Electroplating is an electrolytic process whereby a metal is cathodically deposited onto another metal or a surface that has been made conductive. Thus, a plastic part may be coated with a thin metal deposit to impart certain desirable properties while avoiding the prohibitive cost of fabricating the part entirely from the metal used as a coating. Plating provides desirable characteristics such as protection of the basis metal (substrate) from corrosion, improvement of the appearance of the substrate, and improved solderability, wear resistance, electrical conductivity, contact resistance, and lubricity. KEYWORDS for this process: electroplaters