Do you need help with defect troubleshooting when plating on plastic? While there are many factors that can cause and contribute to functional and cosmetic imperfections on plated plastic components, defects caused during the plating process can be the most difficult to identify root causes, and the most difficult to rectify. We’ve compiled a list of some potential causes of common plating issues that can be used for troubleshooting.
Issue |
Potential Causes |
| Skip plate | Rack with coating issues
Airborne iron or chrome |
| White stain | High organic concentration in nickel tanks
Excess of Brighteners in nickel tanks Brightener incompatibility due to change in process Not electrolyzing the bath after a make-up or an oxidizing treatment Pre-treatment deficiency High voltage in the nickel activator Chloride presence in chrome tanks |
| Roughness | Inadequate filtration
High pH in nickel tanks Presence of organic contaminants in nickel tanks Solids in suspension/solution High boric acid in combination with low temperature in nickel tanks Inadequate agitation in nickel tanks Pre-treatment deficiency High current density in nickel tanks Presence of Fe, Al, or Ca in nickel tanks Excess brighteners in nickel tanks Punctured anode bags Racks with plated contacts or with coating problems |
| Nickel show | High temperature in chrome tanks
High sulfate (Low Cr/SO4 ratio) in chrome tanks Low fluoride in chrome tanks High Cr3+ in chrome tanks Metallic contamination in chrome tanks Passive nickel Passive anodes in chrome tanks Low current density in chrome tanks Rack design High cathode area in chrome tanks Oxidized contacts or loose bussing contacts Low anodic area |
| Blister or Peeling | Low boric acid in nickel tanks
Presence of Cr6+ in nickel tanks Pre-treatment or rinse deficiency Presence of organic contaminants in nickel tanks Passivation of the anterior layer Intermittent contact, current interruption Porosity in the base material causing solution retention Inadequate neutralization prior to nickel bath Excess brighteners in nickel tanks Low leveler in nickel tanks |
| Dry down | Insufficient agitation on rinses after the etch tanks
Insufficient agitation on the neutralizer tank |
| Chrome burn | Low chromic acid concentration in chrome tanks
Low temperature in chrome tanks Low fluoride in chrome tanks Low sulfate concentration (High Cr/SO4 ratio) in chrome tanks High current density in chrome tanks Small distance between anode and cathode in chrome tanks Wrong disposition of parts in the rack Rack design Incorrect anode distribution in chrome tanks Incorrect anode length in chrome tanks Passive nickel |
| Copper burn | High current density in copper tanks |
| Nickel burn | Low Ni in nickel tanks
Low temperature in nickel tanks Presence of organic contaminants in nickel tanks High pH in nickel tanks Presence of phosphates or nitrates in nickel tanks Agitation failure in nickel tanks High current density in nickel tanks Insufficient anode area nickel tanks |
| Overplate | Low temperature in the accelerator tank
Low agitation in the accelerator tank Low concentration of hydrochloric acid in the accelerator tank Low concentration of accelerator additive in the accelerator tank |
We hope this helps you with understanding the reasons defects occur and defect troubleshooting. Find out how Electro Chemical Finishing can meet your chrome plating needs by giving us a call today.