Continuing Innovation in Selective Plating

Q: What options are available for automating brush plating?

A. Selective brush plating offers an alternative to traditional tank plating. In this process, a direct current from a rectifier is applied via an anode which is placed into direct contact with the component to be plated. The anode is covered in cotton, polyester or other materials that hold solutions to enable it to act as a brush. Once the anode is thoroughly saturated in the solution, the deposit is applied to the negatively charged part. Brush plating requires movement between the anode and the part, which can be accomplished by moving the anode over the part, moving the part while keeping the anode stationary, or moving both.

This process increases precision as operators can focus only on the specific parts of a component that need to be plated. It also means time and materials are not wasted on plating or masking off areas that may not require the deposit. In addition, the selective plating process eliminates the need for large tanks, and working close to large volumes of chemicals.

The benefits of automation

The benefits of selective brush plating become even more pronounced when the operation is partially or fully automated. While plating is an area that traditionally has been slower than others to automate, it is very much gathering pace in recent years because of the achievable benefits and reduced costs to implement.

The level of automation required will inevitably depend on available budgets and the size, type, importance, and value of the parts being treated. At the simplest level, the introduction of automated rectifier controls will help to ensure consistency of current and voltage applied to individual components.

The next stage of automation would see the introduction of semi- or fully-automated tool handling. Handling larger, heavier tools inevitably impacts operator fatigue and is an area of work many companies will seek to minimize. Automating the tool handling contributes to consistency within the process from one part to the next.

Going one step further is the complete automation of the process, using robots to maneuver the parts to the process, or bring the process to the parts through tool handling, or both. This reduces the need for manual handling within the process altogether while making for a more even and consistent deposit, meaning reduced failures down the line.

Human error is effectively eliminated, as the entire process is automatically controlled through a user-friendly human-machine interface (HMI). Meanwhile, given the fully automated nature of the system, detailed reports can be immediately accessed on all aspects of the process from batches down to individual castings. This provides complete control and traceability — and therefore peace of mind regarding consistency and quality to owners and, in turn, to customers.

The equipment available to fully automate the selective brush plating process is so flexible that almost any application can be catered to, to meet a customer’s exacting plating requirements.

Continued innovation

Innovation continues at a great pace in the area of plating automation. The latest development comes in the form of a fully portable automated electroplating system, able to be moved directly to a specific component for in situ plating. The system features cutting-edge dripless functionality, with all chemicals going back into the machine with no need for drip trays, making for a cleaner, more environmentally friendly, and safer working area.

While suitable for use by a skilled operator, this system also allows for the introduction of a robot to handle the part and/or undertake the plating task, making the process fully automated. Contributing significantly to both throughput and productivity, this innovation further reduces manual handling and is ideal for tasks where rapid turnaround is needed, with no time for a part to be disassembled, removed and taken away for treatment elsewhere.