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Small plating shop looking to expand

Howdy.

I own and operate a small plating shop that is looking to expand into several other areas of the finishing industry. I have a two questions about the two things I am looking into.

First, electroplating plastics; I know it can be done but how? What is needed? From what I have read I seem already set up to add it into the line up, is this true?

Second, anodizing; Once again I ask how is it done and what is need to do this? What would I have to add/change to add this in to our production as well?

I thank anyone and everyone that can add some insight on these subjects for me.

Chase Pisarski
Owner of a Plating Shop - West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
November 11, 2009

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Hi, Chase. The most commonly plated plastic is ABS. This requires a chromic acid etch, followed by a dip in palladium chloride, followed by a dip in a proprietary tin solution (all plating-on-plastic pretreatments are to my knowledge proprietary, and vary a little, so go to your preferred plating chemistry vendor for a pretreatment cycle. Then electroless nickel plating, then copper-nickel-chrome. "Standards & Guidelines for Electroplated Plastic" is the book that covers this in depth.

Anodizing of aluminum usually involves non-etch cleaning, etch, desmut, anodize, dye, seal. A good intro to anodizing is Robert Probert's "Aluminum How-to".

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
November 11, 2009