1. Electroplating Clips Group: 11
Members: Trevor Nyeholt, Steven Tarske, Jake Vandekieft, & Kyle van Veen
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2. Background
Lacks uses an electroplating process that makes chrome plating plastic possible
Most common use for chrome plated plastic parts is in the automotive environment
Lacks Enterprises
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3. Electroless Process Yuken Industry Co. 3 of 7
-So essentially they deposit a thin layer of metal on the product and then they electroplate that layer of metal!
-After this electroless process then normal electroplating of chrome can occur
-Electroplating is a process that uses electric current to reduce dissolved metal cations so that they form a thin coherent metal coating on an electrode
Yuken Industry Co.
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4. Industry Standards & Current Solutions
-vigerous arration
-plastisol coating
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Lacks Enterprises

5. The Problem Clip fatigue Surface Area of the Clip
Withstand chrome plating buildup
Clip fatigue
-once the clip becomes too fatigued from continuous bending, the parts become loose and fall, resulting in scrap
Surface Area of the Clip
-maximum surface area is needed for the current to flow through the stainless steel clip and plastic part
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6. Requirements Multiple Points of Contact Can’t be on visible surface
Clips can not shade significant area of part
Clips must remain in same position after repeated loading
Clips must be easy for operator to load and unload
Must be enough contact area for adequate current
The contact points required for plastic parts are a lot greater than those required for metal parts
Points of contact need to be rounded to avoid skip-plating from poor rinsing
Clips cant be placed on high-quality surfaces due to possibility of discoloration
Must be able to withstand the stripping of buildup
Chromic acid or sulfuric acid etch normally used
Otherwise electroless nickel, and an nitric acid dip are used
Buildup needs to be removed for most efficient flow of electric current to occur
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7. Project Goals Increase clip grip strength
Significantly prolong clip lifetime
Reduce scrap rate
Improve ergonomics
-lower overall cost by increasing the lifetime of the part and decreasing the scrap rate, even if overall complexity of the clip increases
-current scrap rate
-Stewards of the Environment =)
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