Is electropolishing an improved kind of plating?

Thank you for the kind words, cousin Shiv. Yes, this site is blessed to have a cadre of regular contributors who respond to the inquiries here -- and from whom I and readers like yourself learn every day.

These "regulars" have not only answered thousands of finishing questions, but their generosity & helpfulness has enabled me to hold the world's best job for almost 20 years now. So, before addressing your question, let me pause for a moment and let Bob Dylan and George Harrison express my heartfelt thanks to our "regulars" .

A. Electroplating involves depositing a layer of metal onto another surface. Some examples would be the ubiquitous zinc plating of steel fasteners for corrosion resistance and clean appearance, the nickel-chrome plating of plastic automobile grills, gold plating of electronic contacts, and silver plating of flatware.

Electropolishing operates at reverse polarity from electroplating and involves the electrolytic removal of metal from a surface. Stainless steel is the most commonly electropolished material, and the reason for electropolishing it is to smooth the surface and to enrich it with chrome. It's not just for decoration, but for cleanliness in places like dairies and pharmaceutical packaging. Aluminum is also frequently electropolished for smoothness and reflectivity, as in telescope mirrors.

Scientists tell us that a fractal, such as a coastline, looks essentially the same regardless of the level of magnification. Similarly, a mechanically polished surface resembles a plowed field and always will, regardless of the fineness of the abrasive -- it's just a matter of what magnification you need to use to best see the furrowed field. Electropolishing dissolves away the clods, generating a smoother, more sanitary surface which, at high magnification, resembles ocean swells rather than plowed fields.

So now you will understand that I can't really answer your question about cost effectiveness and durability because electroplating and electropolishing are very different. Welcome to the forum and please try to help others with their problems; it's one of the best ways to learn :-)

A. Hi Vivek. To acquire a good understanding of electropolishing you can contact a specialist in the subject who offers training courses. There is a 20-page chapter in the Electroplating Engineering Handbook [on AbeBooks or eBay or Amazon affil links] which is an excellent introduction to the topic. A 12 volt rectifier can probably handle your parts; 200 ASF is probably enough to avoid etching, but there's a lot to it including selecting the electrolyte first, so you may want to retain a consultant to cut down on the development time. Good luck.

Regards,