The Zinc-Nickel Difference | ToughShield™ Plus
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The New Standard

As Parker's ongoing commitment to provide best-in-class products and system solutions, all Parker steel tube fittings and adapters will have ToughShield™ Plus zinc-nickel plating.

Changing from Zinc to Zinc-Nickel Plating

Significant research has been undertaken by Parker to better understand the interaction between the surface coating or plating and the substrate underneath. As a result, we know the best plating is bonded with additional protection to make fittings more impervious to environmental conditions that cause corrosion.

With this knowledge, the goal was to create robust plating chemicals and processes that provide leading-edge performance - resulting in plating that lasts longer, looks better, and minimizes downtime and related expenses.

ToughShield™ Plus delivers all these benefits bringing zinc-nickel plating to the next level.
Parker is dedicated to creating the best plating for tube fittings and adapters

Why Zinc-Nickel Plating

Zinc and zinc-nickel platings are both used to protect the base metal of tube fittings and adapters. When exposed to environmental factors or harsh chemicals or media, the surface of a tube fitting or adapter is sacrificed. The less noble a metal is, the faster corrosion happens. This is why a plating of only zinc sacrifices itself relatively fast. The white corrosion byproduct from zinc oxidation creates volume, damaging the integrity of surrounding surface protection, leaving neighboring areas more vulnerable. So, even when components are zinc-plated, corrosion can spread by migrating from component to component. This can result in a need for earlier and more regular repair work to adjacent fittings and mating components, such as a hydraulic cylinder, valve, or hydraulic hose assembly.

This is where nickel comes into play. Combined with zinc, it makes the plating more noble and therefore more corrosion resistant as well.
Zinc-Nickel plating offers superior corrosion resistance

Improving Corrosion Resistance

The quest for performance enhancement never stops. Parker's scientists and engineers remain committed to developing anti-corrosion technology to help customers' hydraulic systems to perform better, last longer and save costs. Much research using our metallurgical laboratory personnel and equipment has been completed to gain a deeper understanding of how corrosion forms on tube fittings and adapters. In these state-of-the-art laboratories, different alloys have been tested according to SAE and DIN industry standards to fully understand the interplay between the plating and base metal under real-life conditions.

The result is a significantly higher corrosion resistant plating per independent ASTM B117 Neutral Salt Spray test and Cyclical Corrosion Testing (CCT) – reaching 3,000 hours and 12 weeks respectively.
ToughShield Plus displays significantly higher corrosion resistance

Not all Zinc-Nickel is created the same

Historically, a drawback of zinc-nickel plating for fluid power connectors has been its impact on assembly. Zinc-nickel and zinc have different physical properties. Zn-Ni plating is rougher due to a different crystal structure and therefore has a higher coefficient of friction. This, in turn, means there is a requirement for higher assembly torque or turns to provide appropriate connection loading for a safe and leak free connection. Early industry attempts to mitigate this drawback through the use of low friction topcoats provided highly inconsistent performance results.

Additionally, electroplating has often not performed well on components that require post-plating mechanical deformation, such as crimped nuts and formed backup washers for adapters and hoses. These surfaces traditionally exhibit corrosion more rapidly due to the plating being compromised by metal deformation.

Both the control of assembly properties and the performance of post-plated deformed parts were important factors in the development of ToughShield Plus.

Where to Buy

Interested in getting ToughShield Plus for your hydraulic tube fittings or adapters? Parker’s worldwide distribution network makes it convenient to get the parts you need, either over the phone or at one of our Parker Stores. Locate the distributor nearest to you.

Contact Us

Want to know more about ToughShield Plus and how it can benefit your application? Need more information about our tube fittings and adapters? Our customer service team is ready to assist you with any inquiries or questions you may have. You can also check out our Support section for additional information.

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