Contract electroplating from Pforzheim: reel-to-reel, rack and barrel plating with more than 15 surfaces from gold to passivation.
C. Jentner GmbH
PforzheimNew on Amplifa
About C. Jentner GmbH
C. Jentner GmbH is a metal finishing specialist based in Pforzheim and part of the JentnerGroup, which looks back on more than 50 years of experience in the electroplating industry. The family business, founded in 2011 by Chris Jentner, operates as a contract electroplater for industrial customers from automotive, aerospace, defense, medical technology, electronics and mechanical engineering. Parts made of steel, stainless steel, non-ferrous metals such as copper, brass and bronze, aluminium and high-performance materials such as AlBeMet are plated. The process portfolio includes reel-to-reel plating (strip height 10–70 mm), rack plating (work window up to 800 × 600 mm, max. 60 kg) and barrel plating for small bulk parts. More than 15 surfaces are available, including electroplated gold, silver, rhodium, palladium, nickel (electroplated and electroless), tin, copper and passivations. Around 50 employees produce at the Pforzheim site with fully digitised production, patented UWB work carrier tracking and the AI system Jentner AI. Every batch is fully traceable; layer thickness measurement is performed by X-ray fluorescence analysis.
- Site
- Pforzheim
- Processes
- Reel-to-reel plating (full-area or selective), Rack plating (full or selective, masking/selective technology), Barrel plating (bulk goods, small parts 0.25 mm to 10 cm length, max. 1 cm diameter), Electroplated gold (gold-cobalt alloy, pure gold), Electroplated silver, Electroplated rhodium (rack plating only, selective possible), Electroplated palladium (rack and barrel plating, selective on rack), Electroplated nickel sulfate nickel (bright nickel, rack and barrel)
- Materials
- Steel, Stainless steel, Non-ferrous metals, Copper, Brass, Bronze, Aluminium, Aluminium alloys
- Certificates
- DIN EN 9100, DIN EN ISO 14001, DIN EN ISO 50001, Recycling Certificate, Recycling Certificate (WRC)
- Founded
- 2011
- Employees
- ca. 50
- Industries
- Automotive, Aviation, Aerospace, Defense, Medical technology, Electronics
- 01
Order acceptance and review of process suitability
- 02
Sampling on request before series production
- 03
Cleaning and pretreatment
- 04
Electroplated or chemical coating (reel-to-reel, rack or barrel plating)
- 05
Passivation as post-treatment
- 06
XRF layer thickness measurement and batch release
- 07
Documentation and shipping
Pforzheim Site
Pforzheim
DEProduction, laboratory and administration
- Part weight / size
- Work window 800 × 600 mm, max. 60 kg (rack)
- Lot size
- From single parts to large series
- Materials
- Steel, stainless steel, non-ferrous metals, aluminium, AlBeMet
- Reel-to-reel plating line (strip height 10–70 mm, up to 1.8 mm material thickness)
- Rack plating line (work window 800 × 600 mm)
- Barrel plating line
- XRF layer thickness measuring device
- Laboratory with ICP-OES, AAS, photometer, FTIR
- UWB tracking system and Jentner AI
- 300 kWp photovoltaic system
Plated Parts
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reel-to-reel plating (full-area or selective)Surface | – | Strip height 10–70 mm | – | – | Stainless steel, Non-ferrous metals |
| Rack plating (full or selective, masking/selective technology)Surface | – | up to 800 mm × up to 600 mm | max. 60 kg per single part | Single part – Large series | Steel, Stainless steel, Non-ferrous metals, Aluminium, High-performance materials such as AlBeMet |
| Barrel plating (bulk goods, small parts 0.25 mm to 10 cm length, max. 1 cm diameter)Surface | – | – | – | Single order – Large series | Stainless steel, Non-ferrous metals |
| Electroplated gold (gold-cobalt alloy, pure gold)Surface | – | – | – | – | Steel, Stainless steel, Copper, Brass, Bronze, Aluminium, AlBeMet |
| Electroplated silverSurface | – | Strip height 10–70 mm | – | – | Stainless steel, Copper, Brass, Bronze, Steel, Aluminium, AlBeMet |
| Electroplated rhodium (rack plating only, selective possible)Surface | – | up to 800 mm × up to 600 mm | – | – | Steel, Stainless steel, Non-ferrous metals, Aluminium, High-performance materials |
| Electroplated palladium (rack and barrel plating, selective on rack)Surface | – | up to 800 mm × up to 600 mm | – | – | Stainless steel, Copper, Brass, Bronze, Steel, Aluminium, AlBeMet |
| Electroplated nickel sulfate nickel (bright nickel, rack and barrel)Surface | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel, Copper, Brass, Bronze, Steel, Aluminium, AlBeMet |
