Q&#; What is Nickel Electroplating?
A... Nickel Plating has been successfully carried out since the &#;s to provide a protective coat of nickel to cover and protect various metals. Besides providing protection to the metal surface it is also attractive in appearance and can be buffed to a high lustre. In a lot of cases, it has taken the place of chrome as it is user-friendly and chemical mixes can be employed that do not require the addition of cyanide. Nickel provides excellent corrosion protection to the plated surface especially if it is polished occasionally with metal polish. Jane Kits Nickel electroplating will produce an extremely desirable bright lustrous nickel plating finish, straight out of the plating bath.

Link to Ruisite

Q&#; What is the difference between Nickel and Zinc Electroplating?
A... Nickel is a strong, lustrous silver metal, which creates a desirable barrier layer type of coating. It protects steel by enveloping it and keeping the environment away. However, Nickel is not sacrificial to steel; in fact, the opposite is the case. So, if there is any breach in the plating, from damage, there will be accelerated corrosion at the breach as the nickel plating forces the steel to corrode in order to protect it. Just like a painted finish on motor vehicles, ss long as the nickel coating coverage remains intact, the protection of the parent metal will remain indefinitely.

Zinc, on the other hand, is a sacrificial type of white silver plating and does its job not just by coating the steel but by corroding in lieu of the steel corroding. That makes zinc plating ideal for many applications because it cathodically protects the steel even if the coating is scratched, just as a zinc anode can galvanically protect the steel hull of a ship. However, zinc has no acid resistance at all and little alkali resistance. To assist in combating this, applying a coat of chromate over the zinc can prolong its life significantly.

Q&#; Is it true that Nickel Electroplating is better done over the top of a Copper plated surface? 
A... Any form of electroplated finish is only as good as the surface it is plating onto. If the surface is chemically cleaned but has imperfections in the surface of the steel (i.e. scratches, pit marks ect), the Nickel coating will still apply to the bare steel and look bright and desirable, however, all of the imperfections will still be present. If this is not concerning for you then there is no need to apply a copper coating. However, if you do want the surface to be improved, electroplating Copper onto the surface will enable you to repair and improve the metal surface prior to applying the Nickel. Copper plating under Nickel is definitely not compulsory, but if you do choose to add this step into the plating process it will definitely improve the overall finish of the Nickel. Jane Kits package together DUAL and TRIPLE Plating Kits, that combine more than one type of plating option together in a bundled Kit. Check them out by clicking on the links above.      

Q&#; What is Nickel brightener (NIMAC)?
A... The Nickel brightener is known as Nimac. Jane Kits Nickel brightener is a unique blend of carriers, buffers and brighteners, specifically designed for Jane Kits Nickel electroplating chemical mixes. It is mixed to our Nickel chemical during initial makeup and then added periodically when required. The Nimac brightener depletes after you have done a day or two of plating.

Q&#; Can I use the Nimac (nickel brightener) for a different version of Nickel plating chemical, one I either made up myself or purchased from another supplier?
A... Generally, no. The Jane Kits Nimac, nickel brightener is a unique blend of carriers, buffers and brighteners, specifically designed for Jane Kits Nickel electroplating chemical mixes. It is designed to work with our nickel electrolyte and therefore is unlikely to be an accurate addition for other random nickel mixes.

Q&#; Why do I need the nickel anodes?
A... The type of nickel anode required is critical to the type of nickel chemical used. The nickel anodes used in the Jane Kits nickel bath are known as nickel R rounds. These rounds are pellets of first-grade nickel supplied to be located inside a nickel anode basket, which is positioned inside the nickel bath. The nickel anode basket mesh is in the shape of a V and the nickel anodes are positioned along the inside of the V. Generally, 5 individual Nickel anodes are placed evenly along each anode basket. Minute ions of the nickel are removed from the anodes (R rounds) hanging in the bath and transferred to the plating work (cathodes) during the nickel plating process.

