Legor stands out as a strategic partner for companies looking to innovate and optimize their production processes. Thanks to a highly specialized Research and Development team, the company offers tailored technical consulting, supporting partners both in the development of new products and in the improvement of existing technologies. This collaboration goes beyond the simple supply of solutions, extending into a true shared journey aimed at resolving production challenges and facilitating entry into new markets.
Legor’s strength lies in its deep expertise developed in both the metallurgical and electroplating fields, both managed in-house. This enables the company to provide comprehensive support, from the selection of the most high-performing alloys to the optimization of surface treatments, ensuring excellent and durable results. Legor’s consulting approach is based on active listening, critical process analysis, and the development of innovative solutions, always aligned with the specific needs of each customer.
Relying on Legor means choosing a partner that combines technical expertise, flexibility, and strategic vision—key elements for successfully addressing the challenges of today’s market.
Some of the most recent types of consulting projects we have worked on include:
- Drafting and verification of specifications to improve product performance stability
- Introduction and validation of technical processes within the company
- Support in the use of innovative products and the introduction of new technologies
- Consulting on existing processes and the introduction of analytical verification methods
Master
High-performance universal 900‰ platinum alloys
Based on market demands aimed at maximizing white color while taking into account cost reductions related to raw materials for 900‰ platinum jewelry, Legor’s S149 research project focused on color optimization by reducing the iridium content, the metal that most effectively enhances brightness and whiteness in platinum alloys.
The results are excellent in terms of ease of use and performance in hardness, workability, and castability. This alloy is suitable for both investment casting processes and plastic deformation processes.
Thanks to this research project, Legor’s range of 900‰ platinum alloys is expanded with a product that guarantees excellent color while maintaining high ease of use and durability, and at the same time reducing raw material costs.
S149-05 Highlights
- Excellent white color with reduced iridium content (Yellow Index 7.6, Premium White)
- Excellent deformability and castability
- As-cast hardness of 165 HV
Very low-carat gold alloys
The S155 research project is part of a broader study conducted by our laboratories to map non-conventional products, particularly gold alloys with carat values lower than 375‰. These caratages are permitted in some markets and can represent an element of both technical and communication interest.
In the case of S155, the research focused on the production of 250‰ (i.e. 6 kt) gold alloys for jewelry, intended in particular for chain manufacturing and plastic deformation processes. The challenge in these cases is achieving good resistance to stress corrosion combined with an acceptable color.
For S155 alloys, success was achieved by ensuring mechanical strength through innovative grain-refining systems, reducing the risk of both stress corrosion phenomena and issues during the production process. Resistance to stress corrosion was validated internally through intensive accelerated corrosion testing campaigns.
S155 Alloy Highlights
- Intense yellow / rose yellow color
- Reduced silver content compared to alloys currently on the market
- As-cast hardness in the range of 110 HV to 150 HV
R&D Project T443: T443-01
Premium white 750‰ gold alloy with high palladium content
The main objective of the T443 research project was to obtain a ready-to-use 750‰ gold alloy with a very high palladium content, capable of enhancing and maximizing the whiteness of the alloy in order to achieve a color that does not require rhodium plating or galvanic surface treatments. This type of product presents a challenge related to the hardness of the final alloy.
The challenge was successfully met with the T443-01 formulation, a universal ready-to-use 750‰ alloy that offers, in addition to an as-cast hardness above 90 HV (high for this type of product), an extremely compact and workable microstructure.
T443-01 Alloy Highlights
- Premium white: Yellow Index 12.6
- As-cast hardness: 90 HV
- Extremely compact microstructure
Plating
Cyanide-free white bronze plating bath
The project was launched with the aim of developing an innovative electroplating process that is completely cyanide-free, in response to the growing sustainability requirements of the industry. The white bronze bath delivers a bright, high-luster color, ideal for both aesthetic and functional applications. The formulation has been designed to ensure consistent chemical stability over time, reducing maintenance requirements and potential precipitation phenomena, while guaranteeing reliable performance without excessively impacting costs. This solution represents a green alternative to traditional cyanide-based white bronze baths, contributing to the reduction of environmental impact and the protection of operators’ health.
P2202 Highlights
- Completely cyanide-free process
- Bright white color with high gloss
- Long-term chemical stability of the solution
Ready-to-use cyanide-free silver plating
AGELESS is an innovative silver-based, ready-to-use electroplating solution that is completely free of cyanides. Compared to traditional decorative silver plating systems, which can contain up to and even more than 200 grams of potassium cyanide, this electroplating solution represents a perfect alternative to overcome the most common international restrictions on the use of cyanides, imposed due to their extremely high toxicity. The absence of cyanides in the formulation is also a significant advantage for the working conditions of electroplating operators, while reducing environmental concerns related to wastewater discharge and treatment.
The pure silver deposit obtained on treated surfaces with this electroplating solution is bright and glossy even at high thicknesses and, most importantly, does not require any post-treatment, resulting in a reduction of processing time.
AGELESS Highlights
- Completely cyanide-free process
- Achievable thicknesses from 0.02 to 10 microns
- White and bright deposit in a single treatment step
Cyanide-free 24 kt / 2N / Rose gold plating
The P2509 project was developed with the goal of creating flash gold plating formulations that are completely cyanide-free, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional gold plating baths based on cyanide complexes of gold and alloying metals. This innovation makes it possible to achieve colors comparable to standard cyanide-based baths, ensuring the same technical quality without the risks associated with the handling, import, or disposal of cyanide-containing products. In addition to improving safety for people and reducing environmental impact, the process simplifies regulatory compliance by avoiding regulatory issues. The new formulations ensure long-term color stability and chemically stable solutions, guaranteeing consistent and reliable performance. P2509 therefore represents a concrete step toward safer, more sustainable electroplating processes that are technically equivalent to traditional standards.
P2509 Highlights
- Completely cyanide-free process
- Long-term color stability
- Long-term chemical stability of the solution