Where to get Training in Electroplating

A. Hello, Naveed. Three associations that I know of that offer training courses are the American Electroplaters Society (USA), ASM International (USA), and the Institute of Metal Finishing (U.K.). I don't know for sure, but strongly suspect that the Indian Association of Metal Finishers offers training. Another possibility is Kushner Electroplating School in Sunnyvale, California, USA. Good luck with it.

A. For a very quick intro, please see our How Electroplating Works" FAQ, Tiffany. It should help. Get back to us if you have additional questions.

A. C.E.C.R.I at Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu is a good place to start.

A. Metal Finishers' Association Of India Established in 1973 having about 800 members which include almost all supply houses of metal finishing and electroplating process chemicals and Electroplaters, conduct certified course in Electroplating.

A. Dear sir
Small industries service institute conducting courses in metal finishing. In Chennai guindy they are having their institute conducting the course.

A. Thanks for visiting finishing.com, Khouri. I don't know if they have any openings at present, but D&W Plating is located in Memphis, and there may be others. You could also join NASF at www.nasf.org and find out where the closest monthly meetings are. They have an annual conference and regional meetings. You can get training from NASF or Kushner Electroplating School. Plus, maybe get an old copy of the Metal Finishing Guidebook and start reading. Good luck!

A. A plating business entails a lot more than just plating per se. Any background in chemistry, environmental compliance, hazardous materials management …?

Lots of EPA-type regulations deal with the location, design and operation of a metal finishing plant. Permits up the kazoo! Maybe attend some workshops listed on the University of Tennessee's Environmental Compliance and Assistance website:
https://www.cis.tennessee.edu/environmental/training.shtml

Treated wastewater (by permit, in approved treatment units within approved secondary containment) will have to meet EPA Pretreatment standards for new sources (PSNS) in 40 CFR § 433.17 in order to discharge to the local POTW's sewer:
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=ab989b6b5179359aedcd7ec435bd3811&rgn=div5&view=text&node=40:29.0.1.1.9&idno=40

Cal. State Sacramento offers an online course 'Treatment of Metal Wastestreams' which may be helpful:
http://www.owp.csus.edu/courses/tmw.php

A. Hi Alvaro
The Institute of Materials Finishing offers distance learning courses on all aspects of metal finishing from elementary to degree level.
There is a link on this page or go to www.materialsfinishing.org

----
Ed. note: That URL was not functional when checked on 12/19/21 and again on 2/25/22; it might no longer by functional.

A. Hi Waqas.
We appended your inquiry to a thread on the subject, which tells you about many organizations that offer training in electroplating. The American Electroplaters Society offers certification at two levels "Certified Electro-Finisher" and "Master Surface Finisher".

I am reasonably confident that the Metal Finishers' Association of India would offer online training, and certification as well. Sorry, I don't know whether there are such organizations in Pakistan.

Regards,

A. Hello cousin Fahad. The National Association for Surface Finishing (nasf.org) offers webinars as well as home study courses on various subjects. While you are awaiting the next scheduled one, you can study the Metal Finishing Guidebook.
Good luck.

A. There is also "Kushner Electroplating School". They offer a correspondence course.

I had the pleasure of having dinner with Art Kushner at a trade dinner some years ago. Knowledgeable as can be, as well as being a great guy.

A. Hi Brian. Decades ago I taught a week-long seminar on Electroplating in Singapore. It was produced by SGS International (www.sgsgroup.us.com), and the source of the course materials and instructor (myself) was ASM International (www.asminternational.org). I don't know if they get involved in electroplating training anymore.

You could also try contacting the American Electroplaters Society (www.nasf.org), Kushner Electroplating School (www.platingschool.com), the Metal Finishers Association of India (www.mfai.org), the Institute of Materials Finishing (www.materialsfinishing.org) and the British Surface Engineering Association (www.sea.org.uk).

If you learn anything about such training, please update us!

Regards,

A. Hi Ravi. It's really mostly just a matter of words, but when the electroplated layer comprises the object of interest, we usually call it an electroform.

For example, if hollow gold teardrop earrings are made by plating onto a wax form, then melting away the wax, it's called electroforming; whereas if a thin layer of gold is plated onto sterling silver earrings, it's called electroplating. If gold is plated onto an orchid and made into an earring, most people would probably call it electroforming, but some might call it electroplating depending on whether they think the plating layer or the orchid is the most essential object.

In many cases the plating on electroforms is much thicker than most other electroplating, and this may signal the need for slightly different process chemistry or slower plating rates to combat problems which might not develop with much thinner layers.

Regards,

A. Hi Chih. Personally, unless you are interested in tin plating, which is unfortunately omitted from it, I would start with the Metal Finishing Guidebook.

Regards,