What is the context?

Functional electroplated metal layers serve a multitude of purposes, most often the main target is to obtain an increased corrosion resistance, hardness and / or wear resistance of the substrate being plated. Other functionality of these surface layers might include for example optical reflection or thermal barrier characteristics.
The variety of parts that receive a functional plated metal layer is nearly endless, including combustion cylinders and pistons, break holders (calipers), drills, shock absorbers, landing gear parts, hot section combustion engine blades, abrasive tools, etc.
Typical functional surface finishing layers include metals like (hard) chrome, nickel, platinum, zinc and cadmium.

What are the issues?

Since many functional plating baths (e.g. hard chrome, cadmium, platinum) have a plating efficiency that is strongly dependent on the local current density, the layer thickness distribution over the plated surface can be huge, often showing variations of a factor 2 or more.
For alloy plating, the situation becomes even more complex, since the layer characteristics will also depend on the composition of the layer, the latter being influenced by both the local current density that was achieved during the plating process, and the local hydrodynamic conditions.
For high end functional plating applications, traditional rack plating or single part batch plating will not be able to meet minimal layer characteristics specifications on the target surfaces of the parts.
Control of the current density distribution and hydrodynamic conditions over the surfaces to be plated can only be achieved with a thoroughly engineered tooling set, incorporating for example:

• current robbers either mounted on the part (= ‘on-board’) or on the rack;
• auxiliary or conforming anodes (fed by a an individual rectifier);
• insulating shields (screens);
• insulating (waxing, taping) surfaces that do not have to be plated;
• eductors or similar forced flow jet systems.

What value do we bring?

Elsyca has a longstanding track record of selecting the best combination of tooling components for advanced control of current density, metal thickness distribution and alloy composition over the part surfaces.
Elsyca’s Advanced Engineering Services team uses its in house 3D software electroplating simulation platform to optimize the shape and position of the selected tooling components. This Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) work is performed while respecting all possible practical restrictions for manufacturability, cost and maintenance afterwards.
Elsyca can provide value to all phases in the production of a part program, from a plateability analysis up to the engineering of complete plating lines.