KEVOS® MAKEOS · Manufacturing
Electroplating Thickness and Time (Faraday)
How long must this part be plated to reach the thickness, and what current does it need?
Deposition rate, plating time for a target thickness, current and deposited mass by Faraday’s law for common electroplated metals, with cathode current efficiency.
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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 ion valence in the bath. |
| Current density | A/dm² | Average cathode current density from the process sheet. |
| Cathode current efficiency | % | Cathode current efficiency of the bath (nickel about 95%, hard chromium about 10–25%) from the supplier. |
| Plated area | dm² | Total area being plated on the rack or barrel load. |
| Target thickness | µm | Required average thickness. |
Method and formulas
- Mass rate per area = J × η × M ÷ (n F), with M the atomic mass, n the valence and F = 96 485 C/mol.
- Thickness rate = mass rate ÷ density.
- Time = target thickness ÷ rate; current = J × area.
- Example: nickel at 4 A/dm² and 95% efficiency deposits 0.77848 µm/min, reaching 20 µm in 25.691 min.
Limitations
- Average thickness only; current distribution makes edges thicker and recesses thinner.
- Bath efficiency varies with chemistry, temperature and current density.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Set plating time for a thickness specification
- Size rectifier current for a rack
- Estimate metal consumption
Who it is for
- Platers
- Finishing supervisors
- Process engineers
What you get
- Deposition rate
- Time to reach the target thickness
- Total current
- Mass deposited
Interpreting the result
- Allow for thin areas: measure thickness at the significant surface specified on the drawing.
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
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Open the Electroplating Thickness and Time (Faraday) calculator
