Multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinder automatic silver plating equipment and method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of multi-size cathode roll titanium cylinder automatic silver plating equipment and method, belong to cathode roll electroplating technical field.Equipment includes rotating device, electroplating device and control device;Rotating device is by rotating disc, telescopic mechanical arm, motor and Z axis, realize the 360 ° rotation and 0 ~ 4m lifting of mechanical arm;Electroplating device includes the brushing clamp connected with mechanical arm, and inlet and electrical connection are provided on clamp;Control device uses PLC control system to realize full-process automatic operation.The application method includes oil removal activation, pickling descaling, nickel plating and silver plating four steps, and the accurate pH value, voltage, current, speed and lifting parameters are set in each step, and the liquid supplement amount is automatically adjusted by closed-loop control.The application can be adapted to the inner diameter 2 ~ 4m, height 1 ~ 3m of multi-specification titanium cylinder, and the thickness deviation of silver plating layer is ≤±3%, without pockmark scratch, with strong bonding force;Production efficiency is improved by 50%, raw material cost is reduced by 20%, and the consistency and automation level of silver plating quality are significantly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cathode roller electroplating technology, and more specifically to an automated silver plating equipment and method for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders. Background Technology

[0002] In modern industrial manufacturing systems, cathode rollers are core equipment in the production of electrolytic copper foil, electrolytic aluminum foil, and other metal foils, and their performance directly affects the quality and production efficiency of electroplated products. Among them, titanium cathode rollers, due to titanium's excellent strength-to-weight ratio, superior corrosion resistance, and stable chemical properties, occupy an important position in precision electroplating operations in industries such as electronics, new energy, and high-end equipment manufacturing. To further improve the performance of titanium cathode rollers under complex working conditions, silver plating has become a widely used surface modification method, mainly including degreasing and activation, pickling to remove oxide scale, nickel plating as a base, and silver plating. Silver plating on titanium cathode rollers not only significantly enhances their conductivity, effectively reduces resistance loss during electroplating, and improves the uniformity of current distribution, thus ensuring the consistency and smoothness of the coating on the plated surface; it also greatly improves their corrosion resistance, extends the service life of the equipment, and reduces maintenance costs.

[0003] Current cathode roller titanium cylinder silver plating operations generally rely on manual operation. In this manual mode, workers need to constantly monitor every step of the silver plating process, including but not limited to precisely controlling the flow rate and temperature of the plating solution, adjusting the electrode position and current intensity as needed, and accurately timing the loading and unloading of materials. This not only requires workers to have extensive operational experience and a high degree of concentration, but also involves extremely high labor intensity. Due to the uncontrollable nature of human factors and differences in operating habits and skill levels among different operators, the silver plating quality is easily unstable, resulting in defects such as uneven plating thickness, surface pitting, or scratches, which seriously affect the consistency of product quality and yield.

[0004] To solve the above problems, there is an urgent need for a new automated silver plating method for cathode roller titanium cylinders. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide an automated silver plating method for titanium cylinders with multiple sizes of cathode rollers. The method utilizes automated equipment for silver plating of titanium cylinders with an inner diameter of 2–4 m and a height of 1–3 m. The silver plating thickness deviation is ≤ ±3%, with no pitting or scratch defects, strong adhesion, and no peeling. By automatically adjusting the replenishment amount through closed-loop control, the raw material cost is reduced by 20%, while production time is shortened, significantly improving production efficiency by 50%.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve the technical problem is: an automated silver plating equipment for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders, the equipment including a rotating device, an electroplating device, and a control device; the rotating device includes a rotary disk, a robotic arm, a motor, and a Z-axis, the rotary disk and the Z-axis are connected, the robotic arm is connected to the Z-axis, the rotating disk is controlled to achieve circumferential rotation of the robotic arm, and the motor controls the robotic arm to move up and down along the Z-axis; the electroplating device includes a coating fixture, the coating fixture is connected to the robotic arm, the coating fixture includes a liquid inlet and a power connection port, the liquid inlet is used to input solution into the coating fixture, and the power connection port is connected to a DC power supply; the control device includes a PLC control system and a control cabinet.