Q&#; Can I do barrel plating, rather than rack plating?
A... Jane Kits plating setups are all designed around the rack plating method. This is where you have bars or racks located on top of the plating chemical (electrolyte). Generally, 3 bars are located which are used for hanging the anodes and your plating work. These bars are in turn connected to the relative positive or negative power delivery. Barrel plating is where a larger stainless steel (or similar) barrel (think washing machine) is connected to the relative power and your parts are tumbled around inside the barrel. Whilst barrel plating is still common in the commercial plating world, it is not designed for smaller plating setups. Most commercial barrel plating machinery is designed for a bath setup for several hundreds of litres.

Q&#; Do I need to purchase the power supply, or can I just use the one I already have at home?
A... The power delivery is extremely important when it comes to Electroplating. The type of power supply, the amount of current required and the way in which you control and deliver the power to the plating bath are all critical to ensuring quality results. Understanding power (i.e. Volts, Ampere, Watts etc) can be very confusing. To simplify it, for the purpose of understanding what is important when electroplating, what we need to control and adjust is ampere (commonly referred to as Amps or Current). The actual number of amps required during electroplating is relative to the surface area of the object or objects in the plating bath. Therefore, you need to be able to visually see the number of amps dialled up (LED readout on the power supply) and also be able to adjust the amps to suit the relative surface area. Some power supplies available are either pre-set on a certain output for amps (these are useless for electroplating) or are only Volt adjustable (problematic for electroplating). The power supplies we include in our Plating Kits are quality Dual controllable and digital LED readout units, perfect for electroplating. If you don&#;t think you have the correct power unit, purchase the one included in our Kits to ensure you have the correct tools.

Q&#;Why should I purchase a complete Nickel Plating Kit and not just the items I think I need?
A&#;The reason we create complete plating kits is to ensure you have the correct products to get first-class results. Many customers, in an attempt to save some money, have decided to replace some of our generic Kit contents. They all experience issues. For example; even our copper wire is a special order non-shielded copper wire. Any reclaimed copper wire you source will have a clear shielding attached to it and this will render it useless when attempting electroplating. Our Kits are fantastic value, don&#;t be a scrooge, purchase a complete Kit and ensure you have all the correct products. 

Q&#;Is Nickel Electroplating too difficult, should I just take it to a plating shop?
A&#;No, all of our procedures are simplified. Anyone with little to no knowledge can use our products and carry out our procedures successfully. Our Nickel Electroplating Kits include a comprehensive Plating Manual, that will explain, in layman&#;s terms, all you need to know how to do the procedure. The key to success is to ensure you have your items prepared properly and to follow the directions in our Plating Manual. If you do this, you will get as good and in most cases better results than you would from a professional plating shop.

Q&#;What size Nickel Electroplating Kit should I purchase?
A&#;To answer this question, you will need to work a little in reverse&#;. i.e. establish what the biggest sized object you wish to plate is and that will determine how large the bath size / Kit you will require. For example, if you are restoring a bike and you wish to plate all of the nuts, bolts and smaller brackets etc, then you would most likely get away with a 10 litre Kit size.
If you also want to plate, say an axle, you would most likely need to step up to a 20 litre Kit size.

Q&#;How many items will I be able to plate out of a Nickel Electroplating kit?
A&#;The simple answer to this question is &#;A lot&#;. All of our Plating Kits and treatment procedures will enable you to coat numerous items. The actual amount of surface area that you will be able to cover out of one of a Nickel Kit is almost impossible to predict. There are numerous variables at play when carrying out the procedure that will influence this. These include; bath temperature, plating efficiency, current density, shape of the object, bath layout, bath movement etc. Although the most influence is the length of time something is actually plated for. Whereas, every minute an item is left in the plating bath, the more will plate onto it.  

Even with these variations at play, the amount of actual coating you will achieve out of any of our  Nickel Kits is exceptional.

