CDP lines
Technic's CDP-2000 is a precision electroplating machine designed for high-precision depth-controlled plating of precious metals on individual parts, typically pins and sockets for the electronic connector industry. Since only a small area at the end of the part needs to be plated, considerable savings can be made compared to conventional plating methods.
Parts that can be processed:
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Pin and socket components for electrical connectors
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Spring plunger contacts
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Connection terminals
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or any other cylindrical or spindle-shaped object manufactured as a single component.
Main design features
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Conveyor belts available with permanent inserts or removable cartridges depending on volume and flexibility required.
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Dual processing lanes can be configured with the same component configuration or two different configurations. Common chemical tanks supply the treatment cells in each lane.
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The plating cells use precision fluid flow and level controls to produce depth repeatability controlled to within 0.5 mm.
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Menu-driven, computer-reconfigurable anodes offer plating flexibility for a variety of part types, including hard-to-plate parts that require high projection into internal recesses.
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The contact roller connects the cathode current to the conveyor belt, ensuring silent, low-resistance electrical contact with minimal resistance and no particle generation.
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The plating cells use a synchronised backup conveyor, which exerts pressure on each part passing through the cells to ensure a reliable cathode electrical connection in the conveyor belt.
Features and benefits
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High, medium or low volume production - plated component throughput of 1,000 to 2,000 parts per hour.
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Rapid return on investment with up to 70 % in gold savings compared with conventional barrel-plated coins.
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The unique design of the plating and bubbling cell allows precise, repeatable control of plating depth and consistent thickness uniformity from part to part.
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The plating cell eliminates the "brown circle" at the dividing line between the controlled depth deposit and the base deposit.
Loading/unloading options
Parts loading and unloading can be manual or fully automatic, in-line or off-line. Automation is achieved using a variety of technologies, including:
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Vibratory bowl feeders
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In-line conveyor
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Scara robot
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Cassette to cassette
Case study on gold savings
The data presented here is a summary of data from an actual case study demonstrating the gold and dollar savings achievable using CDP-2000 versus barrel plating of connector sockets and pins. The plating thickness profiles used to calculate the savings are averages of a sample of 20 parts taken from a run of 200 parts for both types of parts.
Gold savings for spindles
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50m* global barrel plate
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1.2 gm/1000 pieces
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Selective plate + Au flash remnant
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0.54 gm/1000 pieces
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Gold saving of 0.66 gm/1000 coins, 55%.
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660 gm or 21 troy oz of Au for 1 million pins
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16,800 $ to 800 $/oz gold troy
Saving gold for sockets
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Barrel plate, 50 m overall length* (in mm)
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2.16 gm/1000 pieces
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Selective plate + leftovers
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0.69 gm/1000 pieces
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Gold saving of 1.47 gm/1000 coins, 68%.
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1470 gm or 47 troy oz of Au for 1 million pins
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37,600 $ to 800 $/oz of gold per tray