[0007] Furthermore, the telescopic length of the robotic arm is 1~2m, and the robotic arm moves up and down along the Z-axis via a motor, with a movement range of 0~4m.

[0008] This invention also discloses an automated silver plating method for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders, the method comprising the following steps: Step 1: Prepare the titanium cylinder, silver plating automation equipment, DC power supply, electroplating solution and coating fixture. Install the coating fixture on the robotic arm, keeping it concentric with the automation equipment, and power on the equipment. Step 2: Use automated silver plating equipment to degrease and activate the inner wall of the titanium cylinder; control the pH value of the degreasing solution between 11 and 13, and immediately rinse with running pure water after degreasing to remove residual degreasing agent; Step 3: Use automated silver plating equipment to pickle and remove oxide scale from the inner wall of the titanium cylinder; control the pH value of the pickling solution between 2 and 4, and rinse immediately with running pure water after pickling to ensure that residual acid is completely removed; Step 4: Perform nickel plating on the inner wall of the titanium cylinder using automated silver plating equipment; control the pH value of the nickel plating solution between 3 and 5, and rinse immediately with running pure water after nickel plating to remove residual plating solution and ensure no salt residue remains; Step 5: Perform silver plating on the inner wall of the titanium cylinder using automated silver plating equipment; control the pH value of the silver plating solution between 4 and 6; immediately rinse with flowing deionized water after silver plating; the thickness deviation of the silver plating layer should be ≤ ±3%.

[0009] Further, in step two, the degreasing and activation operation includes: inputting a degreasing solution with a pH value controlled at 11-13 into the coating fixture through the inlet; controlling the robotic arm to rotate 5-8 times at a speed of 5-8 r / min and to rise and fall at a speed of 0.5 m / min and a spacing of 0.2-0.3 m twice under the condition of DC power supply voltage of 5-10V and current of 20-30A; then rinsing the inner wall of the titanium cylinder with tap water 2-3 times.

[0010] Further, in step three, the acid pickling to remove oxide scale operation includes: inputting an acid pickling solution with a pH value controlled at 2-4 into the coating fixture through the inlet; controlling the robotic arm to rotate 10-15 times at a speed of 10-20 r / min under DC power supply conditions of 10-15V and 30-40A, and raising and lowering it at a speed of 0.5m / min and a spacing of 0.2-0.3m, repeating this process 3 times; then rinsing the inner wall of the titanium cylinder 2-3 times with flowing pure water.

[0011] Further, in step four, the nickel plating undercoating operation includes: feeding a nickel plating solution with a pH value controlled at 3-5 into the coating fixture through the inlet; controlling the robotic arm to rotate 12-15 times at a speed of 10-30 r / min under DC power supply conditions of 20-40V and 60-80A, and raising and lowering it at a speed of 0.5m / min and a spacing of 0.2-0.3m, repeating twice; then rinsing the inner wall of the titanium cylinder with running pure water 3-5 times.

[0012] Further, in step five, the silver plating operation includes: inputting a silver plating solution with a pH value controlled at 4-6 into the coating fixture through the inlet; controlling the robotic arm to rotate 20-30 times at a speed of 15-35 r / min under DC power supply conditions of 10-20V and 40-60A, and raising and lowering it at a speed of 0.5m / min and a spacing of 0.2-0.3m, repeating this process 4 times; then rinsing the inner wall of the titanium cylinder 3-5 times with flowing deionized water.

[0013] Furthermore, the titanium cylinder has an inner diameter of 2~4m, a height of 1~3m, and an inner wall roughness Rz ≤ 3.6μm.

