Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Process details of Electroplating on Aluminum material

2003

Dear Sir,

We are manufacturing watch hands and are supplying to various watch manufacturers across Europe and Hong kong. In recent past , we have noticed high demand for Aluminum hands with various plating. As of now we are not equipped with process details and type of aluminum material to be used. Basically hands are blanked (Mechanical operation) and further operations are carried out -- like polishing, plating and so on (these processes we do on brass material). Now we want to carry out these operations on aluminum material , We request you the following,

- Please send us the process details for , Nickel , Gold , Blue plating on aluminum material. - Type of aluminum material to be used.

We would be grateful to receive details as requested above.

Jayanna [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
Watch components - Bangalore, Karnataka, India

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Aluminum is not directly plateable, Jayanna. Rather, you start with cleaning, etching, desmutting, zincating, stripping the zincate, re-zincating, and then either copper cyanide plating or electroless nickel plating. After this first plating layer, you do the nickel plating or the nickel plating followed by gold plating. I know of no electroplating that is blue, but it is possible to apply a blue electrophoretic lacquer either on the aluminum or on the nickel plating.

Alternately it may be appropriate to anodize and dye the aluminum watch hands either gold or blue.

Good luck.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003

adv.