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This portable equipment and a trained technician can go
to the customerīs plant and selectively deposit metal on the surface of
a tool without immersion or having to send it out of the plant. Most common metals
to be applied on molds and related tooling
are hard and mid-hard nickel (50 and 34Rc) for alloy tool steel parts, nickel-cobalt
(48Rc) for stainless
steels and special hard copper (28Rc) for berillium-copper inserts. The surrounding areas are not damaged and
the deposit can be confined and tailored to shape and thickness. The
adhesion is very good and the deposit is sound without cracks, pores or
other defects. The
process operates with chemical solutions that contain the selected metal
and the deposition takes place at low temperature. The method uses a
wrapped anode similar to an EDM electrode which has to be constantly wet
and moved over the surface . External surfaces and
diameters are metallized to increase dimensions and hardness, fill-in
pits or resist corrosion and oxidation. Interiors such as holes, or
shapes are treated to reduce size. Parting lines are built-up, bench
worked and spotted to proper match. When it is not practical to send the
tool out or weld it, this is an optional method to deposit metal without
risk and delay. Thickness varies from 0.003"-0.005" for hard metals, to
0.020" or more when mid-hard or soft metals are deposited. Sometimes, a
combination is used to produce a multilayer deposit to take advantage of
different properties. Furthermore, the process can be used in
combination with argon welding when the defect is very deep and the
application allows it.
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This tool steel mold for the
injection of a plastic foam for steering wheels had several
damages on the parting line faces. The internal surface is finely
textured |
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The molded part part came out with a
heavy flash that had to be constantly hand trimed. |
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Electrochemical metallizing was
used to build up metal where needed and with the use of bench tools
a perfect seal was restored without damage to the textured surface. |
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