Traditional electroplating of such components as bearings, pistons, andlanding gear parts often results in an uneven finish as well as wastageas the plating technician tries to achieve uniformity through grindingand polishing. HNKTech’s FEA software works by creating a densitymodel. The model is displayed after inputting your electroplatingset-up including the geometric profile, material properties, andboundary conditions. Using these variables, the software simulates theelectroplating process then displays the density model with predictedplating thickness and uniformity.

Engineers can review the density model and make changes to thepositioning of the jig, voltage, time, and temperature. The simulationis re-run until the engineer is satisfied with the thickness anduniformity predicted. The company says that the variation in thicknessand uniformity between what is predicted and what is achieved in thefactory is 95% accurate.

HNKTech’s software uses a customized user interface that is said to beeasy to use. No specialist training is necessary and even thosewith limited training can use the software effectively, according tothe company.

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Taking Electroplate Orders
2. Commercial electroplating companies vary in their specialties. Some focus on the automotive industry, some the computer industry, and some are large enough to take on many industries and use a full range of plating technologies. In the process of writing an order, directions or specifications for the process are outlined. The electroplating company and its employees must understand the specs and fulfill the order accurately. Required delivery times, transportation methods and payment dates are agreed upon and signed for. Delayed orders or orders delivered on time or before the agreed date may be further defined by payment penalties or additional incentives.

Managing Electroplating
3. Commercial electroplating companies have the option of working with tool manufacturers and suppliers to enhance their production capabilities. From the management of the waste from electroplate processes—metals must be worked with and disposed of properly by law—to the need for hoists, material handling and purchasing, commercial electroplate businesses have a need for strong management. The scheduling and timely completion of several large orders simultaneously require close attention.

Conductive Electroplating Process
4. Traditional electroplating methods require the substrate (object) to be conductive or able to take a negative electrical charge. Once charged, the object is placed into a bath solution of salt and the chosen metal. The positive ions of the salt solution are attracted to the negatively charged object. When the two connect, the ions return to a metallic state and are now adhered to the substrate (object). Before being electroplated the object must be cleaned of any debris, oils or waxes, or the areas of dirt will not receive the process. Dimples or rough spots must be polished smooth or the plating will take on the irregularities.

Non-conductive Electroplating Process
5. Plastics have presented an interesting aspect to the plating process. Plastics are insulators, not conductors, which means charging them with a negative charge is not possible–at least not in the context of electroplating. This has given rise to all manner of processes designed to adhere metals to various forms of plastic. From using friction to developing special paints, this portion of the commercial electroplating industry is in constant discovery and development.

This program consists of an Operator Interface (OI) for parameter entry and display and a Control Server (CS) to control and monitor the rectifiers. These two applications use a Windows socket connection to interchange data using the Internet protocol. This two-part design allows DynaComm II to be installed on a single computer for a stand alone application or to be installed on separate computers where the operator’s and rectifier’s positions can be separated by feet or miles.

This dual application design also permits any application program that will support the Internet protocol to be connected to the Control Server. The company can create custom additions to the Operator Interface to control and monitor other plating line functions, such as temperature, pH, and so on, whether servers exist or need to be written.

DynaComm II allows multiple monitoring and controlling options. More than one Operator Interface can be connected to a CS for multiple monitoring/control locations for a single line. Or, multiple Control Servers can be connected to a single OI for monitoring of multiple stations from a single supervisory office workstation.

Data logging is an optional feature, and when enabled, this function automatically stores data accumulated during the plating operation. This data can be downloaded to an electronic spreadsheet for further analysis, providing users with a written record to verify rectifier performance for all parts and batch runs against specifications and tolerances required.

To prevent loss or corruption of data, DynaComm II also features UPS power monitoring and control. If AC power is interrupted, it senses the line loss or brownout, closes the open files, closes itself, shuts down Windows and disables the UPS output. The minimum system requirements include a 233 MHz Pentium PC, 32 MB RAM, 4 MB Video RAM, 6 MB free hard drive space, two RS232 serial ports and a 10/100 Base T Ethernet port. Additional hard drive space will be required for plating recipes and data logging storage.