Professional Zinc Alloy Surface Finishing Solutions
Acid Copper
Acid Copper
Bright acid copper plating, filling fine lines, improving surface brightness and flatness.
1. Process Flow Chart
2. Process Video
3. Process Details
1. Barrel plating drum into acid copper tank
Check the concentration, temperature and liquid level of the acid copper bath before loading. Slowly immerse the barrel into the tank and ensure all workpieces are fully covered by the plating solution.
2. Control current, temperature and drum rotation speed
Set the appropriate current, bath temperature and barrel rotating speed according to the process parameters. Keep these parameters stable during the whole plating process to ensure a uniform acid copper layer.
3. Multi-stage water washing to prevent residue
Hoist the barrel out to let the residual plating solution drip back for recovery. Carry out multi-stage water washing to completely remove surface residues and avoid contamination to subsequent processes.
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Workshop Planning Data
Acid Copper — Data Zinc Alloy Finishing Managers Need
The automatic barrel plating line plates zinc alloy small parts with copper, nickel, tin and color finishes in batches of 50,000+ pieces, delivering uniform thickness and color at the lowest cost per piece.
650 m²Workshop Area
22 peopleTeam Size
260 kWInstalled Power
1.2-2.5M pcs/dayDaily Output (10 h)
Quality Inspection & Control
| Check item | Method | Acceptance standard |
|---|---|---|
| Coating thickness | X-ray fluorescence / coulometric | Per spec: Cu 3-8 μm, Ni 3-10 μm, Sn 3-6 μm |
| Adhesion | Bend / peel / thermal shock | No flaking at 150 °C × 30 min |
| Color match | Colorimeter ΔE / master | ΔE ≤ 1.5 vs approved master |
| Salt spray | NSS chamber | 12-72 h per finish spec |
| Pitting / roughness | 10× inspection | No pitting, nodules or burnt deposits |
| Thickness uniformity | 5 positions / batch | CV ≤ 10% across barrel load |
Workshop Layout & Floor Area
| Zone | Area |
|---|---|
| Automatic barrel line (12-16 tanks) | 260 m² |
| Chemical storage / dosing | 60 m² |
| Rectifier room | 40 m² |
| QA lab + X-ray | 50 m² |
| Dryer / centrifuge / sorting | 80 m² |
| Rinse & waste treatment | 110 m² |
| Utility & lockers | 50 m² |
| Total workshop | 650 m² |
Manpower & Shift Plan
| Role | Headcount |
|---|---|
| Line operators | 10 |
| Chemical technicians | 3 |
| QC inspectors (incl. X-ray) | 3 |
| Wastewater operator | 1 |
| Supervisor | 1 |
| Maintenance / electrician | 2 |
| Logistics & sorting | 2 |
| Total (2 shifts × 10 h) | 22 |
Power & Utility Demand
| Equipment | Demand |
|---|---|
| Rectifiers 12 V × 500-2000 A (4 sets) | 80 kW |
| Tank heating + cooling | 55 kW |
| Barrel drive motors (12-16) | 24 kW |
| Pumps / filters / dosing | 30 kW |
| Exhaust + scrubber | 22 kW |
| Dryer + centrifuge | 20 kW |
| Wastewater treatment | 18 kW |
| Lighting & auxiliary | 11 kW |
| Installed total | 260 kW |
| Typical running load | ≈ 205 kW |
Production Flow Chart
PretreatmentPolish, degrease, activate
Alkaline CopperStrike layer for adhesion
Acid Copper / Nickel / TinBuild thickness + brightness
Color FinishGold, gun, black, antique etc.
Rinse ChainRecovery → counter-flow → DI
Dry & SortCentrifuge, inspect, pack
Daily Capacity — 10-Hour Operating Day
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Batch cycle | 25-45 min |
| Load per barrel | 40-80 kg |
| Parts per batch | 50,000-100,000 |
| Batches per 10 h day | 14-20 |
| Daily output | 1,200,000-2,500,000 pcs |
| Monthly output (26 days) | 31-65 million pcs |
Output Value Estimate
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Plating fee per piece | USD 0.005-0.015 |
| Daily output value (10 h) | USD 7,000-18,000 |
| Monthly output value | USD 180,000-470,000 |
| Annual output value | USD 2,160,000-5,600,000 |
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