Q&#;Do you use the Nickel Kit once and then have to throw it away?
A&#;No. All of our Plating Kits and treatment procedures are used more than once. In fact, some Kits may last for years. The amount of time the plating chemical will last is relative. The more plating you do, the quicker you will deplete the actual metal chemical component. To ensure longevity, after you finish plating for the day, store your plating chemical in an airtight container and then set it up again when you wish to continue. This could be the next day or in some cases, the next year.  

Q&#;Can I purchase consumables for my Nickel Electroplating kit?
A&#;Yes. Everything that is included in any of our plating kits can be purchased individually throughout our web site, usually in multiple sizes. Although, if you purchase a complete plating kit, you will need to have plated a large number of items before you will require any consumables. The initial kit contents are very generous and will allow you to plate a lot of items before requiring any more investment.

Q&#;If I purchase a smaller Nickel Kit, say 10 litre size, can I add to this and make it a larger size down the track?
A&#;Yes. As long as you have not contaminated the original 10 litre Nickel chemical mix, you can purchase more Nickel plating chemicals and add it to the original mix to create a larger bath size. Be mindful, as your bath size increases so does the requirement of more anodes. So, if you add more chemical to your original Nickel Kit, you will also have to source the correct number of additional Nickel anodes and baskets to ensure you have the balance of anode to chemical ratio.

Q&#;I have a larger item I wish to plate, how do work out how big the plating bath should be?
A&#;You will need to purchase a plating bath that is a suitable size to be able to successfully plate the item. If you end up sourcing a bath that will accommodate the item in question that you wish to plate, then you will need to work out how many litres it will require to be the right depth etc to enable you to successfully plate it. Remember, if your bath is overcrowded or the item is too big for the bath, your results will be terrible.

Q&#;What sort of material should the plating container be?
A&#;Most of the plating and or treatments can be done in a plastic container. Electroplating is best done in a rectangular-shaped container. Most decent quality PVC, polyethene or polypropylene plastic containers will be suitable. The Nickel Plating electrolyte or chemicals ideal temperature is 50 to 60 degrees Celsius, however, successful plating can be achieved as low as 40 degrees Celsius. This means you will need to heat your Nickel Plating chemical. Whilst you can externally heat up your chemical in a stainless container to nickel plate, it is always advised to avoid using metal containers if possible. Plating in plastic containers ensures you will avoid reactions with the chemicals and the metal which will often contaminate your mix. If you have a smaller Kit, you could use a crockpot or most popular method is a plastic plating container standing in hot water (bain-marie). If using stainless steel, ensure the grade of stainless is type 316 and has a thickened base.

Q&#;What temperature does the Nickel plating chemical need to be at and how do I heat the chemicals?
A&#; Nickel Plating chemical, can be successfully plated at a temperature as low as 40 degrees C. However, some of the crystals that you will receive in the chemical mix will not dissolve at this low temperature. To achieve this is it advised to heat and dissolve all of your Nickel chemicals initially in a container that is able to be heated to above 50 degrees C initially. Once all of the chemical crystals are dissolved, you can transfer your mix into the desired set up and attempt to plate at the lower 40 degrees C temperature. Maintaining your chemical at a temperature range that does not drop below 40 degrees C is essential. You will need to monitor this periodically during the plating procedure.

If you choose to carry out your plating inside a suitable stainless steel container, then heating this type of material is easily achieved on any type of heat source. However, do not store any chemicals inside metal containers. If you plate inside a metal container, as soon as the solution is cooled down, pour it into an airtight plastic container for storage.

We recommend plating or treating in suitable plastic containers where possible. To heat a plastic container there are two methods;

1. Heating the plating solution inside the plastic container by standing the plating container inside another container (referred to as Bain-Marie) that is either;

   
   

   a. Made from plastic and filled with hot water, (periodically maintaining the temperature of the water would be necessary)

   
   

   b. Made out of metal, filled with water and is on a heat source.

2. Installing a suitable submersible heater. Most ceramic submersible heaters can be installed inside the plating bath to assist with reaching the desired temperature. However, generally the maximum temperature these types of heaters are able to achieve is 40 degrees C.

