When fasteners are exposed to highly corrosive saltwater or require precise torque characteristics, standard coatings often fall short. Cadmium plating is a robust and versatile electroplating process that applies a soft, white metallic barrier to both ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

Since 1988, U-Bolt-It has provided high-quality, certified-engineering coating services. Our in-house cadmium plating provides a sacrificial barrier that preferentially corrodes to protect the underlying substrate. Available in either a shiny or dull silver finish, our cadmium-plated fasteners deliver unmatched anti-galling properties and extreme corrosion resistance for flight-critical components and deep-water marine hardware.

What Are the Benefits of Cadmium-Plated Fasteners?

Engineers specify cadmium over other coatings because of its unique combination of environmental protection and natural lubricity. This reduces the risk of operating mechanisms jamming from corrosion debris or failing due to friction. Key benefits include:

Superior Environmental Protection: Exceptional resistance to corrosion, rust, and alkalinity—especially in harsh salt-water and marine environments. It also resists mold and bacteria growth.
Exceptional Natural Lubricity: Improved anti-galling and low-friction properties, ensuring smooth installation and operation without damaging precision threads.
Predictable Torque: Maintains exact dimensional tolerances (requiring no undercutting) and provides highly predictable torque characteristics for mission-critical assemblies.
Electrical & Assembly Advantages: Offers superior solderability, excellent adhesion for secondary paints/adhesives, and low impact on electrical conductivity.

What Hardware Can Receive Cadmium Plating?

We offer exceptional in-house cadmium plating services for both large bulk batches and short custom runs. We can process a wide variety of high-quality fastener types, including:

Bolts & Screws: Hex Bolts, Custom Bent Bolts, Eye Bolts, Screws.
Specialty Hardware: Custom U-Bolts, Studs.
Nuts & Washers: Hex Nuts, Flat and Lock Washers.

What Industries Rely on Cadmium Fasteners?

Because cadmium prevents galvanic corrosion between dissimilar metals and excels in extreme environments, our coated fasteners meet the strict industry standards of:

Aerospace, Aviation & Defense
Marine & Offshore Drilling
Automotive & Transportation
Electronics & Consumer Products
Mining & Heavy Machinery

Frequently Asked Questions About Cadmium Plating

What is a "sacrificial coating"?

A sacrificial coating, like cadmium or zinc, is designed to oxidize and corrode before the underlying base metal. If the coating is scratched or damaged and a small area of the substrate is exposed, the cadmium will preferentially absorb the corrosive attack, protecting the structural integrity of the fastener.

Why use cadmium instead of standard zinc plating?

While both provide sacrificial protection, cadmium offers superior natural lubricity, which drastically reduces galling (friction-induced thread damage) during installation. It also provides significantly better corrosion resistance in highly alkaline and marine (saltwater) environments compared to standard zinc.

Does cadmium plating affect the size of precision threads?

No. Cadmium plating goes on evenly and maintains strict dimensional tolerances. It does not require engineers to undercut threads prior to plating, ensuring the fastener retains its maximum mechanical strength.

Why choose U-Bolt-It for fastener coating?

We offer high-quality, certified-engineering coating services tailored directly to your industry's standards. Because we handle our cadmium electroplating in-house, we control the quality and turnaround time. Contact a member of the U-Bolt-It team today to find out how we can help you protect the hardware on your next project.

"We feel really happy working with you guys, it has been a short time business relationship but definitely we’ve received such a great service from your company that would be nice to keep working together. Junior is our contact point and there’s nothing but great things to say about his attentions. By the way, I truly loved the microfiber cloth. I’m always have a hard time to clean my glasses; I can use the one from U-bolt it without applying any liquid and just leaves them super clean. We appreciate your excellent service and looking forward to new projects. Kind regards and have a wonderful rest of the week."

"Our buyer received a letter from your company regarding an order I put in for some 3” stainless steel U-Bolts. I just wanted to thank you for the kind letter and let you know that your U-Bolts have been completely invaluable to us. We use them in the manufacturing process of an extremely sensitive product. Our previous U-bolts were zinc plated, therefore they became rusted too easily and risked the quality of the product. We hadn’t been able to find another U-bolt supplier with our specific size requirements (without going custom) until I came across your website! We are very grateful for the quality product you have sent us. We will definitely continue to use your company and the services provided."

"Debbie here from KKW in Mukwonago WI, just got the big u-bolts they look real good. They should work good for my project."

"I wanted to say how helpful it was to be able to order small quantities of screws from your business. As a start up business, without an established presence, it is virtually impossible to get small quantities of screws as samples. When we go into production, we will be ordering millions of screws, but we need to know that the same screws we test with our prototypes will be available at bulk prices at that time."

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