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Plating the inside of a box

I have a decorative zinc die casting about 4 x 2.5 x 2.5. Think of it as a small chest, hollow inside with a wall thickness of approx. .1". The cavity then is 2.4" deep x 3.8" long x 2.3" wide. The corners are square.

We are having these items gold plated but my supplier is having trouble plating the inside of the box. Is there a way to plate the inside of a box and to plate into corners? Are there any work arounds?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Andrew Cross
3-d solutions - Olds, Alberta, Canada
2006

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Hi Andrew,
Because the depth of the part is 2.4" it's tough to plate that inside dimension, especially in gold. Most platers use internal anodes such as thin platinum clad rods inserted into the center of the part. The plater will have to design a rack and anode configuration to conform with your parts. The only other option I can think of is immersion gold, which has thickness and color limitations. Good Luck!

Mark Baker
Process Engineer - Syracuse, New York
2006

He needs to put an auxiliary anode inside the box.

Russell Richter
- Danbury, Connecticut, USA
2006

Another option often taken by industrial designers. Not to fight a physical law, modify your design accordingly. Round off the inside corners.

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico
2006