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Why Anodizing Uses a Hollow Copper Work Bar

Quickstart:
     In production anodizing and plating, it is usual to suspend one or more plating racks from a copper bar or aluminum & copper structure that spans from one side of the tank to the other. This bar is often called a work bar or flight bar.
     The tank is equipped with copper or brass contacts (often called saddles or v-blocks) mounted on the rims of the tank and bussed to the power supply. The bar sits down on these saddles. The bar carries the anodizing or plating current from the saddles to the racks; the racks in turn are conductive, carrying the current to the workpieces.
    

Q. Curious as to whether it matters if a copper flight bar for anodizing work is hollow?

That is to say, if the copper flight bar is like a pipe, but with closed ends, versus a solid piece of copper all the way through, will this potentially affect anything like carrying capacity?

I've usually seen solid pieces of copper or aluminum for flight bars.

Matthew
Employee - Illinois
July 1, 2025

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