Remember, if you choose to attempt to plate in a plastic container with a submersible heater at a temperature of around 40 degrees C, first you will need to ensure all of the chemicals dissolve and this will only take place at temperatures above 50 degrees C

Q&#;Are the Nickel plating chemicals harmful?
A&#;The Nickel Electroplating chemicals are only mildly acidic and are generally less hazardous than most household cleaning agents that most people would find stored in their kitchen or bathroom cupboards.  A commonsense approach is recommended when using, storing and disposing of any chemicals. Label the plating electrolytes and put them out of the way of children. Store them in suitable plastic containers. Dispose of the chemicals in reference to local council regulations. Most councils will provide hazardous goods collection depot for fuels, oils, paints etc.

Note; Care should be taken by the bath operator no matter what type of bath is being used. Avoid allowing chemicals to remain on your skin for long periods. Safety glasses and clothing that covers arms and legs should also be worn. A well-ventilated room is necessary and avoid inhaling fumes that are present during the plating or mixing processes. A suitable respirator and chemical resistant gloves are recommended. Wear gloves made from rubber, neoprene, nitrile, polyethylene to prevent skin contact.

Q&#;Can I Nickel electroplate alloys?
A&#;Yes and No. You can plate most metal surfaces; however, some alloys will not electroplate until they have had a strike plate applied initially. Jane Kits provide a product called &#;ULTRA STRIKE&#; which is used to create a layer of copper metal plate onto what was originally a non-palatable surface. However, plating alloys is rather problematic, and some will always be difficult, at times impossible to plate. More information regarding this can be found in the Electroplating Kits category, click on Ultra Strike link above.

Q&#;Can one Nickel plate plastics or organic objects?
A&#;Yes, however first you will need to electroform a layer of copper onto the non-metallic object. Jane Kits have an Electroforming Copper Kit that will enable you to plate almost anything you desire. Electroforming opens a world of plating opportunities. With the correct preparation, almost anything can be Electroformed. Organic items such as leaves, cones, nuts, pods etc. can be transformed into decretive items for jewellery or trinkets. The list is endless; shells, rocks, gems, wax, plastic, rubber, fabric etc. etc. etc. can be transformed into a metal surface. More information regarding this can be found in the Electroplating Kits category, click on Electroforming Copper Kit link above.

Q...Are additional supplies of the Nickel kit contents available when required?
A...Yes&#;The only top-ups that you will ever need are a new electrolyte, new anodes and or more brightener, but not for a long time unless you do an exceptional amount of plating. Anything you received in the Nickel plating kit can be purchased individually (in many cases in multiple sizes) at any time. All of our products are listed on our website.

Q.&#;How long does it take to Nickel plate the items?
A&#;Nickel Electroplating will essentially apply more coating of the nickel-metal the more time it is in the bath. As a general rule, you are best to leave the items in for a minimum of 40 mins to a maximum of 60 mins. This time frame will apply a good amount of metal coverage. The amount of time is up to yourself, however, generally you need to ensure you don&#;t apply too thick a coating as it may affect the pitch on threads etc. Anything up to an hour should not cause issues with thread pitch etc.  

Q.&#;Do I have to remove the original coating?
A&#; Yes. Any original coating, treatment or plate will need to be removed prior to re-plating in Nickel. Therefore, every item must be taken back to bare metal and be chemically cleaned prior to applying a new coating.

Q.&#;How do I remove the original coating?
A&#; Removing the original coating will depend on what sort of coating is currently present. To do this, will require you to become aware of what is on your parts. Unfortunately, we are not aware of what was plated or applied to every nut, bolt, bracket etc on every car and bike ever produced. Generally, if it is a silver-like appearance it will most likely be one of 3 options;

1. Zinc

2. Nickel

3. Chrome.

There is no one solution or procedure that fits all. Removing some surfaces is difficult with chemicals. To remove Nickel and Chrome it is best to not attempt these using chemicals. The easiest and safest way is to media blast it off using a suitable material, ensuring you don&#;t damage the parent metal.  Some coats are easier to remove than others. For example, Zinc, Cad, Passivated Zinc Galvanising coatings can be removed easily with one of our preparation solutions called Jane Clean. More information can be discovered in the FAQ Cleaners and FAQ Preparation.

