ALL ABOUT MY JOB (ELECTROPLATING)

Hi to all stemians and have a good day. Today Im going to introduce my job to you. Im an electroplating section head since 2006. I've been in this field for 15 years already. This work is just hard to imagine but in reality its just really light and easy.

Electroplating is a process which a metallic is coated with one or more thin layers of some other metal such as copper, nickel and silver. It is the applications of metallic coating by means of an electrochemical process. Electrochemical because it is concerned with electrical energy and chemical energy.

CHEMICAL PREPARATIONS AND OPERATING CONDITIONS.

ALKALINE SOAK CLEANING

I mixed 10 kilos of caustic soda/sodium hydroxide and 1 liter of diswashing liquid to the container which 200 liters of distilled water.

Temperature --- room temperature
Dipping time --- 10 minutes

ELECTROLYTIC ALKALINE CLEANER

I dissolved 10 kilos of asahi cleaner c-4000t which contains of sodium hydroxide, sodium silicate, sodium metasilicate, and sodium carbonate to a 200 liters of distilled water in container and heat to 50 degrees celcius

Temperature --- 40 to 50 degrees celcius
Dipping time --- 3 minutes
Anodes --- stainless steel
Current density --- 8 ampere/decimeter
squared.

ACID DIP

I put 10 liters of sulfuric acid to a container with 200 liters of distilled water.

Temperature --- room temperature
Dipping time --- 10 to 30 seconds

NICKEL PLATING BATH PREPARATIONS

I filled the tank with 150 liters of distilled water and heat to 60 degree celcius. Then I add 8 kilos of boric acid, agitate to dissolve.

And I add 56 kilos of nickel sulphate

then 8 kilos of nickel chloride and dissolved.

After that I put an activated carbon to treat the solutions and agitate for 4 hours.

After treating the solutions I put into the plating tank, and add the 5 liters of brightener A and 400 ml of brightener B and adjust the volume and ph of the solutions.

Perform weak electrolysis about 1/2 ampere/decimeter squared for 30 to 40 minutes until completely covered.

OPERATING CONDITIONS

Current density --- 4 ampere/decimeter
squared
Temperature --- 55 degrees celcius
Voltage ---- 6-12 volts
Ph --- 5
Dipping time --- 15 minutes
Anodes --- nickel balls

And about the concentration of silver solutions, I dont know how to prepare silver strike and silver plate solution because the company just bought it.

Silver stike and silver plate operating conditions

Current density --- 0.5 ampere/decimeter squared
Dipping time --- 25 seconds
Temperature --- room temperature

SEALER CHROMATE

I mixed 16 liters of silver anti tarnish to a 100 liters of distilled water

Current density --- 1 ampere/decimeter squared
Temperature --- room temperature
Dipping time --- 25 seconds

CHEMICAL COSTING IN BATH TANKS

ALKALINE cleaner

distilled water 200 liters =150 pesos
Caustic soda/sodium hydroxide 10 kilos= 950 pesos
Diswashing liquid 1 liter =120pesos

ELECTROLYTIC cleaner

Distilled water 200 liters =150pesos
Asahi cleaner c-4000t 10 kilos= 2800pesos
Stainless steel grade 316=6400pesos

NICKEL PLATING

Distilled water 200 liters=150pesos
Nickel sulphate 56 kilos=23240pesos
Nickel chloride 8 kilos=3920pesos
Boric acid 8 kilos= 720pesos
Brightener A 5 liters =1250pesos
Brightener B 400 ml= 200pesos
Anti pitting compound 400 ml=180pesos
Nickel anode 40 kilos = 750pesos

SILVER PLATING TANKS

SILVER STRIKE
distilled water 60 liters =45pesos
Silver strike solution 60 liters=26400pesos
Stainless steel grade 316=6400pesos

SILVER PLATE
distilled water 60 liters=45pesos
Silver plate solution 60 liters=78000pesos
Silver brightener part A 1200ml=5400pesos
Silver brightener part B 120ml=660pesos
Stainless steel grade 316=6400pesos

SEALER CHROMATE
distilled water 60 liters=45pesos
Silver anti tarnish 60 liters=17400pesos
Stainless steel grade 316 = 6400pesos

Drag out --- distilled water 500 liters = 475pesos
Rinse water --- distilled water 2500 liters= 1900pesos

TOTAL COST = 182,200 pesos more or less price may varies.

If you like the electroplating business you already have an idea. I hope this small contribution on this platform will help you.
Thank you for dropping by and God blessed!