Formations effect of brass plate anode on electroplating thickness uniformity: case study on wheelchair headrest

Abstract

Uniformity of coating thickness in the electroplating process of cylindrical objects using plate-shaped anodes has become a challenging issue. One electroplating method uses a cylindrical anode. However, this strategy is too expensive and requires a lot of material. This paper determines the effect of brass plate anode formation on the headrest thickness uniformity of the electroplating brass coating on the headrest connector of electric wheelchairs made of St. 37. The research started by making headrest connector using a turning machine, then plating the brass using the electroplating method, and then testing the thickness of the resulting brass for uniformity of data using statistics. The number and placement of the plate anodes varied with 2 symmetrical position anodes, 3 symmetrically spaced anodes, and 4 symmetrically positioned anodes. Coating thickness was measured using a digital microscope with a magnification of 200 times. Before measuring the thickness of the coating, the surface of the joint is milled first to remove any chamfer on the top surface of the body and the cover headrest connector. The surface is smoothed using sandpaper and cleaned using etching. Data from the uniformity test results show the highest level of uniformity in the variation of 4 anodes on the body and the cover of the headrest connector, followed by variations on the 3 anodes on the body and the cover of the headrest connector, and variations of 2 anodes on the body and the cover of the headrest connector. The greater the number of anodes and their placement around the cathode, the higher the thickness uniformity of the resulting brass electroplating layer. The formation of brass plate anode on electroplating affects headrest thickness uniformity