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Plating, the application of a metal coating, has many uses. Plating may be done for decoration, protection against corrosion, increase of wearing quality, or reflection of light. No matter the reason, though, plating is an important part of industrial industry that continues to grow.

Plating was first developed by the ancient Romans. Silver plates were soldered to pieces of baser metals. In the fifth century, iron weapons were coated with copper through a process of dipping them in a solution of the copper. Then, in the 18th century, England was plating copper or brass with silver by the process of fusion.

The most common method of plating is electrolysis, which is also called electroplating. This particular process permits the control of the thickness of the plating. This allows the plating to be customized, hence the overwhelming popularity. However, there are other plating methods that are used. For instance, when the plating is welded or brazed to the base, it is known as cladding. Generally if decorative plating is being used, the process of vapor deposition is used. In this process, the metal is put in a vacuum chamber. When the coating metal is vaporized by an electric surge, the particles settle on any exposed surface.

There are as many plating uses as there are methods. Commonly, though, in the industrial world plating is used as protection. That protection may be from wear and tear, from the elements, or from the atmosphere. When plating is used as decoration or even as a way of restoring a metal product, different processes are used. No matter what the reason for plating, though, the process has proven itself to be both useful and timeless in the industrial world. From the Romans, to the British, to today, plating continues to develop and advance.