Koito Seisakusho Co., Ltd.

Uop Lcc

Battelle Memorial Institute

Battelle Development Corporation

General Cable Corporation

Glenn R Schaer

Teruaki Yamamoto

Joseph R Preston

Tatsuo Wada

Harold E Trumbull

Tasuku Touyama

Richard W Sexton

Keisuke Honda

A die used for plastic injection molding is masked on its inner surface with a plating resist to leave only a selected area exposed. A conforming anode is fit into the die leaving a small clearance between the die cavity surface and the anode. A metal layer is electroplated onto the exposed mold surfaces of the die in less than a minute by using a high current density and a turbulent flow of electroplating solution. The die is then assembled with a second die to form a mold. A plastic molding composition is injected into the mold cavity and comes in contact with and adheres to the metal electroplate more tightly than the metal electroplate adheres to the surface of the mold member. As the mold is separated, the metal electroplate remains bonded to the plastic molding composition to form a metal-clad plastic article. Adhesion between the metal electroplate and the plastic can be improved by forming nodular growths on the metal electroplate. This is done by varying the current density and/or the electroplating solution flow-rate near the end of the electroplating process. The electroplating and molding steps may be sequentially combined into an automated process for the continuous production of metal-clad articles.

Method for high-speed production of metal-clad articles

For replenishing a plating bath with copper or other metal to be electrodeposited with the use of an insoluble anode, scrap metal such as copper wires is received in a makeup tank, into which are passed the gases generated within the plating tank with the progress of electroplating operation. The plating solution in the plating tank is also directed into the makeup tank and sprayed on the scrap copper wires, thereby dissolving same. The dissolved copper is then filtered, heated, and introduced into the plating tank.

Method and apparatus for replenishing an electroplating bath with metal

Apparatus for the production of metal foil or printed circuit patterns on a continuously advancing strip of electrically conductive material includes a cathode under which the conductive strip is fed in sliding contact therewith. An insoluble anode is disposed under the cathode, with an interelectrode gap between the anode and the cathodic conductive strip traveling under the cathode. Lying next to one end of the anode is a solution inlet block defining a solution inlet from which the electroplating solution containing the metal to be deposited is fed turbulently into the interelectrode gap to cause the electrodeposition of the metal on the downward-facing surface of the conductive strip. A shield block of electrically insulating material is mounted over the solution inlet block for shielding the conductive strip traveling thereover from premature metal deposition due to leaking current and hence for avoiding the development of pinholes in the metal foil or circuit patterns.

Apparatus for electroplating strip material without current leakage

A rechargeable electrochemical cell (10 in FIG. 1) has a negative electrode (11) with an active surface (11') of copper; a positive electrode (12) with an active surface (12') of lead dioxide, spaced therefrom; in an aqueous acid electrolyte (13) of fluoboric, fluosilicic, sulfamic, or perchloric acid, in which both divalent copper and divalent lead ions are soluble during discharging, and from which smooth and adherent deposits may be obtained during charging; and a container (14) with an electrically nonconductive inner surface (14') that is chemically resistant to the electrolyte (13). A similar cell (30 in FIG. 5) comprises also bipolar electrodes (32,31) similar in shape to the negative electrode (31) and the positive electrode (32), positioned between them and substantially parallel to them. As in FIG. 2, the container may comprise a fluid-tight enclosure (24,25) with an optional pressure relief valve (28).

Electrochemical cell

A continuously operating system is provided to convey a sequence of steel plates in a generally vertical positioning to a plating station where a plurality of power supplied interlinked cathode-plate conveyor members are arranged to carry each plate past a vertically elongated plating head which contains an anode and the electroplating solution. The anode is also vertically elongated, and is adjustably positioned in the plating head or container to be relatively close to the face of the steel plate which is being plated but, at the same time, provides a space for the plating solution to have turbulent flow between the anode and the moving plate. A second plating head may be positioned along side the first to provide for the depositing of a nodular form of copper onto the initial deposit.

System for electroplating a sequence of moving plate members

This method of copper plating aluminum and aluminum alloy wire or strip applies an adherent and ductile plating while the wire is moving rapidly and continuously through the plating apparatus. An improved chemical zincating step followed by a copper pyrophosphate strike plating, within critical thickness limits, reduces the plating time and makes practical plating of the wire while moving at speeds of about 100 feet per minute or more in relation to the processing solution.

Growing community of inventors

Columbus, OH, United States of America

Glenn R Schaer