copper plating production ?

[ddmachine]

I make some small 1"dia by 1" long steel tubs on the screw machine and need to put a light copper coat on them. what well I need to keep a system going thrue 2,000 to 3,000 parts per run. I only need about .0005 to .001 build up at most. Just to make them look good and keep them from rusting.
Thanks Duffy

[fly]

Re: copper plating production ?

With that thin of layer, your going to have rusting problems pretty early unless you use a clear coat or some kind of protective layer after the copper. THat is if your using carbon steel as your material, and in the weather exposed to rain and moisture. That is a lot of plating if you mean 2 or 3 thousand parts that need plating, you will need a long and narrow tank for that kind of set up. But it can be done, you need the flash copper and acid copper both the same amount in each tank. Look at the caswell site to see the two chemicals that you need and a manual will help also, and then do a little research on plastic welding and make your tanks like you want them. You can get by with one rectifier, but if you can get two that is what I would go with.

[sswee]

Re: copper plating production ?

Is there a specific need for copper other than rust protection? Caswell has several other coating methods better for rust prevention. SS

[jimcarry]

Re: copper plating production ?

Is there a specific need for copper other than rust protection? Caswell has several other coating methods better for rust prevention. SS

Yes ss the other specific need for copper plating is to disperse heat

[ddmachine]

Re: copper plating production ?

What the parts are is small sheet metal welding clamps ,,, I run 1" dia .060 wall tubing thrue the screw machine and cut it at 1" long ,,, then I make some steel caps that press fit into the end of the tubing , after that I need to plate them. I can put a heavy copper plate on them but they only sell for $3.50 each so I have to run them fast and cheap. the copper well help keep the welding plater off them and add some anti rust at the same time .

what I`m trying to find out is how mutch does it take to keep the tanks going with copper ... I well be running about 100 parts at a time.

1" X 3.14 = 3.14 square in on OD about the same for ID so Thats 6.28 + about 2" for cap ... so each part needs about 8 1/4 square inches of plating

how many Square inches of plating can one get out of the flash copper and the acid copper ?

Thanks
Duffy

[fxstcguy98]

Re: copper plating production ?

For what you are doing, you could do with just flash copper. I see no need to put acid copper on afterwards. An hour in Flash copper will give you .0001" thickness of plating which should be enough for your application. Flash copper is replenished by the anodes, so all you need is a bath that can hold all your parts, your anodes (caswells uses phosforized copper, but I don't know if it will work with oxy free copper), and about 3 or 4" gap on each side between the anodes and parts. Your running 8.25" X100 = 825 sqin x .15A/sqin give you 124 Amps (not including sqin of racking to hold parts). You will need a power supply that is at least 200A because of the volume that your running. I don't know how you plan on racking the parts, but they will probably have to be horizontal with the open end towards the anode in order to throw the copper down inside the capped end but you will still need to let the hydrogen bubbles out the prevent pits and bumps, you will have to play with different angles until you get it right.
Can't you just use copper tube with a copper pipe cap? Why does it need to be steel?