THEME PLATING PROCESS

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

COURSE Manufacturing Processes II

CYCLE VI

CAMPOS TROYES ALEXANDER

GARCIA RENDO RULY

GONZALES VILLALOBOS CLEIVER R.

HERRERA ZURITA GROVER L.

VALLEJOS HERNÁNDEZ CÉSAR.

LEFT PEÑA WILSON.

RAMIREZ SANTOS LEODAN

PROFESSOR: ING. ROBERTH SOTO

 GILDED
According to (Groover, 1997), it is determined that: "plating involves the

coating of a thin metallic layer on the surface of a material

of substrate. The reasons for plating include:

Protection against corrosion.

Wear resistance.
Higher electrical conductivity.
Increase the electrical resistance.
Improve the appearance of the product.
Improve and prepare the surface for a subsequent substrate.
Reconstruct worn surfaces during service.

Electrodeposition is an electrochemical process through which it is achieved

to cover a piece with a thin layer of a certain metal. To achieve this, the
piece to be covered in an electrolytic solution containing the metal ions that will form
the cape.

According to (Karla Lopez A, 2016), it reveals the processes of plating that

will be described below.

I. Electroplating:
It is a technique that uses the electrodeposition of metals in the
coating of an electrode, to create on it a surface with
distinct characteristics from those of metal in its pure state.

Electrolytic process, in which ions are deposited in a solution

electrolysis on a workpiece that functions as a cathode
(-).
The anode (+) is always made of the metal that is coated.
cathode.
 Applications:

Direct current is passed from a

transformer between the anode and the
cathode.

2. Electrolyte: it is the aqueous solution of

acids, bases, or salts, which allows the
conduction of electric current
through the movement of ions
metallic.

A. EQUIPMENT
According to (Garcia, 2009), it states that: 'The teams and tools
"employees in the electroplating process are named below."

a. Electrolytic cells
The vats or troughs must meet certain conditions that are
fundamentals: they must resist acid attack, not contaminate
the electrolyte, not being conductors of electric current and, furthermore,
they must be kept off the floor to avoid suffering the effects
corrosives from spilled liquids.

An electrolytic cell formation in an industrial plant of

electroplating

Fig. 1 Industrial formation of electrolytic cells Source: (Garcia, 2009)

 Electric heaters
Electric heaters are resistances, built in sheaths.
metallic, quartz, or thermal glass. Its use has become widespread due to being
easy to assemble in any area of the tub.
It is very important for baths that operate at room temperature,
that it should not be lower than 17°C, since, in some alkaline baths,
crystallization effects occur and, therefore, a decrease in the
density. To solve this issue, one can heat a
portion of the electrolyte by removing it from the tank, thus raising the
temperature of the entire set, or have a heater available
auxiliary electric, to quickly compensate for cooling
abnormal of the bathrooms.

Fig. 2 Immersion electric heaters Source: (Garcia, 2009)

c. Running water system for rinsing

The workshop must have a complete running water installation.
for rinsing parts and general cleaning. It is very important
study the location of the bathrooms following the operational order of
work. The different types of tanks (degreasing,
stripping, rinsing, drying, etc.). Near each bath,
electrolytic or not, a rinse container should be placed,
usually referred to as recovery rinse, since in it
They will concentrate the remnants of the solution from which the pieces come.

d. Direct current sources

Current sources are commonly referred to as rectifiers.
continue to be responsible for providing the necessary electricity supply for

carry out the various galvanic processes. The rectifier equipment

They are essentially made up of a transformer and a bridge.
rectifier. The transformer serves the purpose of separating the line from
low voltage output entry. The rectifier bridge converts the
alternating current to direct current.

