Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Gold Alodine plating problem

2006

Hello,

I operate a production screw machine shop. We mfg a small medical part that is gold Alodine plated. The part is .250 DIA. .045 thick. There is a counterbore on one side and a raised stand off on the other. When the parts are in a basket they stack together so they cannot be bulk plated they need to be in their own cavities similar concept of an ice cube tray. The people that are plating this job now are sticking the parts to lead tape and plating one side at a time. Not only is this expensive but we have to sort every part because a lot of the parts have bare spots. We have talked to different platers from east to west we have shipped parts from east to west with no answers somebody has to have a holding system where we can load a thousand at a time or so any help would be wonderful.

Thank you. Ryan

Ryan Blair Eckhoff

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Many plating machines have been developed for special applications. One type was called a bandolier plating machine after the way bullets are inserted in a cartridge belt. In this machine an endless belt went through the prep and plating steps, and at the load-unload zone the plated "bullets" were pushed out and unplated ones inserted, all continuously.

Another machine was the "finger plater" where spring loaded "tweezers" were mounted on a continuous chain and cammed open to pick up parts to be plated and to release plated parts, all continuously.

But that was "back in the day". Indeed it may be hard to find a plater equipped with such machines today or even a machine manufacturer to build one. Maybe check with the used equipment dealers.

However, without seeing the parts, I think you may be giving up on mass plating too easily. There are rotating plating barrels, vibratory plating barrels, and shops experienced in their use.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2006