Summary for electroforming phonograph record stampers Discussion
electroforming phonograph record stampers is the specialty process Matt E. is seeking for a vinyl pressing plant in Cleveland, as demand for records rises and he wants additional plating shops beyond the one U.S. independent facility he knows. Sara Mortensen Bales first asks whether he means a plater or a stamper, prompting a technical explanation of the workflow: after the lacquer master is cut, it is silvered, then heavily nickel plated and separated to form a nickel electroform that can be chrome flashed for wear resistance and used as the stamper/mold. The reply notes that high-volume production often uses a second-generation nickel electroform to make more stampers. The answer emphasizes that this is a specialty process requiring precision equipment, rotating spindle-mounted discs, specialty shields, sulphamate nickel, and anode arrangements that create the so-called "magic stress reducer."
RFQ. Hello:
We are a vinyl record pressing plant in Cleveland, and due to ever increasing demand for vinyl records, we are interested in finding additional plating shops interested in making the metal stampers we use to manufacture records.
While still a niche industry, demand for vinyl records continues to increase substantially. There is currently one independent plating facility in the U.S. which services this industry, and while it is extremely reputable and does excellent work, we are interested in speaking with other facilities due to the increase in demand.
Thank you!
Matt E [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
– Cleveland, Ohio, USA
February 22, 2012
Ed. note: This RFQ is outdated, but technical replies are welcome, and readers are encouraged to post their own RFQs. But no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?).
March 7, 2012
? “we are interested in finding additional plating shops interested in making the metal stampers we use to manufacture records”
I am unfamiliar with the process of manufacturing records, I am wondering if you are looking for a plater or a stamper? Could you clarify what you’re looking for? Thanks!
Sara Mortensen
Bales Metal Surface Solutions
Downers Grove, Illinois
March 7, 2012
A. Hi, Sara.
Briefly, after the lacquer master is engraved with the tracks, it is metallized with a spray silver solution, and then nickel plated very thickly, and separated from the lacquer master. This nickel electroform can be chrome flashed for abrasion resistance and used as a “stamper” (actually a mold might be a better name) for the vinyl records. More commonly, because high volumes are often involved, a whole second generation of nickel electroforms is made by electroforming onto the first nickel electroform and separating them, and then electroforming more “stampers” from the 2nd generation electroform.
Because of the precision that is required, it’s rather a specialty, and equipment whereby the discs are mounted onto a spindle and revolve during plating, and include specialty shields, is usually employed. The plating solution is usually sulphamate nickel, and often the plating cells include specialty anode arrangements to deliberately generate the sulphamate breakdown products sometimes called “magic stress reducer”.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
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