Aluminium-tin electroplating on copper base alloy bonded with steel strip

March 1, 2008

We are in manufacturing of engine bearings bushes & thrust washers these are Bimetal products with overlay.
Due to health and environment requirement of lead free material we needs to change our plating material i.e. aluminium-tin instead of our present lead base alloy plating(PbSnCu).
Our Bimetal strip is made of copper base alloy bonded with steel strip.

Abhijit Waichal
Plating shop employee - Kolhapur, Maharastra, India

March 3, 2008

It is not possible to plate aluminum alloys from conventional aqueous plating baths, Abhijit. I understand why you do not wish to plate PbCuZn anymore, but how did you settle on Aluminum-Tin as a replacement? Might not some more practical metal or alloy be selected? Thanks.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey