Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989


-----

Cracking in Plated Plastic

We have encountered failures in the form of cracking in the plating on ABS substrates. Is there a predictable maximum strain that can be tolerated before cracking in the plating arises?

Bill Lucier
- Arvada, Colorado
2005

Normally when you have cracking on plastics you have stress in the moulded parts, a special test to know if your parts have stress is immerse the parts in acetic acid [on eBay or Amazon] 100% v and you can observed the flow stress on the plastics and I think is the same zone that you had problems, is necessary that you change your gates in your molds, or kind of plastic or set ups of the machines.

Gabriel Ramirez Nuñez
- Toluca
2005

---

Molded in stress is the problem and/or parting line mis-match. The key to molding plateable ABS is hot material-mold and SLOW fill rate. I am in the process of writing a guide to molding plateable AB.
Can anyone help me with a good source for information on the plating process for ABS. I understand the process but would like put a chapter in the guide so molders can also get a good understanding of the process.

Joe Phillips
Injection Molder - Hillsdale, Michigan
2005

---

2005

ASEP published a good book on the subject, "Standards and Guidelines, Electroplated Plastics".

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

finishing.com is made possible by ...