HNKTech Europe Ltd. (Wimbledon, UK), a consultancy and developer ofcustomized FEA (finite element analysis) solutions, now offerssimulation software for electroplating components. The softwareproduces highly accurate coating uniformity, says the company, andreduces wastage costs, improves product quality, and time to market.
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.
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Electroplating is a process used to reduce the positively charged ions of a desired material, with the help of an electric current. The process also coats a conductive object with a thin layer of the material, such as a metal. Zinc electroplating is one of the most common forms of electroplating and popular because of its relatively low cost, protective nature and attractive appearance. The coating done through this process gives corrosion protection to ferrous components and it can give colors like gold, black or olive drab finish, by post treatment.
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The development of modern continuous sheet galvanizing lines has led to the disappearance of most of the old manual mills for galvanizing cut sheets. There are however still some machines that galvanize cut-to-length sheets; they use chemical pretreatment sequence similar to those for wire or tube galvanizing.
At the beginning of the line, the end of one coil is welded to the start of the next coil. Then there are two basic methods for continuously galvanizing sheet which differ in the way that the strip is cleaned before galvanizing-chemically or by thermal treatments. Coils of annealed cold reduced sheet may be fed directly to the galvanizing line, or alternatively, coiled sheet is continuously heat treated in the pretreatment line. After leaving the galvanizing bath, in which strip only stays for a few seconds, the surface is wiped to remove excess zinc and may be further treated to after the surface appearance, composition, smoothness or mechanical properties.
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