BIZOMAT MAKEOS · Manufacturing
Electroplating Thickness and Time (Faraday)
How long must this part be plated to reach the thickness, and what current does it need?
Deposition rate, plating time for a target thickness, current and deposited mass by Faraday’s law for common electroplated metals, with cathode current efficiency.
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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 ion valence in the bath. |
| Current density | A/dm² | Average cathode current density from the process sheet. |
| Cathode current efficiency | % | Cathode current efficiency of the bath (nickel about 95%, hard chromium about 10–25%) from the supplier. |
| Plated area | dm² | Total area being plated on the rack or barrel load. |
| Target thickness | µm | Required average thickness. |
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 sets the ion charge used in Faraday’s law. Copper from a cyanide bath carries a different charge from acid copper.
- 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
- Pick the bath chemistry you actually run; the same metal can plate at different rates in different baths.
What this means: Current density
- What it is
- The plating current divided by the area being plated, from the process sheet or set on the rectifier.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in A/dm²: amperes per square decimetre. The form accepts 0.000001 A/dm² to 1000 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
- Deposition rate rises in direct proportion and plating time falls.
- Get it right
- Use the average over the whole load; edges see more and recesses less.
What this means: Cathode current efficiency
- What it is
- The share of the current that actually deposits metal rather than producing gas, a property of the bath from the supplier’s data or your own tests.
- 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
- Deposition rate rises in direct proportion and plating time falls.
- Get it right
- Type the percentage itself; some baths, notably chromium, are far less efficient than others.
What this means: Plated area
- What it is
- The total surface area of all parts being plated in one rack or barrel load, from CAD or by measurement.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in dm²: dm². The form accepts 0.000001 dm² to 1000000 dm². Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 20 dm² as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Total current and deposited mass rise in direct proportion; time does not change.
- Get it right
- Enter square decimetres: one square decimetre is one hundred square centimetres.
What this means: Target thickness
- What it is
- The average deposit thickness you need, from the drawing or the plating specification.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in µm: micrometres (µm, microns). The form accepts 0.000001 µm to 100000 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 deposited mass rise in direct proportion.
- Get it right
- The tool gives an average; specifications usually set a minimum at significant surfaces.
Method and formulas
- Mass rate per area = J × η × M ÷ (n F), with M the atomic mass, n the valence and F = 96 485 C/mol.
- Thickness rate = mass rate ÷ density.
- Time = target thickness ÷ rate; current = J × area.
- Example: nickel at 4 A/dm² and 95% efficiency deposits 0.77848 µm/min, reaching 20 µm in 25.691 min.
Limitations
- Average thickness only; current distribution makes edges thicker and recesses thinner.
- Bath efficiency varies with chemistry, temperature and current density.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Set plating time for a thickness specification
- Size rectifier current for a rack
- Estimate metal consumption
Who it is for
- Platers
- Finishing supervisors
- Process engineers
What you get
- Deposition rate
- Time to reach the target thickness
- Total current
- Mass deposited
Interpreting the result
- Allow for thin areas: measure thickness at the significant surface specified on the drawing.
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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Open the Electroplating Thickness and Time (Faraday) calculator