KEVOS® MAKEOS · Manufacturing
Anodizing Plan (Time, Current, Tank Heat, Loads and Cost per Part)
How long does this anodizing load take to reach thickness, can the rectifier supply it, how much heat must the tank cooling remove, and what does each part cost?
Plan of a sulfuric acid anodizing job: growth rate and time to thickness by the 720 rule with your efficiency factor, build-up per surface (as the anodizing time tool), current for the load against the rectifier capacity, the electrical heat the tank cooling must remove at the bath voltage, loads and line hours for the batch, energy, and cost per part from energy and line time.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Current density | A/dm² | Anodic current density (about 1.2–2 A/dm² for sulfuric acid anodizing). |
| Coating thickness wanted | µm | Total coating thickness wanted. |
| Efficiency factor | % | Factor on the 720 rule for alloy and bath (100% for the rule as written; calibrate from thickness checks). |
| Area per part | dm² | Anodized area of one part. |
| Parts per load | Parts on one jig load. | |
| Parts in the batch | Parts to anodize. | |
| Rectifier capacity | A | Largest current the rectifier supplies. |
| Bath voltage at the current | V | Voltage across the bath at this current density. |
| Bath cooling capacity | kW | Heat the bath chiller or cooling coil can remove. |
| Handling time per load | min | Time to rack, rinse, seal and unload a load. |
| Electricity price | $/kWh | Electricity price. |
| Line labour and overhead rate | $/h | Labour and overhead per hour of line time. |
Method and formulas
- 720 rule: thickness (mil) = A/ft² × minutes ÷ 720, giving growth rate (µm/min) = 25.4 × 9.290 ÷ 720 × J × efficiency (as the anodizing time tool); build-up per surface ≈ thickness ÷ 3.
- Current = J × area per part × parts per load; bath heat ≈ V × I.
- Loads = batch ÷ parts per load (rounded up); hours = loads × (time + handling) ÷ 60; cost per part = (energy × price + hours × rate) ÷ batch.
- Example: 20 µm takes 40.682 min at 75 A per load, putting 1.35 kW into the bath; each part costs about 1.1182.
Limitations
- Rule of thumb for Type II sulfuric acid anodizing; hard anodizing and other baths differ.
- Costs exclude chemicals, dyes, sealing and waste treatment.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Plan an anodizing batch
- Size the bath chiller for a bigger load
- Quote anodizing per part
Who it is for
- Platers and anodizers
- Process engineers
- Estimators
What you get
- Growth rate, time and build-up
- Current against the rectifier and heat against the cooling
- Loads, hours and cost per part
Interpreting the result
- Most of the electrical power ends up as heat in the bath: the chiller often limits the load before the rectifier does.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 1500–1516. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
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