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How to Reduce Chemical Costs in Plating

Good Afternoon,

In our plating process, chemical usage is the number one expense.

Based on your experience, could someone please share with us tips or secrets to reduce the operation cost?

Thanks a lot!

Ramses Estrada
Plating - Tucson, Arizona, USA
2005

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That's awfully vague, Ramses. You could change to less expensive metals, seek lower cost suppliers, buy in larger bulk, reduce your plating thicknesses, increase your drag-out time, filter and reconstitute processes instead of disposing of them, add rinsing so they don't get contaminated, and a host of other things. Do you attend national conferences and local meetings of the plating industry?

But practically speaking, you need to quantify exactly where the dollars are going and try attacking problems one at a time, probably starting with the chemical that you spend the most money on.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2005