What is electroplating?
Electroplating has been for quite a long time and evolved from being an art to a small but consequential part of science. It is also considered part of engineering and has ever widening applications in various areas of engineering. Overt the last few years, the use of the electroplating process has increased in manufacturing electrical or electronic components which also includes optics, micro macro, sensors and opto – electronics. Of course, it remains the single most essential process where silver and gold plating or any other metal plating is bothered.
Electroplating is also called as electrodeposition and is used for making a metallic coating on the surface of an object using electric current. The method of electroplating needed adding a negative charge on the object to be plated and then immerse it in an ionic solution carrying positive charge. The positively charged ions are attracted to the negative charged surface of the object and thus coating takes place.
Electroplating and its types
The process of electroplating is used for coating any type of object with particular metals, which also includes gold, silver, aluminum, chromium and nickel. There are four types of electroplating methods and the type of process to be used depends primarily on the object to be coated the properties to be enhanced and metal to be used for coating. The various types of electroplating process include.
Rack – this electroplating process that is performed with a rack for holding the parts of an object that have to be plated. The work piece that require plating is mounted and then immersed in the plating solution. It is also called as batch plating.
Barrel plating
This is considered as affordable option of electroplating and is used where customer have particular plating requirements. This plating accommodates objects of various shapes, sizes and purpose of plating. There are two types of barrel plating oblique barrel and horizontal barrel.
Other plating process includes mass plating, in – line plating and continuous plating. the objective of various types of electroplating processes remains the same, which is to enhance the feel and looks of an object or to enhance the inherent qualities of the object in question.