metal plating vs plating

metal plating and plating both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
metal plating	Yes	No	No	No
plating	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, metal plating and plating are synonyms defined as:

metal plating and plating: a thin coating of metal deposited on a surface

metal plating (noun)	plating (noun)
a thin coating of metal deposited on a surface	the application of a thin coat of metal (as by electrolysis)
	a thin coating of metal deposited on a surface