[0014] Furthermore, the degreasing solution in step two is a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate in a volume ratio of 2:3; the pickling solution in step three is a mixture of oxalic acid and hydrofluoric acid in a volume ratio of 3:1; the nickel plating solution in step four is a mixture of nickel sulfate, nickel chloride, and boric acid in a volume ratio of 6:1:1.2; and the silver plating solution in step five is a mixture of silver nitrate and sodium borate in a volume ratio of 1:3.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Compared with the prior art, this invention has the following advantages: 1) This invention uses automated equipment to silver-plat titanium cylinders, which can achieve silver plating of titanium cylinders with an inner diameter of 2 to 4 m and a height of 1 to 3 m. The silver plating thickness deviation is ≤ ±3%, and the resulting plating quality is highly uniform, with strong adhesion, and no peeling or pitting.

[0016] 2) This invention supports continuous operation for 24 hours, requiring only 1 to 2 operators to monitor the equipment status, greatly reducing reliance on manpower, increasing production efficiency by 50%, and is suitable for large-scale mass production.

[0017] 3) This invention can monitor the concentration of silver nitrate and sodium borate and pH in the silver plating solution in real time. By comparing the set values, the concentration difference is calculated, and the replenishment mass is accurately calculated by combining the volume of the plating solution. The metering pump is controlled to add the solution quantitatively, and the solution is retested and corrected after stirring. This achieves a fully automatic closed loop, maintaining the concentration within the process window, reducing solution waste and lowering raw material costs by 20%.

[0018] 4) The robotic arm of the present invention can achieve 1~2m extension and retraction, 0~4m lifting and 360° rotation, and can be adapted to titanium cylinders of different specifications with inner diameter of 2~4m and height of 1~3m. It can complete the silver plating operation of cathode roller titanium cylinders of various sizes without changing equipment or fixtures, and has strong versatility. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the device structure provided by the present invention.

[0020] Among them, 1-rotary disk; 2-robotic arm; 3-motor; 4-Z-axis; 5-painting fixture; 6-liquid inlet; 7-power connection port; 8-control cabinet.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a photograph of the silver plating on the inner wall of the titanium cylinder obtained in Example 1. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will be further illustrated below with specific embodiments. However, these examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Example

[0023] An automated silver plating equipment for titanium cylinders with multiple cathode sizes, such as Figure 1 As shown, the system includes a rotating device, an electroplating device, and a control device. The rotating device includes a rotating disk 1, a robotic arm 2, a motor 3, and a Z-axis 4. The rotating disk 1 and Z-axis 4 are connected, and the robotic arm 2 is connected to the Z-axis 4. By controlling the rotating disk 1, the robotic arm 2 can rotate 360° in the circumferential direction. By controlling the motor 3, the robotic arm 2 can move up and down along the Z-axis 4. The electroplating device includes a coating fixture 5 and a DC power supply. The coating fixture 5 is connected to the robotic arm 2 and includes a liquid inlet 6 and a power inlet 7. The power inlet is connected to the DC power supply, enabling solution replenishment and electroplating. The control device includes a PLC control system and a control cabinet 8. By controlling the rotating disk 1 and the motor 3, the robotic arm 2 can rotate and move along the Z-axis 4, thereby enabling the coating fixture 5 to perform electroplating operations on the inner wall of the titanium cylinder. The robotic arm has a telescopic length of 1m, and its movement along the Z-axis via the motor ranges from 0 to 1m.

