PCB &
Electronics
in the fields of electronics
and printed circuit boards.
Pretreatment
Pre-treatment is a very important step in the electroplating process. Oils and greases are used in the manufacture of components to facilitate the machining of workpieces and to provide temporary protection for metal surfaces against corrosion.
Before electroplating, oils and greases must be removed from the workpiece to be electroplated, as residues can lead to coating defects.
Thorough pre-treatment is an important prerequisite for high-quality coating. Depending on the process sequence, pre-treatment may also involve several process steps. In this process group, Schlötter offers boiling or hot degreasing, electrolytic degreasing for a variety of base materials such as steel, copper and brass, as well as pre-treatment for aluminium and die-cast zinc.
Product Highlights
Stripper L 60
Two-stage spraying process for the chemical removal of tin, lead and lead-tin layers from copper.
Used in continuous systems.
SLOTOCLEAN S 20 cleaner
Cleaner for copper or non-metallic components as well as for printed circuit boards prior to activation.
Removes disruptive surface films.
Copper Solutions
Copper electrolytes are a fundamental technology in the electronics industry, enabling the formation of conductive structures in PCBs, semiconductor packages, and electronic connectors.
Most processes rely on acid copper sulfate electrolytes with advanced additive systems, which allow precise copper deposition, microvia filling, and highly reliable electrical interconnections.
Schlötter’s electronics copper portfolio mainly consists of acid copper sulfate electrolytes grouped into several application categories:
- Through-hole plating copper
- Microvia filling copper (HDI PCBs)
- Pattern plating copper
- Pulse / reverse pulse plating copper
- Multifunction PCB copper electrolytes
Most of these systems belong to the SLOTOCOUP® copper process family used in modern PCB and electronic interconnect manufacturing.
Product Highlights
SLOTOCOUP CU 50
SLOTOCOUP CU 50 is developed for pattern plating and pre-plating processes.
It provides excellent throwing power, fast hole coverage, fine-grained ductile deposits, and stable electrolyte control, making it suitable for reliable copper deposition in multilayer PCB manufacturing.
SLOTOCOUP SF 50
SLOTOCOUP SF 50 is a high-performance copper electrolyte for advanced PCB manufacturing, enabling superfilling of blind microvias, plating of conductor patterns, and metallization of through-holes in a single process.
Its versatility allows PCB manufacturers to reduce process steps, improve productivity, and produce high-density electronic interconnects required for modern devices.
Electroless Nickel
This is one of the most important nickel processes in electronics, especially for PCB final finishes and metallization of complex parts. This process allows for the deposition of uniform coatings that closely follow the contours of the component. Phosphorus incorporation rates in the range of 6–12% ensure different coating properties.
The SLOTONIP® series from Schlötter consists of electroless nickel processes used as the core layer in PCB final finishes, particularly ENIG and ENEPIG systems. The deposited nickel-phosphorus layer acts as a barrier, solderable surface, and corrosion-resistant interface, enabling reliable interconnections in modern electronic assemblies.
Schlötter’s nickel portfolio for electronics mainly includes:
- Electroless nickel (Ni-P / Ni-B) – e.g., SLOTONIP series for PCB finishes and metallization
- Electrolytic nickel baths – intermediate nickel layers for electrical components
- Nickel sulfamate electrolytes – low-stress thick nickel and electroforming
- Nickel-based final finishes such as ENIG / ENEPIG for PCBs.
Product Highlights
ENIG process
The ENIG process is a two-layer PCB surface finish consisting of electroless nickel and immersion gold. The nickel layer provides mechanical strength and diffusion barrier properties while the thin gold layer protects the surface and ensures excellent solderability and electrical contact reliability.
ENIG is therefore one of the most widely used finishes in modern PCB manufacturing.
ENEPIG process
ENEPIG process is a three-layer PCB surface finish combining electroless nickel, electroless palladium and immersion gold.
It offers excellent solderability, corrosion resistance, wire bonding capability and high reliability making it one of the most advanced finishes for high-density and high-performance electronic circuits.
Tin Solutions
Tin has been used in electroplating for many decades and Schlötter has always been to the fore in tin plating chemistry. Tin plating is the process of depositing a coating of solderable tin plating onto the surface of a material via an electrical current.
Electroplating tin is an extremely cost-effective process. This is due to tin being so readily available and much less expensive than metals such as gold, platinum or palladium.
Today, it is hard to imagine the printed circuit board and electronics industry without tin being used for solderable layers. Tin can be deposited in both matt with a defined grain size and bright layers. Tin is food safe and is therefore used in the food industry.
Product Highlights
SLOTOTIN MT 1100
Acidic fluoride-free electrolyte for the deposition of silky-matt fine crystalline coatings. It's used in reel-to-reel plating lines for the tinning of wires or strips.
Matt Tin SAT 10
Matt tin electrolyte with excellent coverage and solderability.
Bright Tin CULMO 20
Sulphur-acid electrolyte, weakly foaming especially for barrel and continuous plating lines.
Bright Tin GBF 10
Fluoride-free, acidic electrolyte for the deposition of bright tin coatings in reel-to-reel installations. Excellent solderability even after prolonged storage or heat ageing.
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We are a family-run innovative chemical and electroplating business with over 110 years of experience in products, processes and solutions for surface finishing.
