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Faster, Thicker Silver Plating?

Is there an electroplating or electroless plating method used that could plate approximately .005 inches (or ~130 microns) of silver on copper components in a short amount of time (less than an hour or two)? Currently, It has been taking me several hours to achieve this thickness through conventional electroplating methods. Also, I would like to avoid the rough, grainy texture that forms. I plate several hundred copper parts a day and my current method really slows down production when I do thicker plating.

Joe Morton
Plating shop employee - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
March 15, 2009

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Consult a text on high speed silver plating. It is possible, but it uses a more concentrated solution, higher temperature and better agitation as well as everything capable of carrying the extra current. You probably will have to re work your jigs.

The negative is you will need to pay more attention to the tank chemistry, you will generate more carbonates, you will have a higher drag out, require better rinsing and the waste treatment system capable of handling the higher cyanide levels in the waste.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
March 19, 2009

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March 28, 2009

When you do electroforming don't look for fast processes.
Look for good slow processes.
If you want to improve the surface quality you can try pulse plating which let you produce nanosilver and very smooth surfaces

Ricardo Burstein
Bnei Berak, Israel