Nickel plating is a process of depositing nickel onto a metal part. Parts to be plated must be clean and free of dirt, corrosion, and defects before plating can begin.  To clean and protect the part during the plating process, a combination of heat treating, cleaning, masking, picking, and etching may be used.  Once the piece has been prepared, it is immersed in an electrolyte solution and is used as the cathode. The nickel anode is dissolved into the electrolyte to form nickel ions (Ni2+). Just like in other electrodeposition processes, the ions travel through the solution and deposit on the cathode.