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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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Is there a difference between anodizing and plating rectifiers?

What is the difference (if any) between a plating rectifier and an anodizing rectifier. I see companies list the two units in separate categories. Can a plating rectifier not be used to anodize and can an anodizing rectifier not be used for plating? Curious...Thanks!

Daniel DeGueldre
anodizing shop entrepreneur - Ste. Anne, Manitoba, Canada
2004

2004

There is a difference only in the sense that there is a difference between a Chevy Malibu and a Jeep Liberty: different specifications for the same general class of item. For one thing, anodizing usually requires higher voltage than plating; an 18 or probably a 24 volt rectifier would be used for conventional anodizing whereas a lot of plating is done with a rectifier of 12 volts or less. And anodizing usually requires 'ramp control' (starting with a low voltage and gradually ramping up) while plating usually doesn't require that.

But it is not impossible that an anodizing shop could use a rectifier that was formerly used for plating, or vice versa.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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