BIZOMAT MAKEOS · Manufacturing
Electroplating Plan (Time, Current, Loads and Cost per Part)
How long must this load plate to reach the thickness, can the rectifier supply the current, how many loads does the batch take, and what does it cost per part?
Plan of a rack or barrel electroplating job: deposition rate and time to thickness by Faraday’s law with cathode efficiency (as the electroplating thickness tool), total current for the load against the rectifier capacity and current density against your window, loads for the batch and total hours with handling time, metal deposited, electrical energy, and cost per part from metal, energy and labour.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | choice | Metal deposited and its valence in the bath. |
| Current density | A/dm² | Cathode current density. |
| Cathode efficiency | % | Share of current that deposits metal (cathode efficiency). |
| Thickness wanted | µm | Average thickness wanted. |
| Area per part | dm² | Plated area of one part. |
| Parts per load | Parts on one rack or in one barrel load. | |
| Parts in the batch | Parts to plate. | |
| Rectifier capacity | A | Largest current of the rectifier. |
| Lowest current density for good deposits | A/dm² | Low end of the current-density window for the bath (your value). |
| Highest current density for good deposits | A/dm² | High end of the window (your value). |
| Tank voltage | V | Voltage across the tank at this current. |
| Handling time per load | min | Time to load, rinse and unload each load. |
| Electricity price | $/kWh | Price of electricity. |
| Anode metal price | $/kg | Price of the anode metal per kilogram. |
| Labour and overhead rate | $/h | Labour and overhead per hour of line time. |
What each input means
Open an input to see what it is, its units, the worked example and the common mistakes, with a small diagram.
What this means: Deposit
- What it is
- The metal being deposited and the bath type, which fixes the atomic mass, valence and density used in Faraday’s law.
- Units and format
- Choose one of 8 options from the list: Nickel (Ni²⁺); Copper, acid (Cu²⁺); Copper, cyanide (Cu⁺); Zinc (Zn²⁺); Chromium, hexavalent (Cr⁶⁺); Tin, acid (Sn²⁺); Silver (Ag⁺); Gold, cyanide (Au⁺).
- Example
- The form opens with “Nickel (Ni²⁺)” selected as a worked example. Choose the option that matches your case.
- Get it right
- Copper from cyanide and acid baths deposits at different valences, so pick the bath you actually run.
What this means: Current density
- What it is
- The cathode current density: the plating current per unit of plated area on the parts. It sets the deposition rate and, with the area, the current per load.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in A/dm²: amperes per square decimetre. The form accepts 0.000001 A/dm² to 100 A/dm². Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 4 A/dm² as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Doubling it halves the plating time and doubles the current per load.
- Get it right
- Use the area actually plated, not the projected area, when relating current to density.
What this means: Cathode efficiency
- What it is
- The cathode efficiency of the bath: the share of the current that deposits metal rather than producing hydrogen. Take it from the bath supplier or your process records.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in %: percent: the number is read as a percentage, so type 8 for 8 %. The form accepts 1% to 100%. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 95% as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Plating time is inversely proportional to efficiency.
- Get it right
- Type the percentage itself, for example 95, not 0.95.
What this means: Thickness wanted
- What it is
- The average deposit thickness wanted on the plated surface, from the drawing or plating specification.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in µm: micrometres (µm, microns). The form accepts 0.000001 µm to 2000 µm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 20 µm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Plating time and metal used rise in proportion.
- Get it right
- This is an average; recesses plate thinner and edges thicker, so measure on the significant surface.
What this means: Area per part
- What it is
- The surface area of one part that receives the deposit, including both sides and edges that are wetted and plated.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in dm²: dm². The form accepts 0.000001 dm² to 10000 dm². Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 0.5 dm² as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Current per load and metal used are proportional to it.
- Get it right
- Use square decimetres: 1 dm² = 100 cm² = 0.01 m².
What this means: Parts per load
- What it is
- The number of parts on one rack or in one barrel load plated together at the same time.
