These are nickel plated spring steel stamping parts for switches — contact springs, snap domes, and terminal clips that must return to shape after millions of cycles. We hold stamping tolerance at ±0.
These are nickel plated spring steel stamping parts for switches — contact springs, snap domes, and terminal clips that must return to shape after millions of cycles. We hold stamping tolerance at ±0.01 mm, flatness within 0.02 mm, and deliver production orders in 7 days from our Dongguan factory. Hardness is specified at 48-52 HRC after heat treatment, with nickel plating thickness of 3-5 microns to resist oxidation and reduce contact resistance.
Nickel plating on spring steel is tricky. If you plate before heat treatment, hydrogen embrittlement cracks the part. If you plate after, the acid bath can strip the oxide layer and cause delayed fracture. We use a two-step process: stamp and heat treat first, then flash plate with a low-hydrogen nickel bath at 45°C. This keeps the spring's elastic limit above 90% of its pre-plating value. For every batch, we test 5 samples on a compression fatigue rig — 1 million cycles at 80% of rated deflection. No cracks, no load loss.
Switch parts are small — most are under 25 mm in diameter. We build progressive dies with carbide inserts, not tool steel. Carbide holds a sharp edge for 500,000 strokes before regrinding, which means your part's burr height stays under 0.03 mm across the entire run. For snap domes, we use a coining step to control the actuation force within ±10 grams. Die maintenance is logged daily; every 100,000 strokes we check clearance and adjust the stripper pressure. This is the same discipline we apply to all our precision stamping work.
We use C75S (1.1248) or SK5 high-carbon spring steel, cold-rolled to a thickness between 0.08 mm and 2.0 mm. After stamping, parts are austenitized at 820°C, oil quenched, then tempered at 320°C to reach 48-52 HRC. This gives a yield strength of 1,450 MPa. Nickel plating is applied with a matte finish — bright nickel looks nice but adds internal stress. The plating thickness is 3-5 microns, measured by X-ray fluorescence on each batch. For critical switch contacts, we can add a gold flash over nickel to bring contact resistance below 10 milliohms.
Every lot gets a full dimension report. We use a CMM for critical dimensions, a profile projector for bend angles, and a digital force gauge for actuation force. Flatness is checked on a granite surface plate with a feeler gauge. Runout — the variation in concentricity for round parts — is held to 0.02 mm. We photograph 10 parts from each cavity of a multi-cavity die and keep the images for 2 years. If your switch has an odd failure later, we can trace it back to the exact die stroke and material coil.
Stainless steel springs (like 301 or 17-7PH) have lower conductivity and cost more per kilo. Nickel plated spring steel gives you similar corrosion resistance at 40% lower material cost. The nickel layer also acts as a solid lubricant during sliding contact, reducing wear on the mating terminal. For low-current signal switches (below 100 mA), nickel plating prevents the formation of insulating oxides on the contact surface. If your switch carries higher current, we can spec a thicker nickel layer or add a silver overlay.
Parts are shipped in anti-static trays with cavity separators to prevent scratching. For tape-and-reel packaging (for automated assembly), we use conductive tape with a peel strength of 0.5 N. Standard lead time is 7 days for quantities under 100,000 pieces, 12 days for larger runs. We ship from Dongguan via DHL or FedEx, typically 3-5 days to the US or Europe. Tooling — the progressive die — takes 15 days to build if you need a custom shape. We keep 50+ standard die sets for common switch dome shapes, so you might not need new tooling at all.
Send a PDF or STEP file to sc@bquq.com. Include material thickness, required hardness, plating spec, and annual volume. We reply with a firm quote within 12 hours — not a range, a real number. If your drawing has a tolerance tighter than ±0.01 mm, we will tell you immediately if it is possible and at what cost. We can also suggest a looser tolerance that saves you 20% on the piece price. For more context on how we maintain die quality, read our CNC cutting tool selection guide — it covers the same precision mindset applied to stamping dies. And for a deeper dive into what tolerances are achievable, see our CNC machining tolerances guide.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Materials | C75S, SK5, 65Mn, 301 stainless (on request) |
| Thickness range | 0.08 mm – 2.0 mm |
| Hardness after heat treat | 48-52 HRC (standard), up to 55 HRC on request |
| Stamping tolerance | ±0.01 mm on critical features |
| Flatness | 0.02 mm max over 25 mm length |
| Runout (circular parts) | 0.02 mm TIR |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.4 µm on stamped edges, Ra 0.8 µm on plated surface |
| Nickel plating thickness | 3-5 microns (matte), optional gold flash |
| Contact resistance (optional gold flash) | < 10 milliohms |
| Lead time (production) | 7 days for <100k pcs, 12 days for larger |
| MOQ | No MOQ — we accept 1-piece prototypes |
No MOQ. We will stamp a single prototype for your test, then scale up to millions per month once you approve the samples.
Yes — we adjust plating thickness from 1 to 10 microns, and we can add a gold or silver flash for lower contact resistance.
We perform in-process inspection every 2 hours using SPC charts, plus a full dimensional report on every batch before shipping.
Tooling takes 15 days, then production samples in 3 days, and mass production begins within 7 days after your approval.
Get a firm quote within 12 hours. Send your drawing to sc@bquq.com or message us on WhatsApp: +86 13713157787. We are a precision manufacturing factory in Dongguan, China, with 20 years of stamping experience. No MOQ, no pressure — just a clear price and a delivery date you can trust.
| Parameter | Capability |
|---|---|
| Materials | SPCC, SGCC, SUS301/304/316, brass, copper, beryllium copper, phosphor bronze |
| Process | Progressive die stamping, fine blanking, deep drawing, bending, tapping |
| Tolerance | ±0.01mm standard, ±0.005mm on request |
| Surface | Zinc plating, nickel, tin, gold, powder coating, passivation, anodizing |
| Die Size | Up to 1200 x 800 mm, 16-250 ton presses |
| Thickness | 0.05 - 6.0 mm sheet metal, wire 0.1 - 8.0 mm |
| Prototype | 7-15 days tooling, no MOQ on samples |
| Inspection | Full report per batch, CMM and optical measurement |
