KEVOS® MAKEOS · Manufacturing
Electroplating Plan (Time, Current, Loads and Cost per Part)
How long must this load plate to reach the thickness, can the rectifier supply the current, how many loads does the batch take, and what does it cost per part?
Plan of a rack or barrel electroplating job: deposition rate and time to thickness by Faraday’s law with cathode efficiency (as the electroplating thickness tool), total current for the load against the rectifier capacity and current density against your window, loads for the batch and total hours with handling time, metal deposited, electrical energy, and cost per part from metal, energy and labour.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | choice | Metal deposited and its valence in the bath. |
| Current density | A/dm² | Cathode current density. |
| Cathode efficiency | % | Share of current that deposits metal (cathode efficiency). |
| Thickness wanted | µm | Average thickness wanted. |
| Area per part | dm² | Plated area of one part. |
| Parts per load | Parts on one rack or in one barrel load. | |
| Parts in the batch | Parts to plate. | |
| Rectifier capacity | A | Largest current of the rectifier. |
| Lowest current density for good deposits | A/dm² | Low end of the current-density window for the bath (your value). |
| Highest current density for good deposits | A/dm² | High end of the window (your value). |
| Tank voltage | V | Voltage across the tank at this current. |
| Handling time per load | min | Time to load, rinse and unload each load. |
| Electricity price | $/kWh | Price of electricity. |
| Anode metal price | $/kg | Price of the anode metal per kilogram. |
| Labour and overhead rate | $/h | Labour and overhead per hour of line time. |
Method and formulas
- Mass rate per area = J × efficiency × atomic mass ÷ (valence × 96 485); rate = mass rate ÷ density; time = thickness ÷ rate (as the electroplating thickness tool).
- Current = J × area per part × parts per load.
- Loads = batch ÷ parts per load (rounded up); hours = loads × (time + handling) ÷ 60.
- Cost per part = (metal × price + V I t × price of energy + hours × rate) ÷ batch.
- Example: 20 µm takes 25.691 min at 80 A per load; the batch needs 25 loads and costs about 0.91137 per part.
Limitations
- Average thickness; edges plate thicker and recesses thinner.
- Costs exclude chemicals, waste treatment and rework.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Quote a plating job
- Check whether a rectifier can run a bigger load
- Estimate metal and power used per part
Who it is for
- Platers
- Estimators
- Process engineers
What you get
- Deposition rate, time and current per load
- Loads, hours and metal for the batch
- Energy and cost per part
Interpreting the result
- If the rectifier limits the load, fewer parts per rack at the same current density keep quality and time.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 1467, 1500–1516. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
- Atomic masses: IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights — https://ciaaw.org
WORKOS tools are screening and decision-support utilities. Verify important financial, engineering, safety, legal or operational decisions using appropriate professional standards and your organisation’s approved data.
Open the Electroplating Plan (Time, Current, Loads and Cost per Part) calculator