DC source for electroplating industry

Source: (Garcia, 2009)

e. Personal protective equipment

In every company there are unbreakable situations of danger where
businessmen, technicians, managers and other technical and labor personnel,
they have designed strategies in order to avoid the constant rate of
workplace accidents in the industry in general; however, despite
it is recommended to find the epicenter of the problem to address it and
 to solve it from the root, this is not always possible. It is for this reason
that personal protective equipment plays a fundamental role in
the hygiene and safety of the worker, since they are responsible for
avoid direct contact with surfaces, environment, apart from creating
comfort at the workplace. Personal protective equipment has
to mainly prevent accidents that could disrupt the
health of students in the development of practices of
galvanoplasty in the metallurgy and metalography laboratory.

f. other equipment (hooks, frames): These systems are used

often to hold and keep the pieces inside the
electrolyte. They are usually used when processing needs to be done
large batches of parts with the same format.

Fig. 4 Different hook designs for suspending pieces. Source: (Garcia, 2009)

B. APPLICATIONS

Increase in thickness in objects or pieces with insufficient dimensions

for specific functions in the industry.
Reinforcement of properties such as hardness or resistance of certain
metals through successive coatings.
 Manufacturing of parts by electroforming (method for the creation of
metal parts due to the accumulation of metals on patterns
specifics).
Decorative elements using electrochemical techniques
different metals.
Protection of various materials through their coating
surface using protective films of metal alloys.

[Link]

Reception of raw material: they enter the supply warehouse, for the
the development of this stage requires the metal pieces to be coated,
particular pieces of iron, steel, brass, copper, among others. In addition, it
it requires other supplies such as solvents. If the piece to be galvanized is
greasy dirty, a chemical degreasing is necessary to remove oils and
Fats. This type of degreasing is to immerse the piece in an alkaline solution.

The alkaline solutions used in this step are the following:

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH).

Potassium hydroxide (KOH).
Trisodium phosphate (Na3PO4).
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA).
Sodium pyrophosphate (Na4P2O7).
Sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3).
Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3).
Solvents (trichloroethane, perchloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride).
Sales for galvanization (sulfates, chlorides, nickel cyanides, chromium or
tin).

2. Degreasing or chemical cleaning: it consists of the removal of fats and

oil of the fats and oils on the surface of the metal parts. For
Here, three types of degreasing are used, where the type must be considered.
of fat that has adhered to the material. These are:
 cleaning with alkalis by immersion or spraying.
Degrease with organic solvents.
Electrolytic degreasing with alkalis.

3. Degreasing wash: it consists of washing the parts with water until eliminated
the waste from the previous stage due to the possibility of producing stains and
irregular coatings. Water is required, and as a result, they will be generated.
contaminated wastewater with the chemicals used in degreasing.

4. Decapping or deoxidation: it involves removing the layers of formed oxide.

on the surfaces of the parts that I know is done when the coating
It is protective type. The stripping is done by immersing the pieces in a
acidic or alkaline solution. The alkaline solutions that are used are
hydroxides and carbonates, inorganic and organic additives or surfactants. The
Acid solutions used can be sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid,
hydrofluoric. At the end of this stage, wastewater and sludge are generated due to
to the removal of oxides.

5. Stripping wash: At this point, the rinsing of the pieces is carried out.
metallic in a tank with water to prevent in the following stages
there are residues of acids.

6. Physical cleaning: Cleaning materials and water at temperature are required.

environment to eliminate the particles that the brushes cannot remove. The
waste generated from this stage are: wastewater, fiber waste
and yarns, and particles of the material.

7. Electrolysis: It is the stage of coating the piece. Materials are used.

metallics such as: sulfates, chlorides, nickel cyanides, chromium, zinc, and tin.
Additional chemical agents are also used: naphthalene trisulfonate
sodium and formaldehyde. The waste generated is liquid waste.
from the solutions of nickel, chromium, zinc, and tin, and empty containers of them
used chemicals.
8. Hot washing: All impurities present are removed.
piece, due to contact with the electrolytic bath. The washing can be done
end by immersing the pieces in the washing tank with solution, either
inside a drum or by continuous water flow through nozzles to a
tank with constant volume with input and output devices of
cleaning solution. For this stage of the process, a solution will be used.
dilute hydrochloric acid and water and this gives rise to wastewater with
residual hydrochloric acid.

9. Drying: In this stage of the process, the metal parts must be dried, the
as quickly as possible after galvanizing and final washing to avoid the
appearance of stains on metal deposits. Drying can be
carry out on a drying table by means of spraying with hot air.

