplated coatings (silver, nickel, tin) deliver superior corrosion resistance and, in the case of silver, exceptional electrical conductivity, especially at contact points.
Powder coatings (epoxy, polyester) ensure high dielectric strength (up to 45 kV/mm), excellent mechanical durability, and resistance to environmental stressors.

This integration enables precise functional control—where low contact resistance and energy transfer reliability are critical, electroplating is applied; where insulation is necessary, powder coating is used. This synergy allows engineers to design components perfectly tailored to specific applications, ensuring consistency, performance, and reproducibility.

Combined Coatings – Elevated Performance and Reliability

Combining electroplated silver with epoxy powder coatings opens new paths for device optimization. Silver plating, performed at Electris’s state-of-the-art plating facility, offers the lowest resistivity of all metals, ensuring maximum current efficiency and long-lasting reliability of contact points—even in demanding operating environments. Meanwhile, powder coatings form a dense, uniform insulating barrier, protecting components from moisture, chemicals, and temperature fluctuations.

What sets Electris apart is complete process control—from surface preparation and advanced masking to final quality inspection. Thanks to its own in-house powder coating facility and automated electroplating plant, Electris handles complex projects with maximum flexibility, while maintaining strict compliance with quality and environmental standards.

Benefits of Combined Coatings for Industry

The integration of electroplated and powder coatings within a single production process provides more than enhanced component functionality—it also improves procurement and logistics efficiency. Eliminating the need for multiple suppliers and avoiding inter-facility transport of semi-finished parts reduces lead times, minimizes damage risk, and lowers total operational costs.

Additionally, this hybrid coating approach helps reduce component size and material usage, optimizing space and resource utilization both during production and in the end-use application. Greater durability means fewer replacements, which translates to lower infrastructure maintenance costs over time.

Electris – Your Partner for Combined Coating Technology

The combination of electroplated and powder coating technologies is Electris’s answer to the toughest challenges of modern industry. It offers not only high performance and longevity, but also cost optimization and simplified supply chains. This integrated approach empowers engineers and buyers alike to gain a competitive edge in high-demand markets.

By choosing Electris, customers gain access to innovative coating technologies and a trusted partner with deep expertise. With years of experience, advanced production infrastructure, and in-house powder coating and plating capabilities, Electris delivers even the most demanding orders—from mass production to custom batches and prototypes—all in accordance with rigorous quality and environmental standards.

Summary – Combined Coatings Are the Future of Modern Components

Electris provides a pioneering solution that integrates electroplated and powder coatings on a single component, enabling the realization of tailored electrical, mechanical, and corrosion-resistant properties.

Precision control of electrical performance: Electroplated coatings (e.g., silver) enhance conductivity at designated contact points, while epoxy powder coatings ensure strong insulation across the rest of the surface. This synergy is crucial for advanced electrical and electronic applications.
Superior coating adhesion: Specialized surface preparation ensures excellent adhesion for both types of coatings. Additionally, advanced masking technologies guarantee sharp separation lines between coated areas.
Double-layer corrosion protection: The combined protection of electroplating and powder coating creates a robust barrier against moisture, chemicals, and temperature variations, significantly extending component lifespan.
Broad application versatility: This hybrid technology is ideal for power engineering, e-mobility, renewable energy, heavy industry, and beyond—ranging from automotive and electronics to aerospace and construction, proving the versatility of Electris’s solutions.
Production flexibility and cost efficiency: Whether large-scale batches or single prototypes, this coating process is cost-effective, accelerates implementation, and supports the testing of new designs without high startup costs.