Selecting the appropriate electroplating procedure is essential to get the best results and reduce the chance of harm to the final product. Barrel and rack plating are the most frequently used to plate several work pieces. While choosing the best approach for their project, the plater and customer must consider the advantages each offers and other factors. In this post, you will explore the differences between barrel and rack plating for your application:
Barrel Plating:
Suitable for small, loose objects, barrel plating, also referred to as barrel electroplating or mass plating, is a batch plating method. The work pieces are placed inside a revolving barrel or drum with the plating solution and metal ions. The pieces fall as the barrel revolves, producing consistent metal deposition on all surfaces. Barrel plating is very effective and helpful when processing large quantities of small parts.
Benefits of Barrel Plating:
High Efficiency:
Barrel plating maximizes productivity by minimizing plating time by processing numerous pieces simultaneously.
Budget-Friendly:
Barrel plating is a cost-effective choice for mass manufacturing since it can plate huge quantities of small parts in a single batch.
Consistent Coating:
Even plating is ensured on all surfaces, even in cavities and nooks, via tumbling motion.
Barrel plating’s uses include:
For small, innocuous elements like connectors, terminals, and tiny metal components used in the automotive, aerospace, and electronics sectors, barrel plating is frequently utilized.
Rack Plating:
Rack plating is a selective plating technique that works well for larger, more delicate, and complicated objects. This technique involves mounting each work piece separately on racks before submerging them in the plating solution. The plating process may be precisely controlled because each rack can store one or more pieces. Rack plating ensures that particular work piece surfaces or sections get the appropriate plating layer. Plating services alter the item’s surface to enhance its performance and appearance.
Benefits of Rack Plating:
Customized plating:
Rack plating enables selective plating, giving you exact control over how thick the plating is on various work piece areas.
Fit for Complicated Shapes:
Racks can safely hold delicate or complicated items with elaborate geometries in place during the plating process.
Applications of Rack Plating:
Rack plating is frequently utilized for parts with intricate geometries, larger parts, and fragile objects that are too delicate to survive the tumbling action of barrel plating. It’s common in high-end jewelry, medical gadgets, aerospace, and automotive industries.
Operational Ideas:
Although there are advantages to both barrel and rack plating, choosing the right method depends on several operational considerations, including:
Thickness of Plating:
Although rack plating enables more exact and targeted control over plating thickness in particular places, barrel plating offers a more uniform thickness throughout all parts.
Throughput:
The capacity of barrel plating to treat numerous pieces at once makes it perfect for high-volume production. However, rack plating works well in low to medium-volume production where each part requires specific care.
Bottom Line:
The differences between barrel and rack plating can be well understood by reading the above mentioned points. For aerospace-related plating services, such as airplane connectors & terminals, you can count on Eigen. These connectors & terminals can withstand the temperature even when the airplane is exposed to extreme conditions.
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