Selective Plating

Brush plating, or selective plating, is a technology that has been around for over 40 years.  CTL has adopted this technology to provide a cost-effective method of repairing damaged areas of metals.

What is Brush Plating?

Brush plating is a simple method of resurfacing, or repairing damaged or mismatched ID, OD, housings, or other important metal surfaces.  It uses electrical and chemical reactions to bond two types of metal together, using the certified SIFCO process.  There are six main purposes for brush plating:

      1. Salvage
      2. Surface enhancement
      3. Repair
      4. Dimensional Restoration
      5. Defect Repair
      6. Corrosion Protection

In the past damaged or mismachined surfaces would have to be disassembled and either replaced or resurfaced either by chroming or welding.  These methods were time-consuming, and often costly.  Brush plating is a simple alternative, which can make the new surface harder, and more resistant to wear damage.  We have a wide range of pure metals and metal alloys that can be used to resurface damaged areas.

The Process

The process is simple; it uses electrical currents to bond two metals together so they become as one.  In its simplest form, the brush plating process is much like a painting operation.  The operator soaks the plating tool in the plating solution and the plating solution is delivered to the work area by an absorbent cover wrapped around the anode of the plating tool.  The deposit is applied by plating tool against the work area.  The process consists of eight easy steps:

      1. The operator determines what is the make up of the base material
      2. Dimensions and calculations are made of the damaged area for correct solution
          and amp hour specifications
      3. The surface is masked off using aluminum and vinyl tape
      4. Surface is connected to the DC circuit
      5. The surface is cleaned and prepared in a basic 3-step process
      6. The metal solution is applied on a continuous basis until the amp hour (previously
          calculated) is reached
      7. Surface is cleaned and polished
      8. The plated item is ready for surface once again

Where can it be done, and to what?

Because this process is quick and few tools are needed, brush plating can be performed right on site without costly and time-consuming disassembly.  This ease of repair is 30 to 60 times faster than conventional tank plating and often improves the surface of the tool.  Many different surfaces can be done including ID or OD surfaces, simple localized contours or even flat surfaces.  Almost any surface that conducts electricity can be plated, from aluminum to zinc, including hard-to-repair metals such as cast iron.  Even small internal diameters can be done with much ease. 



Comparison to Other Surface Repair Methods

	Selctive Brush Plating	Welding	Metal Spray	Sleeving or Busing
Adhesion	Excellent	Excellent	Fair	N/A
Thermal Distortion	None	Frequent	Usual	None
Pre/Post Machining	Not always required	Always Required	Not always required	Always Required
Maintain Part Integrity	Yes	Yes	Varies	No
Density (Porosity)	Dense	Dense	Porous	N/A

Applications

Bearing Journal Repair

Cylinder Repair 

Electric Motors & Generators Applications 

Marine Applications 

Power Generation 

Printing Industry applications

Example of Sifco Plating Process

                       Stator Case reclaimed with Windings still in place.   Difficult Figure of Eight bores easily reclaimed.