| Electroplated nickel sulfamate nickel (rack, strip and barrel, low-stress)Surface | – | Strip height 10–70 mm | – | – | Stainless steel, Copper, Brass, Bronze, Steel, Aluminium, AlBeMet |
| Electroless nickel (mid-phos, electroless, rack plating only)Surface | – | up to 800 mm × up to 600 mm | – | – | Steel, Stainless steel, Non-ferrous metals, Aluminium, AlBeMet |
| Electroless nickel (high-phos, corrosion-resistant, practically non-magnetic, rack plating only)Surface | – | up to 800 mm × up to 600 mm | – | – | Steel, Stainless steel, Non-ferrous metals, Aluminium, AlBeMet |
| Electroplated bright tin (rack plating only, selective possible)Surface | – | up to 800 mm × up to 600 mm | – | – | Steel, Stainless steel, Copper, Brass, Bronze, Aluminium, AlBeMet |
| Electroplated matte tin (reel-to-reel, rack and barrel plating, selective on strip and rack)Surface | – | Strip height 10–70 mm | – | – | Stainless steel, Copper, Brass, Bronze, Steel, Aluminium, AlBeMet |
| Electroplated tin-zinc (cadmium replacement, rack plating only, selective possible)Surface | – | up to 800 mm × up to 600 mm | – | – | Steel, Stainless steel, Non-ferrous metals, Aluminium (with nickel intermediate layer), High-performance materials |
| Electroplated copper cyanide (rack and barrel plating, strike layer, high throwing power)Surface | – | up to 800 mm × up to 600 mm | – | – | Steel, Zinc die-cast, Brass, Bronze |
| Electroplated copper acid (rack plating only, high deposition rate, ductile, bright)Surface | – | up to 800 mm × up to 600 mm | – | – | Steel, Stainless steel, Non-ferrous metals, Aluminium, AlBeMet |
| Stainless steel passivation (nitric acid immersion bath, chemical, within rack plating)Surface | – | up to 800 mm × up to 600 mm | – | – | Stainless steel |
| Cr-III passivation for aluminium (SurTec 650, chromium conversion layer, Cr-VI-free, rack goodsSurface | – | up to 800 mm × up to 600 mm | – | – | Aluminium, Aluminium alloys |
| Passivation (thiol, organic tarnish protection for strip, rack and barrel goods)Surface | – | – | – | – | Silver, Copper |
| Passivation (tin-based, metallic tarnish protection, rack and barrel goods)Surface | – | – | – | – | Silver |
| Layer thickness measurement by X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), batch releaseTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
6 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reel-to-reel plating line | – | 1 | Strip height 10–70 mm, material thickness up to 1.8 mm | – | Pforzheim |
| Reel-to-reel plating line (second line, planned from 2027, larger strip formats) | – | 1 | – | 2027 | Pforzheim |
| Rack plating line | – | – | Work window up to 800 × 600 mm, max. 60 kg | 2023 (Neub | Pforzheim |
| Barrel plating line | – | – | Small parts 0.25 mm to 10 cm length, max. 1 cm diameter | – | Pforzheim |
| X-ray fluorescence measuring device (XRF) for layer thickness measurement | – | – | – | – | Pforzheim |
| Laboratory analysis (ICP-OES, AAS, photometer, FTIR) for bath monitoring | – | – | – | – | Pforzheim |
Additional services
Quality and Certifications
A laboratory within production regularly monitors the baths by ICP-OES, AAS, photometer and FTIR; layer thickness and composition are measured on the part by X-ray fluorescence analysis. A patented UWB tracking system and the AI system Jentner AI document every batch completely and traceably.
| Evidence | Pforzheim |
|---|---|
| DIN EN 9100 | |
| DIN EN ISO 14001 | |
| DIN EN ISO 50001 | |
| Recycling Certificate (WRC) |
History of the JentnerGroup
- 1974
Kurt Jentner founds the company as a supplier of chemicals and small electroplating systems for decorative metal finishing to jewellers and goldsmiths.
- 1999
Chris Jentner takes over the management from his father and becomes sole owner.
- 2001
Entry into contract electroplating with own barrel and rack plating.
- 2011
Foundation of C. Jentner GmbH as an independent company focused on contract electroplating.
- 2015
Takeover of the electroplating operations of C. Hafner GmbH + Co. KG, expansion into technical electroplating.
- 2020
Strategic realignment from decorative to technical surfaces; focus on digitalisation, from which the patented UWB tracking later emerges.
- 2023
New building with company restaurant, rack plating and production space; launch of Jentner AI.
- 2024
Tobias Kleiber joins the management.
- 2025
DIN EN 9100 certification, introduction of reel-to-reel plating and AI applications in production.
- 2026
Capacity expansion: second strip plating line ordered (from 2027), rollout of Jentner AI, acquisition of the neighbouring property.