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Plating barrel danglers and other maintenance problems
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As a person maintaining a plating line, I wonder about the state of the technology. We barrel plate small items with Nickel, Gold, and Lead. The danglers in our process are practically home made. I'm just wondering how often they should be cleaned and/or if there is better dangler materials that 'clean up' easier then what ours do now.
Once a week I have to beat off the hardened plating material from the danglers. It seems like there should be a better way by now. (No one who works in our company now had anything to do with the setup of our line, and none have experience in the field so they wouldn't know if there are new processes.)
Thank you.
Kevin J [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania USA
.Hi, Kevin. Electropolishing of the stainless steel dangler knobs can help to passivate them and smooth them so that this undesired metal buildup will have less tooth and can be more easily removed. Also, you should make sure that the plastic sleeves are in very good condition so no more of the metal is exposed than absolutely necessary, and certainly not the ends of the braided copper cables.
You might also talk to manufacturers who specialize in danglers.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey
.Sorry I didn't mention this. The dangler knobs are not stainless steel. They are golden in color, unless they are a special type of stainless. Should we use stainless?
I'm an electrical engineer that knows nothing of plating, but I have to keep the line running. No one is really familiar with the technology. Heck how do you electro polish? Understand I'm stuck in a hard place, I can't buy material or talk directly with suppliers, but they want me to look at the process to see if it can be improved, which I've done with other parts of the business. The people who do the buying don't ask about new processes, stuck in the 'it works why fix it' mode.
Thank you for your help.
Kevin J [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania USA
.Although they might not be stainless, despite their golden color, I'd bet they are.
I can't give you advice about what waves you should or shouldn't make, but you won't be able to fix anything without making changes. And you shouldn't be fixing and home-brewing danglers -- you should buy new ones from a plating equipment supplier.
You might see if your employer will spring for a training course in electroplating, offered by the American Electroplaters & Surface Finishers Society or by Kushner Electroplating school. Or you might attend a few local evening meetings of the AESF; there is a branch in Philadelphia. Good luck.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey
January 12, 2009Get proper danglers. We plate zinc and ours are made of copper cable rubberized outside - it prevents the buildup along the cable and only the contact ends are exposed metal. We don't clean them at all - no need! they get a bit "plated" but once they go back to acid pickle they come out like new.
Joanna Yu
We get ours through a local electroplating distributor.
fasteners - Vancouver, BC, Canada
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I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED TROUBLE WITH A PLASTIC SLEEVE FOR A CENTER HUB IN A BARREL. THIS SUPPLY OF SLEEVES WERE A WHITE PLASTIC TYPE MATERIAL THAT WAS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IN APPEARANCE THAN THE NORMAL SUPPLY. THESE HUBS TURNED CHALKY AND FELL APART AFTER 2 WEEKS. I RECALL A DISCUSSION CENTERING ON MATERIALS INCOMPATIBLE WITH HYDROCHLORIC ACID. CAN ANYONE REFRESH MY MEMORY ON WHAT WAS COVERED. THANKS,
Jeffrey Grube- Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
Jeff: You want to use polypropylene or Teflon for most applications and stay away from nylon that tends to embrittle. Good luck from PlaterB
"PlaterB" Berl Stein
NiCoForm, Inc.
Rochester, New York
Mechanical and Corrosion-Resistant Properties of Plastics and Elastomers
-----It sounds like either the new parts are nylon as Berl suggests or, possibly that they used to be straight Teflon (resistant to everything) and they are now glass-filled Teflon (which won't hold up to hydrofluoric acid).
Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey
-----Hello Jeff, the "sleeve" you are describing was available in a material that was nylon based. This worked well for many years. The introduction of acid based solutions replacing cyanides caused a problem with this product as the acid base would attack the nylon and make it a gummy looking appearance with severe wear. This product was changed to a polyethylene based material with excellent lifespan. Your note does not state the details, but if the material is white it could be a number of starting products. If it is a "brittle" material, it may well be nylon. Teflon and polyethylene are more "bendable" of a material. Ted, news to me, glass filled Teflon?, well, you'd think it would wear better but the problem (on our end) was never the Teflon wearing out, it was the Teflon sticking to the hanger hub and wearing the barrel. is the glass Teflon a better choice?, again, it's news here
Ron Landrette
plating equipment supplier - Bristol, Connecticut
-----Nylon will dissolve quickly in HCl. As you describe, nylon will first turn a chalky white.
Ken Rosenblum
finishing shop - Minneapolis, Minnesota
-----Hi, Ron. One supplier I was with tried various materials for the bearing surface of the idler gear. In other words, the idler rotated on a stationary shaft, and the polypro the idler gear was made of wore too quickly, hogged out, etc. So we wanted a replaceable bushing and tried many materials. For that particular application Teflon was too soft, it would "flow" out under the heavy load. We had about equal life from glass-filled Teflon and from UHMW polyethylene.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey
-----Hi Ted, well,that makes a little more sense here,I thought you knew someone trying it as a barrel end bushing. My best experience for gear bushings is u.h.m.w. it seems to be the most tolerant, although delrin works good as well if kept from the solution. c.y.a........ron
Ron Landrette
plating equipment supplier - Bristol, Connecticut
