1. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Visual Keys For Successful Base Material Preparation

2. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Base Material Identification Obtaining good adhesion of a SIFCO Process deposit begins with proper identification of the surface being plated on.

3. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Base Material Identification Occasionally, the operator is misinformed as to the identity of the base material or is not informed or aware that a coating is present on the surface. This can lead to adhesion problems.

4. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Base Material Identification An alert operator, by carefully watching the etching operation, will frequently detect incorrect identifications or the presence of coatings.

5. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Base Material Identification This table lists some tests that may be used to verify the identity of the base material.

6. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Preparation A SIFCO Process preparatory cycle consists of a number of operations, each one performing a specific function. The number and types of operations, and the solutions used, depend on the base material and not the plating solution to be used later. Each operation should be carried out properly to ensure obtaining maximum adhesion.

7. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Preparation The operations are properly carried out when: The proper solutions are used in the proper sequence. The solutions are used in the proper direction of current flow, i.e. forward current or reverse current. The operations follow each other as rapidly as possible and with the surface not being allowed to dry between operations. The desired results are obtained in each operation.

8. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Preparation The visual tests are important and the operator should pay particular attention to them.

9. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Electrocleaning Usually performed first Removes the last traces of dirt, oil, and grease Removes the light oxide films on some metals such as copper. Usually done in forward polarity

10. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Etching Performed in reverse polarity Removes oxides, corrosion products and smeared and contaminated surface material

11. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Desmutting Follows the etch on some base materials Removes loose layer of insoluble material on the surface. Done in reverse polarity

12. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Activating Removes passive oxide film No visual key (except for chrome) Done in forward polarity Temporary state

13. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. The Rinse In most cases, a thorough water rinse should follow each preparatory step. One of the most critical is the rinse after the electrocleaning operation. If water “breaks” on the surface, either the electrocleaning time was too short or the voltage was too low, and the operation should be repeated.

14. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Water Break A good description of a “water break” is when a water film breaks into beads such as on a waxed car. If this occurs, the surface is not clean! Water Break Nice Clean Surface

15. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Visual Keys The following series of slides shows what the operator should look for in each of the preparatory operations. Things to consider: Appearance of the base material before the operation. Appearance of the base material after the operation. Appearance of the cover and the solution in the cover after the operation.

16. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Carbon Steel

17. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Carbon Steel After Before

18. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Carbon Steel After Before

19. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. 300 Stainless

20. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. 300 Stainless After Before

21. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. 400 Stainless

22. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. 400 Stainless After Before

23. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. 400 Stainless After Before

24. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Monel

25. Monel

26. Monel

27. Copper

28. Copper

29. Chrome

30. Chrome

31. Chrome

32. Summary Successful adhesion hinges on correctly identifying the base material and performing the correct preparatory operations for that material in the right sequence and ensuring that the visual keys are observed for each stepSuccessful adhesion hinges on correctly identifying the base material and performing the correct preparatory operations for that material in the right sequence and ensuring that the visual keys are observed for each step

33. Copyright © 2005 SIFCO Industries, Inc. Summary Need Help? SIFCO Process Instruction ManualSIFCO Process Instruction Manual SIFCO Technical SupportSIFCO Technical Support info@sifcoasc.com 1-216-524-0099