10. Accepted: At this stage of the process, a protective layer is placed against the
air humidity and at the same time make it easier to handle, for this the part is
passes an oil that allows you to apply small amounts of oil to the
surface in a homogeneous shape.

II. ELECTROFORMING:

According to (Quiñones, A; Valera, M; Villalobos, F, 2016), it is determined that: “The

Electroforming is a process by which parts or molds can be constructed.

by electrodeposition of metals, accurately reproducing shapes and textures
impossible to obtain by other methods. The first applications of this
technology was related to the creation of replicas of works of art,
currently it is used in the aerospace industry (main chamber of
combustion of the space shuttle), for the manufacturing of waveguides of
intricate form, in the production of compact discs and video and for the
manufacturing of micro-components in the electronics industry.

The electroforming process has the following comparative advantages

regarding other processes for the manufacture of pieces or molds:
 Faithful reproduction of details and textures.
Modification of the mechanical properties of the products
electroformed, by adjusting the parameters of the bath of
electroforming.
Manufacturing of pieces with complex internal geometries.

The inconveniences associated with the nature of these processes are:

In general, it is more expensive than other methods.
Processing times are often long (days, weeks).
There are limitations in the design of parts with deep recesses.
the sharp angles.
Deposits can exhibit internal stresses.

It is necessary to select the stages, the bathrooms, and the conditions of

operations that ensure:

Homogeneous, adhesive, and very thin metalized coating of the piece.

Easy separation of the electroformed piece.
Mechanical properties of the part or mold, suitable for the
service conditions (pressure, temperature, etc.).

Fig. 5 Jewelry with the electroforming process

Source: (Quiñones, A; Valera, M; Villalobos, F, 2016)

A. TEAM

B. PROCESS

The process is applied as an example in the jewelry made by

electroforming that consists of objects coated with nickel, copper or
precious metals. Generally, one starts by coating the piece
with a conductive spray and is submerged in a liquid metallic solution
connected to electrical terminals that carry out the process of
electroforming. In this way, the piece is gradually formed,
through a process that lasts a few hours, depending on the
thickness of the piece to be obtained.

Fig. 6 Jewelry coated by electroforming

Source: (Quiñones, A; Valera, M; Villalobos, F, 2016)

III. PLATED WITHOUT ELECTRICITY:

According to (Quiñones, A; Valera, M; Villalobos, F, 2016), it asserts that: "It is the

name given to the coating process that occurs completely

through chemical reactions, an external power source is not required
electric. The deposition of the metal onto the surface of a piece occurs in a
aqueous solution that contains the metal ions for plating that will be
to use. The process uses a reducing agent and the surface of the workpiece
acts as a catalyst for the reaction. The metals that can be used
for the plating without electricity there are few.

The most common metal for plating without electricity is nickel and some others.
of its alloys (Ni-Co, Ni-P, and Ni-B).

Copper is also used, and to a lesser extent, gold as metals for

plated. Nickel plating is used for applications that require
a high resistance to corrosion and wear. The copper plating without
electricity is used to coat through holes in circuit boards
prints. Copper can also be used on plastic parts with
decorative purposes.

The advantages of the electroplating process without electricity are as follows:

Uniform coating thicknesses on piece geometries
complex.
The process can be used on metallic and non-metallic substrates.
A direct current supply is not needed.

IV. HOT IMMERSION:

It is a process in which a metallic substrate is immersed in a bath
melted from a second metal; after removal, the second metal coats
to the first. The first metal must have a higher melting point than
the second. The most common substrate metals are: Steel, Iron, Zinc
Aluminum, Tin.
Hot immersion works to form transition layers on
variable alloy compounds. The main purpose of immersion in
hot is the protection against corrosion. Normally, two operate.
mechanisms to provide this protection:

Barrier protection, the coating acts as a shield for the

metal that is underneath.
Sacrificial protection, the coating corrodes through a process.
slow electrochemical process to preserve the substrate.

