In the competitive world of washroom and sanitary ware design, surface finish and durability matter as much as the underlying function. Designers and specifiers for taps, flush plates, dispensers and fittings are under increasing pressure to deliver stunning aesthetics, corrosion resistance and cost-effective production.
That is where injection-moulded plastic components with high-quality chrome or nickel plating come into their own and why Borough’s integrated moulding and plating capabilities can make a real difference.
The rise of premium finishes in sanitaryware
What used to be purely functional, handles, covers, trim pieces, etc., is now very much an opportunity for design expression. Customers expect tactile quality, metallic shine and an impression of longevity. Chrome- or nickel-finished surfaces evoke the look and feel of metal, while offering advantages in terms of weight, cost and design flexibility.
A major user of chrome finishes on plastic is the automotive industry, which recognises the benefits of a strong, long-lasting finish with ‘lightweight aesthetics, surface hardness, corrosion‐resistance and wear resistance’.
For products in the sanitary ware sector, frequently exposed to moisture, cleaning chemicals, and repeated use, these benefits are vital.
Why injection-moulded plastic and plating is the smart choice
Using injection-moulded thermoplastics (for example, ABS or PC/ABS blends) for decorative and functional components provides manufacturers a wide palette of shapes, textures, snap-fits, threads, undercuts and integrated features.
Adding a plated metallic finish provides the look of premium metal at a fraction of the weight and cost, with greater design flexibility. For example, a flush-plate cover moulded in ABS can be decorative, lightweight, have integrated mounting tabs and then be plated with nickel and chrome to achieve the gleaming finish customers demand.
In our more than 50 years of experience, because plastic parts are lighter in weight and generally cheaper to produce than metal parts, many manufacturers come to us to discuss replacing a part originally made from metal with one made from chrome-plated plastic.
How Borough’s two-shot injection-moulding and plating capability adds extra value
One of Borough’s distinctive technical advantages is the ability to perform two-shot injection moulding, which produces a single component using two different materials or resin types. Some areas of the moulding are suitable for plating and some are not, such as structural tabs, inserts or fixing elements, where greater flexibility is retained without the chrome finish.
This enables greater design freedom and cost-efficiencies in sanitaryware components. Imagine a dispenser housing where the front face (visible in use) is moulded in high-gloss ABS, plated with nickel/chrome for a premium finish, while the rear fixing frame is moulded in a tough structural resin without plating.
That ensures you get the aesthetic and corrosion-resistance where it matters and cost-optimised structure where it doesn’t. Moreover, two-shot moulding improves assembly, improves consistency and allows assembly-friendly locating features or tabs to be integrated, which appeals to designers and buyers of washroom & sanitary-ware supply chains.
Durability and performance in the washroom environment
Washroom and sanitary-ware applications are exposed to moisture and vapour, frequent cleaning with detergents, adulterants, tumbles of use and even vandalism in commercial settings.
Plated plastic meets these demands and is more than capable of decades of use on the exterior of vehicles facing some of the harshest environments products can face on a daily basis.
Behind the chrome surface typically copper and nickel are used to prepare the plastic surface for the chrome layer, aiding adhesion and providing corrosion resistance. When chrome plating on plastic, one of the most important factors is the quality of the moulding and ideally it has been designed with plating in mind, not as an afterthought.
Poor quality mouldings will yield poor results. The majority of problems associated with plating ABS plastics are the result of faulty moulding or design. In other words, for sanitaryware manufacturers or specifiers, choosing a partner like Borough, which controls the moulding and plating in-house, ensures that the decorative finish doesn’t compromise durability.
How to specify for success in sanitaryware applications
When specifying plated plastic components for taps, flush-plates or dispensers, designers and buyers should consider several key questions:
- Material compatibility: Ensure the base polymer is one suited to plating (ABS is a common choice).
- Mould design and finish: The mould must be polished, have minimal knit lines, correct wall-thickness, well-designed fixing tabs and surfaces that will take plating well.
- Plating process control: Quality plating requires pre‐treatment, etching, electroless nickel base and chrome overcoat, with checks for adhesion, thickness and durability.
- Functional vs decorative zones: Using two-shot moulding allows decorative plated and functional non-plated parts in one component to reduce assembly and improve performance.
- Lifecycle and environment: For washrooms, consider resistance to cleaning agents, moisture and scratch/abrasion wear. A high-quality plating will endure in these conditions.
- Brand alignment: The finish should align with the broader brand aesthetic, whether that’s ultra-luxury mirror chrome, minimalist brushed nickel, or bold contrast accent.
Conclusion
In the washroom and sanitary-ware sector, where design meets durability, the combination of injection-moulded plastic parts with premium chrome or nickel plating offers a compelling proposition.
For manufacturers and specifiers looking to deliver premium aesthetics, functional performance and cost-efficient production, Borough’s capability in both moulding (including two-shot injection) and high-grade plating means a single trusted partner can deliver both form and finish.
Whether it’s a high-end shower head, a designer flush-plate, a sensor dispenser facade or a mounting component with unseen fixing tabs, the right material, tooling and plating process make the difference between good and exceptional.
Choose a supplier who understands both halves of the equation and your sanitary-ware product will look as well as it performs.
