Plating Application

It is surprising just how much plating is still done via mostly manual processes.  This leads to variability, lower yields, higher costs, and customer complaints.  It also does not provide the kind of plating data customers want.  IPACT has developed a low-cost plating application, based on Rockwell CompactLogix PLC code and a Wonderware System Platform user interface, that brings plating into the 21^st century.  IPACT’s plating application takes the guesswork out of plating and puts repeatability and reliability in its place.

Plating Application Features

• The operation of plating cycles is recipe-driven.
• Includes starting a cycle with a soak time for equalizing the plating surface temperature (to a specific depth) with the bath temperature.
• After the soak is an optional etch period, where the plating voltage and current are reversed, in order to prepare the surface to receive new plating.
• After the etch period is the plating period.  Given the surface area, thickness of the desired plating, and desired plating rate, the system calculates the required plating current and time.
• If surface area is not known, the system will calculate it as long as the bath concentration is known (or measured).
• Optional “high strike” at the beginning of the plating period, for better adherence to the substrate.
• Multiple etch and plating periods can be programmed into a single cycle via the recipe.
• All important variables are associated to the plating cycle and historically logged.  IPACT has found that our customer’s customers are very pleased to have this data available.

 Plating System Main Screen

 Plating System Sequential Function Charts