Q.&#;Will re-plating an object adversely affect the pitch on threads?
A&#;No, if an item you wish to re-plate has original plating still applied. Firstly, you will need to remove it. Therefore, re-plating an object is only putting a coating back on it that it originally had. A rough guide is that most electroplating procedures will plate a thou an hour (1 thousandth 0.001 of an inch an hour). Note; 0.001 inch = 0. cms

Q&#;Can you plate Nickel directly onto bare metals?
A&#;Yes nickel is designed to plate directly to steel, brass, lead or copper.

Q&#;What type of metals or surfaces won&#;t accept Nickel plating?
A&#;Nickle will not plate directly onto stainless steel, zincated aluminium or die-cast zinc surfaces without a separate strike. Jane Kits provide a product called &#;ULTRA STRIKE&#; which is used to create a layer of copper metal plate onto what was originally a non-palatable surface.

MORE INFORMATION

If you purchase a complete Nickel Electroplating Kit you will receive a comprehensive Plating Manual. This will provide detailed information regarding all of our products and explains the best method to use for benchtop plating and advice on how to avoid the pitfalls. These comprehensive instruction books can also be purchased separately on our web site.

Authoritative Answers, Fun, & Aloha -- no cost, no passwords, no popups
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Barrel Plating, using conductive media / ballast / shot

Q. I currently oversee a Watts nickel and tin electroplating operation for barrel plating very small parts (about 3 mm dimensions). I want to characterize our particular plating operation so I can optimize processing parameters (like current, load size, etc.) but I haven't found a good way to calculate the plating surface area of the load. I would like to talk to anyone who has dealt with this problem before. (One other bit of information: half of the load is steel plating media)

Also, are there any good references on barrel plating factors and guidelines?

Mark Carper

A. How critical are your thickness parameters? I have experience with an automatic barrel plating line with tin. Are you plating long runs of the same size parts? My first suggestion would be to use weight as a gauge of load size. Make a few trial runs to decide the deposition rate for that size load at a certain amperage. If you run consistent size loads, you could determine an optimum setting from the ratio of the amperage and time to the thickness achieved. A good system of process control will also help to get maximum production. Although I have not seen any good guidelines for barrel plating, there may be some out there. Hope this helps.

Phil Pace

- Tulsa, Oklahoma

A. I have been working with plating process setups for over ten years, for both barrel and rack. My current job entails managing a shop where we plate about 100,000 parts a week in 2x4 and 4x4 barrels. We also do copper electroforming. Here's the recipe:

1) Get the surface area of the part
2) Get an accurate count
3) Figure the total area from 1) and 2). Don't forget to add the area of ballast (shot) and danglers.
4) Determine the plating spec (what layers and how thick each is).
5) Calculate the amps for each layer based upon 3) and 4)
6) Calculate the plating time for each layer based upon 4) and your bath ratings
7) See if your calculations are correct by doing the plating.
8) Inspect the parts immediately to make sure they are what you wanted.
9) Keep good records of everything you just did.

The best way to make this easy is to let your PC do it. If you don't have a PC and the right program, buy them.

Bill Vins

microwave & cable assemblies - Mesa (what a place-a), Arizona

A. In plating parts of this size in the barrel for nickel, tin and electroless nickel, I used to calculate the surface area of each load using simple formulas like cylinders, spheres, cones, etc. to approximate the shape, and to weigh a small sample. 1 ampere/square foot for plating is a good first cut, if you want very good plating distribution between and within parts. Include the surface area of the plating media. Fill the barrels to one/third to one/half full

Tom Pullizzi

Falls Township, Pennsylvania

"Don't forget to add the area of ballast (shot) and danglers"

Q. Ballast (shot) is one of major costs of barrel plating. Is there any method or option to barrel plate without ballast (shot)?