PROCESS

PROCESS OF DRYING IN
IMMERSION AIR GALVANIZATION
ON FIRE HOT

RECEPTION
DEL FLUXADO COOLING
MATERIAL

TIE AND
HANGING FROM RINSE INSPECTION
THE PIECES

DEGREASE DECAPITATED

Source: own
 According to (IDU, 2014) in its informational document, it presents an alternative

protection of metal structures that are affected by the

corrosion present in the environment. Therefore, it determines the process of
hot immersion as an alternative of which the stages are described
continuation.

RECEPTION OF MATERIAL
It is very important to consider the material that is going to be galvanized, it is

it is necessary to have adequate drainage, which ensures the free flow of

the applied solutions. Therefore, reinforcements must be taken into account,
corner pieces and fixings that have been cut to the necessary measurements.

Fig. 7 Sample of suitable slits in metal structure Source: (IDU, 2014)

Fig. 8Destijeres in tubular structure Source: (IDU, 2014)

2. ASSEMBLY AND FIXING OF PARTS

In order for the production process to begin, it is necessary
determine the specific inclination of the material for a correct hanging of the
likewise, this angle of inclination is determined according to the type of material to

galvanize.

Fig. 9 Metal parts in black prepared by the operator in the hooks for the entrance of the
material to acids.

Source: (IDU, 2014)

3. DEGREASE
One of the important activities prior to the introduction of the pieces
the elements to be galvanized. This activity consists of immersing the piece in a
degreasing bath to eliminate organic contaminants such as grease, oil
and earth that stick to the metal surface

Fig. 10 Degreasing tank. Source: (IDU, 2014)

 4. DECAPING
During this stage, the removal of rust present on the pieces is sought.
to galvanize, using a diluted solution in hydrochloric acid
at 17%. The removal of rust from the surfaces of the parts allows for
galvanization should be carried out on a chemically clean surface.
In this tank, the pieces are immersed for 10 to 20 minutes. They must be previously
to be completely free of impurities, scaling, paint, dust, and others
products that prevent optimal galvanizing.

Fig. 11 Hydrochloric acid tank. Source: (IDU, 2014)

5. RINSE
In the previous stage 'Stripping', a series of acids remain attached to the
material, therefore it is necessary to rinse the material to achieve a surface
cleaner and prevent such acids from reaching the other stages of the process.

Fig. 12 Water rinse tank Source: (IDU, 2014)

 FLUXADO
The main objective of this stage is to facilitate the adherence of zinc to the
surface of the material (iron or steel) and thus prevent other oxides from forming
on the surface of the metal before being galvanized. For this it is necessary
apply a salt bath (zinc chloride and ammonium chloride). This process lasts
from 10 to 20 minutes.

Fig. 13 Flux tank. Source: (IDU, 2014)

7. HOT AIR DRYING

During this stage, the metal piece or structure is dried and prepared.
To galvanize this, it is done using hot air.

Fig. 14 Drying plate. Source: (IDU, 2014)

 Galvanization
During this stage, in a bath of zinc melted at 99.9% purity, the
material is completely submerged for enough time to reach
a temperature of 450°C.

Fig. 15 Hot-dip galvanized tub. Source: (IDU, 2014)

9. COOLING
After galvanizing the material, it is necessary to immerse it in water at
ambient temperature, this in order to cool it down and thus be able to inspect it.

Fig. 16 Cooling tank. Source: (IDU, 2014)

 10. INSPECTION
To begin the visual inspection process, it is necessary to review the material.
galvanized for compliance with the specifications
relevant. The uniformity in the finish, thickness, adhesion of the
coating and of course its final appearance. It is important to point out that the
inspection is carried out visually.

Table 1 Reference table for acceptance of hot-dip coated parts.

Source: (IDU, 2014)

In conclusion, the hot-dip galvanizing process, well

performed, create at least three layers of alloys on the surface of the piece
of iron-zinc, with different proportion, and a last one composed entirely
by zinc. The three layers of alloy, starting from the base steel, are known
like "gamma" (75% zinc), "delta" (90%), and "zeta" (94%), the exterior is only assigned
It is called 'eta'. The average hardness decreases the more zinc the alloy has.

Fig. 17 Layers created by hot immersion.