Provided is a hot-dip plating method that achieves good plating wettability between a metal material and a hot-dip plating bath and that makes it possible to reduce the amount of consumed energy as compared to conventional techniques. In a plating step included in the hot-dip plating method, vibration is applied to a hot-dip plating bath such that the ratio of the average sound pressure level (excluding noise) over ranges each lying between sound pressure peaks at harmonic frequencies of a fundamental frequency to the average sound pressure level (excluding noise) over the measured frequency range in an acoustic spectrum is greater than 0.2.

A method of pretinning a guidewire core made of shape memory alloy and having an elongate axis, comprising: placing a ball of solder in a pocket in a soldering block; melting the ball of solder; holding a guidewire core over the ball of solder; lowering the guidewire core into the ball of solder; removing the guidewire from the ball of solder.

A method of pretinning a guidewire core made of shape memory alloy and having an elongate axis, comprising: placing a ball of solder in a pocket in a soldering block; melting the ball of solder; holding a guidewire core over the ball of solder; lowering the guidewire core into the ball of solder; removing the guidewire from the ball of solder.

A method of pretinning a core wire for a guidewire having an elongate axis, comprising placing a ball of solder within a pocket in a soldering block; melting the ball of solder; holding a core wire over the ball of solder, with the elongate axis in a horizontal orientation; lowering a portion of the core wire into the ball of solder while maintaining the elongate axis in a horizontal orientation; removing the core wire from the ball of solder.

A method of pretinning a core wire for a guidewire having an elongate axis, comprising placing a ball of solder within a pocket in a soldering block; melting the ball of solder; holding a core wire over the ball of solder, with the elongate axis in a horizontal orientation; lowering a portion of the core wire into the ball of solder while maintaining the elongate axis in a horizontal orientation; removing the core wire from the ball of solder.

The disclosed solder alloy is useful for plating and for use with electronic components, which are capable of suppressing the formation of external stress-type whiskers. This solder alloy for plating contains Sn and Ni, with the Ni content being 0.06-5.0 mass % inclusive and the remainder including Sn, and is used in electrical contacts that are electrically connected through mechanical joining.

The present invention provides a titanium copper foil having improved adhesion to solder and higher resistance to discoloration due to a high temperature and high humidity environment, an acid solution or an alkaline solution, and as well as having improved etching processability. The present invention provides a titanium copper foil comprising a base metal, the base metal having a composition containing Ti of from 1.5 to 5.0% by mass, the balance being copper and inevitable impurities, and having a thickness of from 0.018 to 0.1 mm, wherein the titanium copper foil has an Sn plated layer on a surface of the base metal, and has an adhesive strength of 0.5 N or more as measured by a solder adhesive strength test according to the definition in the specification.

Provided is a chemical treatment steel sheet including a steel sheet; a composite coated layer which is formed on at least one surface of the steel sheet, and contains 2 to 200 mg/m.sup.2 of Ni in terms of an amount of metal Ni and 0.1 to 10 g/m.sup.2 of Sn in terms of an amount of metal Sn, and in which an island-shaped Sn coated layer is formed on an Fe—Ni—Sn alloy layer; and a chemical treatment layer that is formed on the composite coated layer, and contains a 0.01 to 0.1 mg/m.sup.2 of Zr compounds in terms of an amount of metal Zr and 0.01 to 5 mg/m.sup.2 of phosphate compounds in terms of an amount of P.

Provided is a hot-dip plating method that achieves good plating wettability between a metal material and a hot-dip plating bath and that makes it possible to reduce the amount of consumed energy as compared to conventional techniques. In a plating step included in the hot-dip plating method, vibration is applied to a hot-dip plating bath such that the ratio of the average sound pressure level (excluding noise) over ranges each lying between sound pressure peaks at harmonic frequencies of a fundamental frequency to the average sound pressure level (excluding noise) over the measured frequency range in an acoustic spectrum is greater than 0.2.

A hot-dip Sn—Zn-based alloy-plated steel sheet according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a steel sheet having a predetermined chemical composition; a diffusion alloy layer provided on one surface or both surfaces of the steel sheet; and a Sn—Zn-plated layer provided on the diffusion alloy layer, in which the diffusion alloy layer contains Fe, Sn, Zn, Cr, and Ni, an area ratio of a Sn—Fe—Cr—Zn phase to a Sn—Fe—Ni—Zn phase in the diffusion alloy layer is 0.01 or more and less than 2.5, the diffusion alloy layer has a coverage of 98% or more with respect to the one surface, the Sn—Zn-plated layer contains 1% to 20% of Zn by mass % and a remainder consisting of Sn and impurities, and an adhesion amount of the Sn—Zn-plated layer is 10 to 80 g/m.sup.2 per one surface.