Know your process and requirements for durable, high conductivity, corrosion resistant plating. Goldplating provides excellent electrical conductivity, making it one of the best choices for electrodes, current carrying pins and circuit board components. During the rack plating method, parts are hung on a "rack" that is then submersed in the plating solution. Nickelplating is common because it offers superior chemical and corrosion resistance along with greater wear resistance, which increases product lifecycles. At this point, you will have to use other plating methods. Specialty plating facilities can plate different base materials utilizing various surface finishes: The plating material, plating method and parts to be plated will all vary depending on the application. It will electroplate volumes at once and finish the project quickly. The SBE processis accomplished in a chamber with ultrasonic action, and continuous solution being pumped into and out of the chamber to facilitate part movement and supply fresh plating electrolyte during the plating process. Metal finishing has transformed itself within a few decades from what was once an empirical craft into a key technology grounded on scientific principles. Some parts like medical, automotive, electronics, military parts, etc. Flat parts lie on top of one another, or lodge in areas of the barrel, but the overall cost advantage greatly offsets the process limitations of barrel plating. If the volume is small, its still a good way to go. Corporate Office / Metal Finishing Division. For some parts, this means the addition of a weep hole during the design phase. The intended use and required characteristics (e.g., conductivity, low friction, high strength and resistance to corrosion, wear, etc.). As this process continues, the coating will attach to the parts to provide a uniform finish. Both barrel and rack plating are compatible with a wide variety of metal finishing technologies such as zinc, tin, copper and nickel, as well as precious metals such as gold and silver. If I start from the most common benefit, it will be that you can use it to handle high volume projects in the shortest time possible. So with this method, you will have to use many people. Rack-based plating equipment is more costly to fabricate than other equipment. It has no editorial input to this post. Hi, Luca. Copyright 2020 REXPLATING. This is because they are all tumbled in the same container for the entirety of the plating process. If you are choked up with work or the pressure to deliver electroplated parts for item fabrication is making you stressed, barrel plating is the best thing that can happen to you at this point. The only limitation to SBE is the size of the parts, as the SBE chambers can only accommodate specific sizes and weights that allow for movement inside the chambers. Depending on the use of the part, a manufacturer may want better wear and abrasion resistance, protection from corrosion, greater lubricity and lower friction, improved EMI/RFI shielding, temperature and impact resistance, improved conductivity, improved solderability, reduced porosity, added hardness or strength or to build up thickness on small or undersized parts. You will also monitor the movement of the crane depending on the equipment you are using. There are many methods of electroplating metal parts, using racks, barrels, vibration and more. Rack plating takes time to finish. In many cases, it may be necessary to design and manufacture a customized rack for specialized applications. But barrel plating can offer some additional advantages like more consistent plating thickness and freedom from rack marks (small spots where there is no plating because the electrical connection was made there). Both barrel and rack plating methods are used at our zinc plating facility. However, there are some cases where you might notice some rack marks on the electroplated parts but no cause for alarm since it will not cause any harm. Barrel plating, as you can imagine from the name, is performed using polypropylene barrels. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. It is also very difficult to achieve uniform rack plating using this method of electroplating due to the varying degrees of current densities across the surface of the rack. This process involves a lot of tumbling or cascading. Apart from the requirements, some applications that need rack plating service like copper alloys and nickel-silver, Steel, aluminum steel, Inconel and Monel, Stainless steel, etc. Fragile parts that are easily damaged are best suited for the rack. On the downside, most barrel plating techniques require a low electrical current, which can increase the time that the parts are exposed to the plating solution. Emigsville, PA 17318, Electroplating for Rail and Transportation, 7 Tips for Choosing Abrasive Blasting Media, The Tin Plating Process: A Step-By-Step Guide. The biggest issue with rack plating is that direct connection to the parts on the rack causes plating distribution efficiency to be compromised due to high and low current density areas throughout the parts and the rack. The tolerance on critical part dimensions should be designated with the plating thickness in mind. All right reserved. Selective platingprocesses isolate the plating finish to a select area of the part. You will need fewer hands to carry out the operation or the processes involved in the method. Since electroplating involves both an electrical and a chemical reaction at the surface of the part, exposure to the. Copper plating is typically utilized as a plating layer before the final layer of metal is deposited. Barrel plating typically is the best process for parts that are small and durable. This surface finish is commonly used in circuit boards, automotive parts or the defense industry. The process is somewhat rigorous and demanding, and as a result, it is always an expensive method of electroplating both for the owner of the project and the person handling it. The second is- How long do you need it to last before it is junked? Electroless Plating What You Need to Know. This vessel, or barrel, is submerged in a variety of different chemical baths. Both methods are compatible with different finishing technologies. In rare cases, you may notice little scratches that are not detrimental to the use of such part. Advantages to barrel plating include parts with configurations that dont allow them to be hung on a fixture or rack. Nickel can be a substitute for silver in electronics or can be used as a coating on steel for an alternative to products made of more expensive stainless steel. Also, there some kinds of plating that will only pass through rack plating like copper plating, bright nickel plating, silver plating, electroless nickel plating, gold plating and electrolytic plating. Conversely, smaller parts that do not have enough weight cannot be plated in a vibratory basket, either. Sometimes, there are very large and complex metal parts that will not fit properly into your barrel plating equipment. are best suited to this method as it provides the highest quality, decorative finishes. This method also is good for large parts that wont fit in a barrel, and for parts where a high-quality/cosmetic finish is of utmost importance. 