The Difference Between Rack Plating and Barrel Plating
author: YITECH
2025-02-26
Definition of electroplating
Electroplating is the process of depositing metal or alloy on the surface of a workpiece by electrolysis to form a uniform, dense and well-bonded metal layer. Simply put, it is a physical and chemical change or combination.
Common electroplating methods include rack plating and barrel plating. What is the difference between the rack plating and barrel plating?
Definition difference
1.Rack plating: Rack plating is suitable for products of general size and is the most commonly used method in electroplating production. During electroplating, the workpiece is hung on a hanger made of a material with good conductive properties, and then immersed in the electroplating solution of the metal to be plated as the cathode. Anodes are placed at appropriate distances on both sides. After power is turned on, metal ions are deposited on the surface of the part.
The characteristics of rack plating are: suitable for electroplating of various parts; the current density of a single piece is high and does not change with time during electroplating, the tank voltage is low, the temperature rise of the plating solution is slow, the carryover is small, and the uniformity of the plated parts is good; but the productivity is low and the maintenance of equipment and auxiliary tools is large.
2. Barrel plating: Roll plating is another common method in electroplating production. It is a method of placing the parts to be plated in a polygonal drum, relying on the weight of the workpiece to connect the cathode, and realizing metal electrodeposition during the rotation of the drum.
Compared with rack plating, the biggest advantage of roll plating is that it saves labor, improves productivity, has low equipment maintenance costs and occupies a small area, and has good uniformity of the plating layer on the plated parts. However, the scope of use of roll plating is limited, and the plated parts should not be too large or too light. The current density of a single piece is small, the current efficiency is low, the tank voltage is high, the tank liquid temperature rises quickly, and the amount of plating liquid carried out is large.
Different processes
1.Rack plating is also called "hanging plating". It is electroplating performed by hanging the workpiece with a hanger. It is the most commonly used electroplating method. The hanger must be in firm contact with the part to ensure that the current flows evenly through the plated part. The hanger should be designed according to the actual production situation and must be easy to load and unload. Rack plating is suitable for electroplating parts with high precision requirements.
2.Roll plating is to load the workpiece into the drum. It is suitable for small parts and has a large number of parts per drum. The drum is a material holding device that carries small parts and is plated during the continuous rolling process. The typical drum is in the shape of a hexagonal prism and is placed horizontally. One side of the drum wall is open. During electroplating, a certain number of small parts are loaded into the drum from the opening, and then the drum door is closed to close the opening. The drum wall is covered with many small holes. During electroplating, the conduction of current between the parts and the anode, the renewal of the solution inside and outside the drum, and the discharge of exhaust gas all need to pass through these small holes. The cathode conductive device in the drum passes through the central axis hole on both sides of the drum through copper wire or rod, and is then fixed on the conductive feet of the left and right wall panels of the drum. The parts are naturally connected to the cathode conductive device by their own gravity in the drum.
DongGuan YiTai Electronic Technologies Co.,Ltd
DongGuan YiTai Electronic Technologies Co.,Ltd is a manufacturing service provider located in Dongguan, China.
YiTai specialized in CNC turning machining and sheet metal fabrication mainly. As a member of Hung Mou Group, we focus on the overseas marketing development. And based on our parent company’s manufacturing capability and resources, YiTai also expended machining services such as die casting, injection molding, aluminum profile extrusion, 3D printing, which are committed to providing customers with one-stop purchasing services and experience.
CNC MACHINING , CNC MILLING , CNC TURNING , SHEETMETAL , FASTENER , OTHERS
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