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Zinc Plated Barrels

2001

Here's my problem, plating chloride zinc on steel. New bath makeup and new chemistry supplier. Plating approx. 400 A/ 6 volts per station. Barrels are actually plating up. The outside of the cylinder (polypro) is getting plated. Where should I start to troubleshoot? Rectifier?, solution? or barrel?

Thanks for the help.

Brian Lucas
- Wolcott, CT USA

I have seen this happen in cases where loose MS borings or components themselves get stuck in the perforations of the barrels, and start getting built up with plating.

Start by looking inside the barrel.

Best of luck.

Khozem Vahaanwala
Saify Ind

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

2001

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I have seen similar on a tin lead barrel line, problem was chemistry...unfortunately, the barrels were trashed in the process..... as memory serves, the chemistry was powder based. I don't know the vendor, but my customers barrels built up and clogged at a very rapid rate, requiring redrilling until the problem was solved.

Customer switched chemistry suppliers and problem disappeared.

Some other things to check....

If your barrels are treeing , i.e., actually a plate buildup , you will need to extensively clean and remove the plate with a hammer and chisel , then use a stripper to remove the balance completely...treeing starts from "chad" [chips of metal]getting stuck in the holes..

If the barrels had a buildup before , they will tend to build up again...just the nature of polypro....

hope this helps

Ron Landrette
plating equipment supplier - Bristol, Connecticut
2001