- Units and format
- Enter a plain number with no unit. The form accepts 1 to 100000. Use a whole number. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 40 as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- More parts per load raise current per load and reduce the number of loads.
What this means: Parts in the batch
- What it is
- The total number of parts to plate in this job. It sets the number of loads and the cost per part.
- Units and format
- Enter a plain number with no unit. The form accepts 1 to 100000000. Use a whole number. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 1000 as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- The last load is counted as a full load even if it is part-filled.
What this means: Rectifier capacity
- What it is
- The largest current the rectifier feeding this tank can deliver. The current per load is checked against it.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in A: amperes. The form accepts 0.000001 A to 1000000 A. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 100 A as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- Use the rated continuous output, not a short-term peak.
What this means: Lowest current density for good deposits
- What it is
- The lowest current density at which this bath still gives a sound deposit, from the bath supplier’s data or your trials.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in A/dm²: amperes per square decimetre. The form accepts 0 A/dm² to 100 A/dm². Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 2 A/dm² as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
What this means: Highest current density for good deposits
- What it is
- The highest current density at which this bath still gives a sound deposit without burning, from the bath supplier’s data or your trials.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in A/dm²: amperes per square decimetre. The form accepts 0.1 A/dm² to 100 A/dm². Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 6 A/dm² as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- It must be above the lowest value, or the tool stops.
What this means: Tank voltage
- What it is
- The voltage across the tank, anode to cathode, while plating at this current. It is used only for the electrical energy.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in V: volts. The form accepts 0.000001 V to 100 V. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 6 V as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Energy and its cost rise in proportion.
- Get it right
- Read it on the rectifier meter during plating, not the open-circuit value.
What this means: Handling time per load
- What it is
- The time each load spends out of plating: racking, cleaning, rinsing and unloading. It adds to the plating time to give line hours.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in min: minutes. The form accepts 0 min to 600 min. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 10 min as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- Enter minutes per load, not per part.
What this means: Electricity price
- What it is
- What you pay for one kilowatt-hour of electricity, including usage charges, from your power bill or contract.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in $/kWh: money per kilowatt-hour. The form accepts $0/kWh to $10/kWh. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with $0.25/kWh as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
What this means: Anode metal price
- What it is
- The price of the anode metal, or the metal salts that replace it, per kilogram of metal deposited. Take it from your supplier.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in $/kg: money per kilogram. The form accepts $0/kg to $1000000/kg. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with $20/kg as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- Price per kilogram of metal, not per anode bar or per litre of solution.
What this means: Labour and overhead rate
- What it is
- The cost of one hour of line time: operator labour plus the overhead your costing method assigns to the plating line.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in $/h: money per hour. The form accepts $0/h to $10000/h. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with $60/h as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- Use a rate per line hour, since the tool multiplies by total line hours.
Method and formulas
- Mass rate per area = J × efficiency × atomic mass ÷ (valence × 96 485); rate = mass rate ÷ density; time = thickness ÷ rate (as the electroplating thickness tool).
- Current = J × area per part × parts per load.
- Loads = batch ÷ parts per load (rounded up); hours = loads × (time + handling) ÷ 60.
- Cost per part = (metal × price + V I t × price of energy + hours × rate) ÷ batch.
- Example: 20 µm takes 25.691 min at 80 A per load; the batch needs 25 loads and costs about 0.91137 per part.
Limitations
- Average thickness; edges plate thicker and recesses thinner.
- Costs exclude chemicals, waste treatment and rework.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Quote a plating job
- Check whether a rectifier can run a bigger load
- Estimate metal and power used per part
Who it is for
- Platers
- Estimators
- Process engineers
What you get
- Deposition rate, time and current per load
- Loads, hours and metal for the batch
- Energy and cost per part
Interpreting the result
- If the rectifier limits the load, fewer parts per rack at the same current density keep quality and time.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 1467, 1500–1516. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
- Atomic masses: IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights — https://ciaaw.org
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