While measuring plating thickness, a manufacturer may also perform analyses of a material’s alloys in order to determine factors such as the strength of the coating and, especially, the potential for harmful concentrations of lead or mercury, among other metals. Various regulations for example RoHS, DIN EN 71, CPSIA specify maximum permissible values for such substances, and it’s important for the manufacturer to test for these as part of their regular business process.

Determining plating thickness and composition can be readily achieved with a variety of modern instruments on the market today. Fischer, for example, has a range of XRF models that can perform these measurements and analyses.

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