2 Comments. Dear All, I am a little confused about some of the answers on this site about nickel vs. zinc plating. Can you please help to clarify the corrosion resistance of nickel plating versus zinc plating? "rack plating". This causes the parts to remain stationary upon immersion of the metal rack into the plating solution. It is not always easy to choose the best electroplating method for your project but if you do, be assured that you will get optimal results while minimizing the risks of damages on your finished product. Electroplating enhances or alters the properties of a metallic part. Due to their shape, these parts are not suited for the rough-and-tumble motion of the barrel plating method. Other plating methods may require many people to work together in the plating process. If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: Jobshops There are also some limitations to using the rack plating method. Electroplating is a process which metals pass through to bond a compound or another metal on them so that their conductivity capacity will improve as well as provide protection against corrosion and wear. Before I go ahead to give you in-depth information comparing barrel and rack plating, consider the following: Lets say that you have hundreds of parts for electroplating in the shortest time within a tight budget, what will you do? Box 157 3315 Connelly Rd. The first question that I would ask is-what is the environment that it will be used in? Selective plating of individual parts. For more information on Electro-Spec, Inc., check out their websitehere, or their video below. Because of these attributes in the rack plating process, it is important to take into consideration whether or not the object you are plating is worth the additional effort. Be it parts cleaning, rinsing, parts pickling or even sealing, all you need is one single vessel, and thats it! P.O. (Photo courtesy of The Time Preserve/watchplating.com)What an Engineer or Designer Should Consider Before Electroplating, **What Are the Benefits of Electroplating?**. Due to the large requirement of human resources and the time required, this method becomes very expensive to operate. The "other" way of plating that you observed is called The addition of copper to a part, before the final metal is deposited, can also improve the overall aesthetics of the finished part. While this is an effective method for plating singulated parts and reducing costs, it does require the expense of tooling and labor for loading the parts. But how do you know if rack or barrel plating is the best option for your project? These machines are affordable and still serve your needs. Larger parts that have excessive weight or parts that can become entangled or easily nest together cannot be plated in a vibratory basket as they will not move in a uniform fashion. Prior to electroplating, parts must be cleaned and follow a process of chemical baths to prepare, or activate, them such that a strong bond, and therefore strong adhesion, is created during the electrodeposition process. During rack plating, parts are attached to you guessed it racks which are dipped into a plating solution and exposed to an electrical current. This method involves plating metal parts by hanging them on a metallic fixture which supplies the galvanic cell circuit necessary for the electroplating process. The usual reason for barrel plating instead of rack plating is labor savings because thousands of pieces can be put in a barrel without laborious individual racking. This plating process involves a slow rotation of the barrel immersed in an electrolytic solution which is required for the plating. With the right sized barrel, you can handle every plating need for your project. Rack plating is more labor intensive because each part must be attached to a rack using hooks, compression contacts or other methods. Two of the most commonly applied processes for plating multiple workpieces are barrel and rack plating. While visiting some plating facilities, I have seen barrel plating and If youre working with large volumes of parts, this is the best option. Each one of the methods can electroplate precious metals such as gold and silver. Among all the available plating methods, the most common are barrel plating and rack plating, so well focus on them in this article. Consequently, nickel plating is sometimes said to be a "barrier layer" plating. Barrel plating requires a smaller investment in equipment and is less labor-intensive than rack plating, which ultimately results in a lower process cost to the customer. When any metal part is large and cannot pass through any other plating method, your best option is to plate it on a rack. CapitalEquipment Below well cover some of the other benefits of using this method of electroplating. Vibratory plating is used for smaller parts that have deep internal diameters, counter bores, fragile tips/ends or parts that could bend through barrel plating. Conversely, some flat parts are not ideal in a barrel due to the parts sticking together during processing, which leads to missing plating or uneven plating thicknesses. Typically, barrel plating is best used for projects with large workloads containing small and durable parts. Choosing the right electroplating method is essential for achieving optimal results and minimizing the risk of damage to the finished product. It also works well for plating parts of various shapes and sizes. Unless you have a large plating operation that can carry as many units as possible but it will still be limited to the length of the rack. In addition to affording increased protection against damage to