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Making rree-standing gold foils by electroplating

Is it feasible to make free-standing gold foils of 2 to 7 micron (0.0001 to 0.0003") thickness using electroplating or PVD? Any supplier? What would be the cost of a 6" dia foil?

Mandar Sunthankar
- Fort Collins, Colorado
1999

1999

Actually, they call it electroforming when you're making a part by electroplating processes. You make a mandrel out of wax, aluminum, or passivated stainless steel and start plating. The well known "Plater B", Berl Stein, is an electroforming expert who usually does prototype work and production work in nickel or cobalt at NiCoForm [a finishing.com supporting advertiser] [Rochester, NY] but he may be able to help.

The cost of precious metals is a driving force in their cost. Look up the daily cost of gold, add maybe 100 percent for the losses in making gold solution from gold, and the losses in making gold from gold solution, plus labor and machine depreciation for a rough cost until you can get quotes.

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

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