Course Outline

1 The Basic Principles of Plating (1)

• How to study Electroplating Know How II
• Energy in all its manifestations
• Electrical energy and electroplating
• Simple electrical and chemical principles
• Faraday's Law
• The arithmetic of plating
• Some simple experiments in plating
• What happens in a plating bath
• Atoms, ions and electricity
• The glue that holds matter together
• Electrolytic conduction

This lesson and the one that follows are the keystones of the course. It gives you a new view of the subject, actually teaching you to THINK plating. Presented in a stimulating, thought provoking way, it enables an individual to grasp basic scientific principles quickly and easily without benefit of advanced technical training.

2 The Basic Principles of Plating (2)

• Resistance & conductivity of plating baths
• Acidity and pH
• Immersion plating
• Current density
• Current efficiency
• Overvoltage
• Throwing power and metal distribution
• Covering power
• Microthrowing power
• How the plate is built.
• Controlling deposit grain size
• General techniques of electroplating
• Formulation of plating bath
• Automatic plating machines
• Special plating techniques
• General procedures of plating

3 Polishing & Buffing

• Principals of polishing
• Mechanical and automatic polishing methods
• Copyrighted charts to simplify polishing

This is not a cookbook. This is a compilation of methods for plating various metals, though it does contain a series of copyrighted charts that greatly simplify the work of the polishing department. Rather, it teaches the principles behind polishing so that the student can actually work out his own polishing techniques and short cuts. It leads to a better understanding between those proverbial enemies, the polisher and the plater! Also covered are mechanical and automatic methods for polishing and buffing and surface roughness measurements.

4 Cleaning & Pickling

• Degreasing, cleaning and pickling of all common metal before and after plating
• Bright dipping of all common metals before and after plating
• Preparation of cleaning, pickling and bright dipping solutions
• Modern cleaning methods including ultrasonic cleaning

Complete instructions in the degreasing, cleaning and pickling and bright dipping of all the common metals before and after plating. Step-by- step directions in the preparation of cleaning, pickling and bright dipping solutions. Again the principles are artfully mixed with the practice so that an individual learns the WHY as well as the HOW of cleaning and pickling. Every modern development is covered including ultrasonic cleaning.

5 Plating Bath Control

• Elements of plating bath control chemistry
• Fundamental principles of old and new control methods
• Analytical measurement of chemical components of plating baths

(Chemical & Physical)
There are over 75 pages on this one subject alone. You learn the elements of control chemistry in an easy way. You learn the fundamentals underlying all control methods old and new so that you can really understand and operate them. You learn what makes a plating bath tick. A truly remarkable lesson worth the tuition fee by itself!

6 The Plating Baths, Part 1: Cadmium, Chromium, Copper

• Preparation and mixing of plating solutions
• Operation of plating baths
• Care and control of plating baths
• Chemical and physical analysis of plating baths
• Troubleshooting of plating baths
• Case histories and practical examples
• Specially prepared troubleshooting tables

This lesson deals practically and comprehensively with Copper, Cadmium and Chromium plating. Trivalent Chromium plating is included. How to prepare, mix and operate the various solutions on a small or large scale. How to care for the baths and control them. How to troubleshoot and analyze them. Presented with this highly practical material are more advanced principles which the student gathers as he/she studies the lesson material. Case histories along with practical examples help the student.

7 The Plating Baths, Part 2: Gold, Indium, Iron

• Preparation and mixing of plating solutions
• Operation of plating baths
• Care and control of plating baths
• Chemical and physical analysis of plating baths
• Troubleshooting of plating baths
• Case histories and practical examples
• Specially prepared troubleshooting tables

The same practical and comprehensive detail on Gold, Indium and Iron plating. Preparation, mixing and operation. Control and troubleshooting. Case histories.

8 The Plating Baths, Part 3: Lead, Nickel, Platinum Metals

• Preparation and mixing of plating solutions
• Operation of plating baths
• Care and control of plating baths
• Chemical and physical analysis of plating baths
• Troubleshooting of plating baths
• Case histories and practical examples
• Specially prepared troubleshooting tables

9 The Plating Baths, Part 4: Silver, Tin, Zinc

• Preparation and mixing of plating solutions
• Operation of plating baths
• Care and control of plating baths
• Chemical and physical analysis of plating baths
• Troubleshooting of plating baths
• Case histories and practical examples
• Specially prepared troubleshooting tables

10 The Alloy Plating Baths, Part 1: Brass, Bronse, Gold

• Preparation and mixing of plating solutions
• Operation of plating baths
• Care and control of plating baths
• Chemical and physical analysis of plating baths
• Troubleshooting of plating baths
• Case histories and practical examples
• Specially prepared troubleshooting tables

A lesson dealing with the practical aspects of Brass, Bronze and Gold Alloy plating. Mixing, operation and control. Troubleshooting. Anticipating and preventing trouble. Case histories. Theoretical considerations are also included.

11 The Alloy Plating Baths, Part2; Lead/Tin, Nickel/Tin, Zinc/Tin, Other Alloys

• Preparation and mixing of plating solutions
• Operation of plating baths
• Care and control of plating baths
• Chemical and physical analysis of plating baths
• Troubleshooting of plating baths
• Case histories and practical examples
• Specially prepared troubleshooting tables

Lead-Tin, Nickel-Tin, Zinc-Tin and other alloy
plating baths. A continuation of the same practical
material. Case histories, new ideas.

12 Chemical Finishes: Chromating, Phosphating, Metal Coloring, Lacquering

• Fundamentals of various finishes
• Formulations
• Stopping-off techniques
• Troublshooting

13 Electroless Plating, Vacuum and Vapor Plating, Plating on non-conductors

• Fundamentals of electroless plating
• Practical operating formulations
• Vacuum and vapor plating technique
• Principles of plating on non-conductors such as plastics and baby shoes
• Practical production methods

14 Testing of Plated Deposites, Specifications, Quality Control of Plated Deposites

• Teststing methods, new and old
• Principles and methods used for testing thickness, ductility, hardness, residual stress
• Specification plating
• Government and industrial specifications
• Quality control methods in plating operations

15 Anodic Processes, Corrosion, Anodizing, Electropolishing, Electrochemical Grinding & Machining, Chemical Milling, Chemical Polishing

• Elements of corrosion processes
• Practical aspects of aluminum anodizing
• Formulation and operation of anodizing baths
• Troubleshooting of anodizing baths
• Dying and sealing treatments
• Electropolishing formulations>
• Formulations for electrochemical grinding and machining

16 Special Plating Techniques, Part 1

• Techniques of brush plating
• Tribo, foam and gel plating methods
• Magnetic field, composite and peen plating techniques
• Non-aqueous plating methods
• Molten salt, pattern and pulse plating methods

17 Special Plating Techniques, Part 2

• Practical methods and techniques for plating difficult metals
• Formulations for electroforming
• Practical methods and techniques for electroforming

18 Special Plating Techniques, Part 3

• Plating of printed circuit boards
• Magnetic alloy plating methods
• Electric flow plating

19 Engineering Aspects of Metal Finishing

• Plating room energy supplies
• Selection and design of plating tanks
• Heating and cooling of plating tanks
• Basics of filtration, piping and ventilation
• Equipment layout and space planning
• Safety in the plating plant
• Water and waste treatment
• Systems engineering

20 Business Aspects of Metal Finishing

• Human relations and management in the plating shop
• Estimating and bidding
• Value engineering
• Governmental requirements and regulations
• OSHA and EPA requirements