The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 23, 1980
Filed:
Feb. 02, 1979
Andrew Stanya, North Royalton, OH (US);
Republic Steel Corporation, Cleveland, OH (US);
Abstract
An automatic plating current control system for an electroplating line. The plating line includes a plurality of power circuits, each including a rectifier and an electrode, for delivering plating current to affect electrodeposition on the workpiece surface. The automatic control system includes a reference generator, a first feedback circuit for controlling the total plating current applied by all the power circuits and a plurality of second feedback circuits each associated with a different power circuit. Each of the second feedback circuits co-operates with the first feedback circuit for regulating plating current output of the individual power circuits to apportion the current output among the operative power circuits. The reference generator produces a reference signal representing a desired plating current in response to information input to the reference generator, specifying workpiece speed, workpiece dimension and desired plating thickness. Each power circuit includes an output voltage control and a current metering circuit. The voltage control circuitry is provided for each power circuit to limit its plating current output to a predetermined maximum without disabling the power circuit. Compensation circuitry is provided for altering the reference signal for varying the fraction of plating current apportioned to each power circuit to compensate for inoperability of one or more power circuits.