Thank you

Misri Dollah

plating - Sembilan, Negeri, Malaysia

A. Hi Misri. One alternative may be vibratory barrels (rather than tumbling in a horizontal barrel, vibration makes the parts skitter around on a perforated plate).

Regards,

Ted Mooney

, P.E.

Striving to live Aloha

finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. I currently have a job that requires plating. The base metal is BeCu, the plating spec. is Au over Ni-P 50-100 µinch each element. The parts are roughly 0.200 x 0.030 w/slots on both ends. My problem is during both the cleaning and plating operations the parts "MESH" or "NEST" leaving unplated and exposed base metal. I have tried different styles of ballast, more or less parts, etc. I have also tried using a Vibrobarrel with the same results. Does anyone have any great ideas w/o redesigning the part which is not an option?

Thank You,

MARK KRUZEL

- El Cajon, California USA

A. Nesting of parts can be dealt with many ways, but there are limits. I don't think the "Vibrobot" is a viable option as its design is not a nesting issue. I assume you are barrel plating in some type of horizontal barrel. Breakers are the most common solution, either full width, or blocks installed. Are you using round barrels? Nesting is sometimes more of a problem with these than hex barrels. A lesser load with a large internal breaker can "flip" the entire load. RPMs can also help sometimes, depending on the part / load size / etc.

Sometimes just redistributing the load can make a huge difference [i.e., different size equipment]

Contact your equipment vendor / distributor with sample parts -- they should be able to provide a viable solution.

Ron Landrette

plating equipment supplier - Bristol, Connecticut

Q. Hello!

In what process I should use plating media such as balls?

thank you Sa'ar

The company is the world’s best barrel nickel plating machine supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

saar

[last name deleted for privacy by Editor]

student - yavne, israel

A. I'm not sure that I understand your question, Saar, but one occasion to include metallic balls or other conductive media in the mix is when the parts you are trying to plate don't have enough plateable area on them to reliably conduct electricity from piece to piece. As a parallel: In the children's game of "tag" there is usually a "home base" where the players are safe, and sometimes the kids join hands to make a chain extending from home base, claiming to be safe via "electricity" (one child gripping hands with another, gripping hands with another. Barrel plating of fully conductive parts works the same way: one part touches another which touches another which touches another which touches the danglers or cathodic contacts.

But when only part of the components are conductive, for example, if you are trying to barrel plate the ends of surface mount components, and only the ends have been made conductive with metallic paint, you may find that filling the plating barrel with such components will not allow a conductive path from piece to piece to piece because the conductive area of one part is only touching the non-conductive area of another. But if you mix in an appropriate quantity of conductive balls, you may have a plateable mix.

Ted Mooney

, P.E.

Striving to live Aloha

finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q We are searching for a barrel plating equipment to be used for small plastic parts or components. Therefore, we would like to contact the manufacturers of this plastic barrel plating for small plastic parts or components. We would like to buy one unit immediately. Thank you!

DR. LIE T

[last name deleted for privacy by Editor]

- Singapore

Q. I am in my final year Bachelors of Engineering. My project is on electroplating on plastics. I too am interested in technical details pertaining to barrel plating for small plastic parts. It seems details on the process are hard to come by and nobody I know is using it. Someone please be kind and post me some material on the same.

Ronjey Banerjjee

- New Delhi, India

A. I have found vendors who are capable of electroless barrel plating on plastic. I'm sure they would be willing to talk with you.

