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Maximum DC Voltage Ripple % for Acid Copper & Nickel Electroplating process.
Dear All,
We are doing ABS plastic Plating.
What is the Maximum % of DC voltage Ripple for Acid Copper electroplating, and for Nickel electroplating ?
Thanks a lot for your help.
plating shop - Jakarta, Indonesia
February 2, 2011
Hi, Irwan. Can you put this into context please: are you trying to specify new rectifiers, or to determine whether your rectifiers may be causing problems that you are experiencing? Conventional 3-phase rectifiers operated at full capacity will generate 5% ripple without need for filter chokes; and experience and conventional wisdom is that this will not cause problems in copper or nickel plating.
Regards,
![Ted Mooney, finishing.com](../portraits/ted_mooney_beach.jpg)
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
February 2, 2011
I caution you to not read Ted's reply too quickly. "at full capacity" is a key term. When standard rectifiers are operated below full voltage output the ripple increases unless you have added filter chokes. 5% ripple is generally considered acceptable. You'll want to measure your actual ripple at your operating voltage and determine if you need to make any changes.
![Jon Barrows](../portraits/jon_barrows.jpg)
Jon Barrows, MSF, EHSSC
GOAD Company
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Independence, Missouri
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February 2, 2011
A 3 phase power supply will have less than 5% ripple at most power settings except at a very low % of the possible voltage.
Single phase will have a very high ripple at low % of possible output voltage and very little at a high %. Chokes help, but in my foggy memory, they have some limitations.
Many platings are not seriously affected by ripple. Chrome is probably affected more than any other. It could be a small problem in electroforming, but it should not be that much of a problem except for very sophisticated systems.
I tried to run all of my power supplies at 70 to 90% of rated voltage output. It avoids many problems.
- Navarre, Florida
February 3, 2011
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