Cleaning During the Electroplating Process

Electroplating process, pre-finishing procedures such as cleaning, stripping and polishing are extremely important activities that must be performed in order to produce a quality metal finish. Without a properly cleaned surface, even the most expensive metal coatings will fail to adhere or protect an object from the outside environment. Some of the issues associated with improper cleaning techniques include:

Poor Adhesion – This issue in the electroplating process can create blistering or peeling on the substrate as a result, of over cleaning, improper polarity in the electro-cleaner, or failures to remove all dirt, oil or grease from an object. American plating company avoids theses issues at all costs.

Pitting – This issue is a very common problem in the metal plating industry. The condition of the base metal surface and may arise from not removing all of the oil or grease off an object before starting the electroplating process.

Stains – This problem is typically caused by cleaner drying on an object, high cleaning temperatures or failing to remove any dirt or residue from the metal base during electroplating.

Roughness – Failure to remove any unwanted dirt or oil from the metal base consequently, results in unwanted textures.

All of these issues can cause major complications during the plating process. Fortunately, with the proper cleaning techniques and procedures quality is not only achievable but expected.

At American Plating Company we treat every step of the plating process with great scrutiny and delicate precision. Producing some of the finest metal finishes in the industry. For a quote or more information on electroplating give us a call at (314) 776-0542.

References:

Regenstein, L. “Metal Finishing Industry.” Pre-Finishing Operations. Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, 1997. Web. 13 July 2015.

Standard Guide for Cleaning Metals Prior to Electroplating. West Conshohocken, Pa: ASTM International, 2009. Print.