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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First things First
Quick solutions to problems on an electroplating line can save thousands of dollars. Experience is by far the most valuable tool a troubleshooter can possess. So successful troubleshooting begins when the line is at its best! Build your experience by walking the line when everything is running smoothly. Take note of solution color, smells, gage settings, etc. Intimate knowledge of your plating line and its idiosyncrasies will expedite the solution to future problems.

Now that a problem has developed, you must walk the line looking at temperature gages, current, anode baskets, pumps, etc. You must rule out the cleaning section of the line and the post plate section of the line. These steps may take some time but they must be done. Ninety five percent of plating problems have nothing to do with the plating bath. Occasionally a problem develops, though, which persists despite experience.

Into the Lab
Once the problem has been determined to be a result of the plating solution or the material being coated, the troubleshooting should be done in the laboratory.

Before starting a laboratory investigation, the first thing to do is ship samples of the plating bath and reject work to your supplier. Suppliers often have sophisticated labs with experienced people. Follow up with a phone call to your supplier. Speak directly with a technical service representative and discuss your problem and investigation.

Once in the laboratory, define the condition of the bath with a routine analysis and a routine hull cell. Correct any chemistry problems found by the routine analysis. The routine hull cell should be one you re used to looking at. Suggested conditions for a routine panel are:

1. A two amp, five minute, unagitated panel for acid zinc.
2. A one amp, ten minute, agitated panel for alkaline zinc.
Compare the routine hull cell panel to ones from when the problem was not present. Measure thicknesses across the panel and again compare them to past hull cell panels. If the routine hull cell panel appears normal, chances are your problem lies outside of the plating bath. Re-walk the line and review your observations. Pay particular attention to the electrical portion of the plating bath, as poor electrical connections will make the plating bath appear to be at fault. Investigate the material of the parts exhibiting the problem. Again, material problems will not manifest themselves in the lab. If you are still convinced that the plating bath is the source of the problem, continue with the lab investigation.

The next step is to use a hull cell to generate the problem. Make sure the conditions and time all hull cells were run are clearly marked on the resulting panel. Vary the conditions in the hull cell to give yourself the best opportunity to produce the problem. Some variations, which may prove useful, are:
1. Panels run at low amperage
2. Panels run at high amperage
3. Bent panels to create a shelf area
4. Bent panels to create an extreme low current density area
5. Panels run at a high temperature
6. Panels run for thirty minutes then scribed with an exacto knife (to reproduce blistering Knowing how your bath appears when operating normally will make the interpretation of these hull cells easier. Once the problem has been produced, we can proceed to the next step.

Target Identified
With the ability to produce the problem, one now needs to know how to remove the problem. The problem probably will fall into one of several broad categories:
1. Organic contamination
2. Metallic contamination
3. Poor filtration
4. Imbalance of proprietary chemicals
5. Unknown

With an unlimited supply of solution, take the opportunity to begin multiple treatments. After each of the following treatments, rerun the hull cell test, which produced the problem. First, for organic contamination, treat three hundred milliliters of solution with two grams of activated carbon. Mix the solution continuously for at least thirty minutes, then filter and run the hull cell. Second, for metallic contamination, treat three hundred milliliters of solution with one-half gram of zinc dust. Again, mix the solution continuously for at least thirty minutes, then filter and run the hull cell. Third, filter the solution thoroughly. The solution must be clear after this step. Use a filter aid if necessary. Fourth, if the solution is an acid bath, metallic or organic contamination may be affected by adding one tenth of a gram of potassium permanganate to three hundred milliliters and mix the solution for five minutes. Filter thoroughly and run the hull cell. For an alkaline solution, freeze out carbonates by putting three hundred milliliters in a lab refrigerator. Cool the solution to 30….F for fifteen minutes. Decant the solution, raise the temperature, and run the hull cell test. If one of these treatments affects the problem, you may be well on your way to solving the problem. Give yourself a pat on the back! Not too fast though. You now must translate the lab results to the production line. You must also locate and eliminate the source of the contamination. The quick results in the lab may take a couple of days to accomplish in production. But don t give up. Plug away until the job is finished.

