Highly Wear and Rust Resistant: Solving Difficult Challenges with Surface Treatment Technology

Sun Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Ina City, Nagano Prefecture; President: Takeo Kawakami), a plating technology specialist, will exhibit at the 38th Manufacturing World Tokyo (Mechanical Components & Materials Technology Expo) held at Tokyo Big Sight from Wednesday, July 1, 2026. The company will showcase four innovative technologies that dramatically enhance the durability of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and precision processing equipment for EVs.

Visitors can see practical examples of the latest technologies solving industry challenges, including 'ultra-high hardness chrome plating' with wear resistance about five times that of conventional plating, 'PTFE composite electroless nickel plating' that keeps friction below 0.1, eco-friendly high corrosion resistance plating, and the ultimate black plating 'UMB' that suppresses light reflection to 0.5% or less. Furthermore, technical staff will be stationed at the booth during the exhibition to provide on-site consultations regarding current issues with component wear and rust.

## Background of the Exhibition: The Need for High Precision in Semiconductor and EV Industries and a Sustainable Society

In recent years, the rapid evolution of semiconductor technology, the popularization of electric vehicles (EVs), and the demand for precision processing equipment to support them have expanded at an unprecedented rate. Consequently, related components are required to have ultra-high precision and extremely high durability. Moreover, with growing global awareness of SDGs, moving away from 'disposable' products toward extending product lifespans and reducing environmental impacts—typified by green procurement—is a mission imposed on the manufacturing industry. To meet these industrial challenges and societal demands, Sun Kogyo will exhibit specific solutions that further evolve the plating technologies cultivated since its founding.

## Main Exhibited Technologies: Solving Manufacturing Challenges with Four Innovations

### Highly Wear-Resistant: 'Ultra-High Hardness Chrome Plating' Exceeding Vickers Hardness Hv1,800

With the evolution of semiconductor manufacturing and high-precision processing equipment, precision degradation due to the wear of critical components and the resulting increase in maintenance frequency have become major issues. By applying heat treatment at 400°C or higher, Sun Kogyo has broken through the limits of conventional hard chrome plating, developing a proprietary 'ultra-high hardness chrome plating' that achieves an extraordinary Vickers hardness of Hv1,800 or more for wet plating.

- Reduces the friction coefficient and improves wear resistance by about 5 times compared to conventional plating.
- Unique property where hardening progresses as the heat treatment temperature increases.
- Suppresses crack generation, a long-standing issue with hard chrome plating.
- Reduces component replacement frequency to 1/5 (maintenance cost reduction).
- Improves equipment utilization rates (productivity enhancement).
- Excellent mold release properties, ideal for mold surface treatments.

*Note: Recently, tungsten, the main raw material for cemented carbide, has become difficult to obtain due to resource policies in China. Steel materials treated with this 'ultra-high hardness chrome plating' are expected to serve as alternative technologies to hard materials, and the company is currently verifying its potential.

### Non-Stick: 'PTFE Composite Electroless Nickel Plating' with a Friction Coefficient Below 0.1

For semiconductor equipment operating in cleanrooms or vacuum environments, there are strict demands to limit the use of lubricating oil (grease) and suppress fine dust generation from wear. Sun Kogyo's technology fully complies with the latest environmental regulations (PFOA/PFOS regulations) and co-deposits PTFE particles at approximately 20 vol%.

- Suppresses the friction coefficient to 0.1 or below.
- Extremely high sliding properties and water repellency.
- Capable of uniform film thickness even on complex inner and outer diameters.
- Contributes to maintenance-free moving parts and prevents adhesion to processed objects.

### Highly Rust-Resistant: 'Zinc-Nickel Plating' and 'High Corrosion Resistance Electroless Nickel Plating'

In many fields, including the defense industry, there is a strong desire for next-generation, highly corrosion-resistant surface treatments that are cost-effective and replace harmful cadmium and hexavalent chromium. Sun Kogyo has established 'zinc-nickel plating' technology applicable not only to iron and stainless steel but also to aluminum, which was previously considered difficult.

- Achieves overwhelming rust prevention performance about 40 times that of standard alumite treatment.
- Proprietary 'high corrosion resistance electroless nickel plating' achieves twice the corrosion resistance of commercially available high-phosphorus electroless nickel.
- Complies with environmental regulations while enabling longer product lifespans and cost reductions.

### Non-Reflective: 'UMB Plating (Ultimate Matt Black)' with Reflectance Below 0.5%

In autonomous driving sensors and cutting-edge cameras, slight 'diffuse reflection of light (stray light)' generated inside the equipment is a fatal factor that significantly degrades detection accuracy and image quality. Sun Kogyo's proprietary surface treatment, 'UMB plating', fundamentally solves this issue.

- Significantly suppresses total light reflectance over an extremely wide wavelength range from visible to infrared regions.
- An 'ultimate matte black' that seems to absorb light.
- Contributes to improved detection accuracy in sensors, enhanced image quality, and stray light countermeasures.