At Electro-Spec, we listen very intently to what our customers have to say. This gives us a comprehensive insight into their needs and priorities and lays the groundwork for innovating successful long-term solutions to their immediate challenges.
A customer in the automotive industry was having consistency issues with the electroless nickel plating of a geometrically complex component. The vendor was rack plating the parts due to a critical feature they felt would be damaged by a barrel plating process. Since rack plating did not permit solution exchange in and out of the I.D. bore, the coverage was inconsistent and unacceptable.
We examined the part and developed a process using variable speed barrels on automated flight bars. This solution would avoid damaging the part while promoting solution exchange for consistent plating on both the O.D. and I.D. Closely supervised PLC automation of the flight bars gave us unparalleled process control for repeatable, traceable operation in this safety-critical and high-reliability application. Far less labor-intensive than rack plating, we were able to save the customer significant expense while achieving a much higher quality component.
Rigorous testing, both in the field and in simulation studies, ultimately led the “Big Three” automakers to approve this innovative plating strategy.
To learn more about this project or how our foresighted and resourceful plating solutions can benefit your organization, contact us today.
