Reel to reel technique is one of most commonly used plating technique in the world. One of the pre-requisite of reel to reel plating is that the product to be plated must be packaged in reels. The product is loaded onto a de-reeling station and then passed through the plating line at a preset speed and electric current. The product is passed through different stations in the plating line.The product is treated at all the stations in the plating line and the duration at each station is generally short. Therefore the operating conditions are planned with utmost precision to ensure maximum efficiency. At the end of the line there is a take-up system which re-coils the final product after the appropriate finish is met.

The length of the plating line is around 30 meters and the reels are run at a speed of 1 to 10 meters per minute depending on the specification from the clients. The thickness of the electroplating deposits is directly proportional to the speed of the reel on the plating line. The operators must be constantly monitoring the reel to reel plating line to ensure that there is no deviation from the preset conditions. The reel to reel technique is used at Spectronics for gold, nickel, tin, palladium and silver plating.

We set up our first reel to reel line in the year 2006, which was a significant milestone in our business. Our team of professionals has stepped up the operations significantly to help us come up by leaps and bounds in developing our reel to reel plating techniques.

Selective spot plating is generally used as a cost-effective method of plating. The ever increasing prices of precious metals like gold, silver and palladium warrants the use of selective plating. Selective plating brings down the overall plating cost as the amount of precious metal deposits on the overall product is reduced. Reel to reel selective spot plating is done by exposing the area that needs to be plated on the reel in the plating line and masking the rest of the region.

Reel to Reel selective plating is mostly used in precious metals plating in order to reduce the usage of precious metal in the overall plating. Selective plating is also ideal in the case of Tin plating as migration of melted tin could cause electrical short circuits.

Reel to Reel strip plating involves plating strips of manufactured products or pre stamped raw materials. Selective strip plating is used while plating precious metals like Gold, Silver and Palladium. The depth of deposition is controlled while the reels are run though the plating stations thereby monitoring the thickness at the selected region. Just as Reel to Reel Selective spot plating this method is highly cost effective in case of precious metal plating.

Brush plating as the name suggest involves application of a brush on the surface of the material to be plated. The process of brush plating is highly effective and is extremely portable.

The process involves masking of the strip and preparation of the surface for brush plating. Then the plating tool and part to be plated are moved over each other to transfer the deposit from the plating tool onto the part. Dedicated electrodes are used for each operation in the process to electrochemically prepare the part and then to plate the final deposit. The electrodes are covered with an absorbent material saturated with a solution and then applied to the part.

Reel to reel overall plating involves the application of plating deposits on the entire surface of the product and not on a selective spot only. The process followed is the same as it was in selective plating but without masking the unselected area on the surface of the product. Reel to Reel overall plating is ideal in case of copper, nickel or tin plating. Overall plating is most cases is done with non-precious metal before selective plating of precious metals.

Whenever necessary the parts would need to be de-reeled and reeled in order to suit the plating line before the start of the plating process. Once the plating on the reel to reel line is completed, they would need to be reeled again and palletized, before they are sent back to the customer. At Spectronics our team of operators ensures that the products are appropriately reeled and palletized.

De-Reeling is done while the reels are loaded on to the plating line. When the products are de reeled and loaded on the plating line, it has be set up with caution and expertise to ensure that there is no breakdown while the product is run through the plating line.

Traverse De-reeling

Knowing the challenges of winding applications, we added the ability to dynamically phase adjust incoming master signals. This enables real-time offsets for variations in material width without sacrificing positioning accuracy at the traverse point, and allows for a complete, precise fill of material with no gaps or overlays. It is a cost reducing solution for electroplating square pins. A customized solution that meets specific needs of a customer.

Rack plating is generally used in the case of large or complex parts, where it would be difficult to coat using other processes of plating. Rack plating can be done through electroplating and electroless plating.

The process of electroplating requires that, the parts that would need to be electroplated are hung on a rack and held firm using hooks or bands. The parts are then immersed in the plating solution and electrical current is applied. Rack plating is highly preferred by defense, automotive, medical and electronic industries where high-quality finish cannot be compromised.

Electroless rack plating is an auto-catalytic process of plating, electroless plating does not require any electrical current. The component is treated with chemicals to remove any corrosive elements. The component is then immersed in an aqueous solution that contains ions of the metal to be deposited, by course of a catalytic reaction the ions get deposited as metal deposits on the surface of the component. Electroless plating methods have much more control over the process and can produce a smooth, consistent plating of the thickness and volume that you specify.

Barrel plating is used as a low cost and high volume solution to electroplating. The process involves placing the items to be plated on a barrel-shaped cage. The barrel is then immersed in a metal plating solution and is rotated slowly in the solution. The electrical contact is made through the use of danglers that are located inside the barrel. One of the important factors in barrel plating is that the individual pieces in the barrel form a bipolar contact with one another in order to provide a greater plating efficiency. This method of plating is not highly recommended with regard to components that require engineering or ornamental finishes precisely because of the heavy amount of surface contact the components have with each other.

Vibratory plating is an ideal alternative to barrel plating where the parts are very delicate and could bend or disfigure while processed using barrel plating. The components are loaded onto a vibratory head which is immersed in a plating solution. The vibrations that are generated results in the delicate movement of the particle while making contact with the metal buttons located on the bottom of the basket. The movement of the parts can be adjusted by changing the amplitude and frequency of pulse that depends on the type of part that is being plated.