parts, the rack process can plate contours and intricate shapes more efficiently. One man or few cannot rack plate hundreds of parts and finish it as per clients deadline. Therefore, before you start any electroplating project, you must sit down and ask yourself, barrel plating or rack plating? Which is the best option for this project?". Rack plating process starts from hanging the metal parts on your plating rack. Case ind point, A few years ago is saw a bright zinc plated dog leash chain that had a bright blue-clear chromate applied. However, some specific coating requirement for metal parts may necessitate the use of rack plating. It works by holding parts in a fixed position on a rack frame while suspended in the solution. In addition, a chemical reaction occurs at the surface of the part, involving the reduction and oxidation of ions. Can they fit into the barrel or will they be better on a rack? A slop shop will give you sloppy work regardless of the metal applied. The barrel used for this plating is always constructed of polypropylene material. After considering these methods of electroplating metal parts, the decision now remains, which method is suitable for my project? Now that you have seen the make-up and capacity of barrel plating lets consider its counterpart. However, there are some types of parts that are not ideal for most conventional barrels. 1. With the rack plating method, you can carry out the following types of plating, Zinc and Aluminum plating using Chrome and Nickel plating solutions. Growth of Metal Plating : Future Predictions. When plating in a barrel, everything happens in one vessel. All you need is to do is to customize the rack to fit the needs of the project and also use engineers who are experienced. Rack plating is the preferred choice in industries where a high-quality finish is paramount such as military and defense, automotive, medical and electronics. High degrees of uniformity require the use of auxiliary anodes or robbers which increases the complexity of the rack plating as well as the cost. We also use PLC controlled automatic rack lines which are capable of large production runs and weights up to 250 lbs. This requires less labor as compared to rack plating, therefore it is usually less expensive. It seems to me zinc plating, with barrel plating, is as good as nickel hanging plating, in terms of corrosion resistance; this is our result. Chemicals &Consumables Modernelectroplatingis a form of metal finishing used in various industries, including aerospace, automotive, military, medical, RF microwave, space, electronics and battery manufacturing. These types of projects are much better suited for rack plating when possible. This way you can handle the whole process quickly and efficiently. If you want to electroplate parts that have complex geometry, you must use anodes or rubbers to improve the efficiency of the whole system. As the name implies, barrel plating entails placing the parts inside a barrel typically constructed of polypropylene. Because the parts we are plating have to have both cosmetic appeal and corrosion resistance, I am curious to know what is your experience in this respect. Parts to be plated, are placed in a barrel which then rotates as they are submerged in the plating solution. The best way to enjoy this plating method is to use it for selection or partial coating. A plating machine rotates and causes metal parts to tumble. The requirements of the project you are handling will determine which method to use. Electro-Spec, Inc. has sponsored this post. You can try salt spray test as this is the standardized test method to check corrosion resistance of coated samples. People who have a large volume project often spend more especially if they have parts that can only pass through the rack plating method. When you make use of this plating method, you will not only save time, but you will save money as well. One great benefit is that you can achieve a uniform finish for all the parts even those of complex geometry. It increases the aesthetic appeal of the electroplated parts and also enhance their capacity to resist corrosion. Barrel plating happens in one barrel. Given what we have seen so far, there are no grounds to conclude that either of the plating methods is better than the other. One of the things that will make anybodys services efficient and impressive for continued patronage is your ability to deliver quality results promptly within a cost-efficient framework. If you have hundreds of metal parts to electroplate, I dont have to tell you how long it will take you to finish. This also means that the fit into the overall assembly should be accounted for. Rack plating is good for delicate parts that should not be tumbled since parts stay fixtured during the plating process. Rack plating equipment, however, is much more expensive and will also require more workspace as well, as the equipment takes up more space. When you check out the size, and they can fit the barrel, go ahead and use it! Its as obvious as it sounds: electroplating metal parts using a barrel. This causes the parts to tumble or cascade, which provides an even, uniform coating application. Rack platingis suitable for both delicate and larger parts. One disadvantage is, since this is a bulk process, 100% of the parts may not get coated. Or maybe the parts you need to plate are made of materials like copper, nickel or stainless steel. Often the plating will have or will get tiny pores which expose the steel to this galvanic action. This whole process will require a lot of people so that you can finish the project within the planned time frame. We can help you to understand the benefits and disadvantages to either one of these methods as they apply to your specific parts. You dont need many hands to put the metal parts into the electroplating barrel. Dominik. Selective plating is ideal for specific applications where functional plating is required for performance and/or cost savings with precious metal by reducing the surface area necessary to plate. There are also some limitations on part size and geometry that can preclude some parts from being able to be selectively plated. Because electroplating involves the use of current to initiate a reaction at the surface of a part, the overall geometry of the part will influence the current distribution, often called current density, across the surface of a part. Vibratory plating, used for small or fragile parts.