David Zeller

- Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Q. Hi,

I'm involved in barrel plating in my company and now have a project in barrel plating of SO8 package. But my problem is the product is floating on dummy during plating/barrel moving. Is there anybody can advise how to settle this issue? If I need special design for this product, can you advise me the barrel design, also the supplier?

regards,

Haslina

[last name deleted for privacy by Editor]

- Seremban, N.Sembilan, Malaysia

A. Haslina,
I'm not sure what you mean when you mention that the parts are "floating on a dummy". You may have to "load up" on the barrel media. There is lightweight conductive media available for Barrel Plating that will not bend or scratch the packages. This type of media comes in all weights, shapes and sizes and maintains good conductivity within the barrel. It takes a little experimentation to get the correct mix of parts and media to get the desired plating thickness and to be sure there is no damage to the packages. There is another alternative to conventional barrel plating which is Vibratory Barrel Plating. This technique is often used when delicate parts are not suitable for Barrel Plating. Instead of a tumbling motion, the parts are moved by vibration around the surface of the barrel. Your parts and media may be too lightweight for this process however. Hope this helps!

Mark Baker

Engineering - Mesa, Arizona, USA

Q. Hello,

QUICK QUESTION. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR USING BALLAST BALLS IN A SILVER BARREL PLATING. PARTS ARE SMALL COPPER. WHAT SURFACE AREA RATIO BALLS TO PARTS AND WHAT TYPE OF BALLS TO USE, SILVER PLATED OR COPPER BALLS?

THANK YOU

AL ODEH

- ROLLING MEADOWS, ILLINOIS

A. Use stainless steel balls that have been run in a nickel chloride strike, then after use, put them in a stainless basket and use for anodes in your silver plating tank, the nickel will not hurt the silver. Be sure to silver strike first to minimize the co-deposition of the copper (which eventually is going to find its way into the silver solution.)

Robert H Probert

Robert H Probert Technical Services

Garner, North Carolina

A. Uh, what, Robert? You're describing something quite interesting to me, but either you or I misread Al's question.

My take was that he is barrel plating some copper components but feels that the parts can't be successfully barrel plated without conductive media/ballast/shot added to the barrel. You seem to be talking about a way to increase the anode area without a big investment in more silver?

Regards,

Ted Mooney

, P.E.

Striving to live Aloha

finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. Ted, what I am trying to say. Use the stainless steel balls in the electroplating barrel, then after he is through with the balls or they are built up too much (chipping and flaking) then put them in stainless basket back in the plating solution and recover the silver.

Robert H Probert

Robert H Probert Technical Services

Garner, North Carolina

Q. Everyone keeps talking about media, shot or ballast. I can't seem to find any companies that supply this on-line. Saw one mentions of Control Products USA. No website.
I need to find a low density ballast to mix with reed switches in an oblique barrel. Plating Tin onto Nickel-Iron alloy.

Michael Russo

- Lake Mills, Wisconsin, USA

A. Hello Michael,
If you go to www.pfonline.com > suppliers, click on Mass Finishing Media, you will find a list of companies who supply barrel plating media.

Mark Baker

Process Engineer - Malone, NY USA

Q. Hi,

Wanna ask regarding metal balls sticking to each other in Sn plating. Why this happened and what is the solution?

Rafael Fabio

- Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

A. Hi Wangsa. Your question is a bit vague, but I think you are saying that stainless steel balls you are using as conductive media in barrel tin plating of semiconductor components are plating up and sticking together? I think you must reduce their quantity, or increase the speed of rotation so they are knocked apart before the plating builds up that much, or change their shape or size or finish.

Regards,

Ted Mooney

, P.E. RET

Striving to live Aloha

finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. Hi,

We plate ferrite cores using barrel plating & steel balls. We tested new source of Sn solution. After done Sn plating, steel balls & ferrite cores stick together. Previous solution found no sticking issue. I have no idea.

Rafael Fabio

[returning]

- wangsa maju, kuala lumpur, malaysia

A. Hi again. All I can offer is wild guesses because you are not offering a co-ordinated and detailed description of what your whole situation actually is, but have you switched from bright acid tin (stannous sulfate), alkaline stannate, or MSA bath to one of the other two perhaps?

If you have no idea you'll probably have to retain a plating consultant. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney

, P.E. RET

Striving to live Aloha

finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. Hi,

Any idea for such problem:

Rafael Fabio

[returning]

- wangsa maju, kuala lumpur, malaysia

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