Unknown
If the above treatments did nothing to affect the problem, things just got a lot tougher. Get on the phone to your supplier and ask for their assistance on-sight. Review their analysis of your bath. Is your bath low on carrier, high in brightener, out of balance, etc? Many suppliers have doctor solutions. By comparing notes with your supplier, they will be able to send in a new arsenal of weapons along with technical assistance. Meanwhile, there are still a few hull cells to run:

For an alkaline bath try:
1. Adding 1% sodium
hypochlorite to the hull cell
2. Adding one-half ounce per gallon of EDTA or Rochelle salts
3. Diluting the bath by 25% with virgin solution
For an acid bath try:
1. Heating the bath above the cloud point, then carbon treat
2. Reduce the pH of the solution with 50% hydrochloric acid to kick-out most organics.
Usually a pH of 2.5 is sufficient. Filter the bath, raise the pH, and add carrier.
3. Diluting the bath by 25% with virgin solution
Out of all the tests you have now run, hopefully something you can build on has emerged. If not, you are into the rare problem, which falls into the unknown classification. This type of problem will take time and effort to resolve. Calling in electricians, sending samples to outside laboratories, etc. are examples of the steps that may be necessary to solve the problem. In this case, the economics of dumping the bath and making a new one must also be considered.

Conclusion
Troubleshooting a zinc-electroplating bath will be much easier if one takes the time to observe the line when things are running well. When a problem develops, split the line into a pre-cleaning section, the plating bath, and a post-plate section. Run tests to isolate the problem to one of the three sections. When the plating bath is identified, follow these steps:
1. Send samples and reject parts to your supplier.
2. Use the hull cell tests outlined above to treat the problem. Remember, even if you can treat the problem, you will also have to eliminate the source of the problem.
3. Demand prompt service from your supplier.
4. Label or identify all tests run during the troubleshooting process.
Once the problem is solved, go back and review the troubleshooting process and learn from it. This will build your troubleshooting skills and shorten the duration of future problems

With the study of zinc electroplating process by Electrochemical Noise (EN), it was found that the EN generated during the electroplating of large conglomerate zinc deposit has large potential oscillation amplitude and positive potential drift. However, small noise amplitude and little potential drift was seen in the case of compact zinc deposit. Any metal can be plated through zinc electroplating process, but the most common are steel and iron, on which the process offers sacrificial protection.

Steps of Commercial Zinc Electroplating Process
On the commercial scale, zinc electroplating is done by the following steps.
1. Surface of the metal is cleaned in alkaline detergent type solutions, and it is treated with acid, in order to remove any rust or surface scales. Cleanliness is essential for successful zinc electroplating, as the molecular layers of oil or rust can prevent adhesion of the coating.
2. Next, the zinc is deposited on the metal by immersing it in a chemical bath containing dissolved zinc. A DC current is applied, which results in zinc being deposited on the cathode. Alkaline zinc baths are used by the finished products, to produce a more consistent zinc thickness, especially in recesses.
3. Hence an increased protection from corrosion is provided, as the corrosion of the deposited zinc is reduced. The zinc coating can increase the time required for the formation of white rust, by ten times. Finished Products also apply sealers, which are now commonly being specified by the automotive industry, further increasing corrosion protection.

It is very difficult to obtain a uniform thickness of coating, with electroplating technique. The thickness of the coating is very much dependent on the geometry of the object being plated, and it is preferentially on the external corners and protrusions of the metal body, hence not much of it is deposited on internal corners and recesses. Zinc electroplating process is used to make a clean, smooth and corrosion resistant surface. It also makes an excellent undercoat for powder coating or paint and can leave recesses on complex shaped components without sufficient zinc coating, in order to provide corrosion protection.

The process of electroplating (also referred to as electrodeposition) is fairly simple. To start, a negative charge is placed on the object that will be coated. The object is then immersed in a salt solution of the metal that will be used to plate the object. From there, it’s simply a matter of attraction; the metallic ions of the salt are positively charged and are thus attracted to the negatively charged object. Once they connect, the positively charged ions revert back to their metallic form again and you have a newly electroplated object.

Controlling the thickness of the electroplated object is generally achieved by altering the time the object spends in the salt solution. The longer it remains inside the bath, the thicker the electroplated shell becomes. Of course there must also be an adequate amount of metallic ions in the bath to continue coating the object. The shape of the object will also have an effect on the thickness. Sharp corners will be plated thicker than recessed areas. This is due to the electric current in the bath and how it flows more densely around corners.

Before electroplating an object, it must be cleaned thoroughly and all blemishes and scratches should be polished. As mentioned, recessed areas will plate less than sharp corners, so a scratch will become more prominent, rather than being smoothed over by the plated material.

The process of electroplating began at the beginning of the 20th century and continues to evolve today. Many common objects such as tin cans are actually electroplated steel with a protective layer of tin. Medical science has experimented with electroplating to create synthetic joints with electroplated coatings, and new advances in electronics have been made with electroplated materials.

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.