Need plating shop for electroforming phonograph record stampers

? "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!

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,