[0024] An automated silver plating method for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders includes the following steps: Step 1: Silver plating preparation. Prepare a titanium cylinder, automated silver plating equipment, DC power supply, electroplating solution, and coating fixture. Install the coating fixture on the robotic arm. Use an overhead crane to grab the titanium cylinder and keep it concentric with the automated equipment. Then, slowly lower it while simultaneously powering on the automated silver plating equipment. The titanium cylinder has an inner diameter of 2m, a height of 1m, and a surface roughness Rz≤3.6μm. Step 2: The inner wall of the titanium cylinder from Step 1 is degreased and activated using automated equipment. This degreasing and activation process involves introducing a degreasing solution into the coating fixture through the inlet. Electroplating parameters are controlled by a DC power supply, and the rotation and lifting of the robotic arm and coating fixture are controlled by a control system. This process is repeated twice to complete the degreasing and activation. The degreasing solution is a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate in a 2:3 volume ratio, with a pH value controlled at 11. The DC power supply parameters are 5V and 20A. The rotation angle is 360°, the rotation speed is 5 r / min, and the number of revolutions is 5 r. The lifting range is 0–1 m, the spacing is 0.2 m, and the lifting speed is 0.5 m / min. After the degreasing and activation process, the fixture and the inner wall of the titanium cylinder are rinsed with tap water 2–3 times to remove residual degreasing agent and prevent impurities from reacting in subsequent steps. Step 3: The inner wall of the titanium cylinder after degreasing and activation in Step 2 is subjected to acid pickling to remove oxide scale using automated equipment. The acid pickling process involves introducing the pickling solution into the coating fixture through the inlet. Electroplating parameters are controlled by a DC power supply, and the rotation and lifting of the robotic arm and coating fixture are controlled by a control system. This process is repeated three times to complete the acid pickling and oxide scale removal. The pickling solution is a mixture of oxalic acid and hydrofluoric acid in a 3:1 volume ratio, with the pH value controlled at 2. The DC power supply parameters are 10V and 30A. The rotation angle is 360°, the rotation speed is 10 r / min, and the number of revolutions is 10 r. The lifting range is 0–1 m, the spacing is 0.2 m, and the lifting speed is 0.5 m / min. After acid pickling, the cylinder is immediately rinsed 2–3 times with running pure water to ensure complete removal of residual acid. Step 4: The inner wall of the titanium cylinder after acid pickling to remove oxide scale in Step 3 is subjected to nickel plating undercoating using automated equipment. The nickel plating undercoating process involves feeding the nickel plating solution into the coating fixture through the inlet, controlling the electroplating parameters via DC power, and controlling the rotation and lifting of the robotic arm and coating fixture via a control system. This process is repeated twice to complete the nickel plating undercoating. The nickel plating solution is a mixture of nickel sulfate, nickel chloride, and boric acid in a volume ratio of 6:1:1.2, with the pH value controlled at 3. The DC power supply parameters are 20V and 60A. The rotation angle during the rotation process is 360°, the rotation speed is 10 revolutions / min, and the number of revolutions is 12. The lifting range is 0–1m, the spacing is 0.2m, and the lifting speed is 0.5m / min. Immediately after nickel plating, the surface is rinsed 3–5 times with running pure water to remove residual plating solution and ensure no salt residue remains. Step 5: The inner wall of the titanium cylinder after nickel plating in Step 4 is subjected to silver plating using automated equipment. The silver plating process involves inputting the silver plating solution into the coating fixture through the inlet. The electroplating parameters are controlled by a DC power supply, and the rotation and lifting of the robotic arm and coating fixture are controlled by a control system. This process is repeated four times to complete the silver plating. The silver plating solution is a mixture of silver nitrate and sodium borate in a 1:3 volume ratio, with a pH value controlled at 4. The DC power supply parameters are 10V and 40A. The rotation angle is 360°, the rotation speed is 15 r / min, and the number of revolutions is 20 r. The lifting range is 0–1 m, the spacing is 0.2 m, and the lifting speed is 0.5 m / min. After silver plating, the cylinder is immediately rinsed with running deionized water 3–5 times. The silver plating layer thickness deviation is required to be ≤±3%, with no pitting, scratches, or defects, strong adhesion, and no peeling. Step Six: After silver plating is completed, turn off the DC power supply and control system power supply, use an overhead crane to lift the titanium cylinder away, and rinse the automated equipment to prevent corrosion.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a photograph of the silver plating on the inner wall of the titanium cylinder obtained in Example 1. Figure 2 As can be seen, the silver plating coating on the inner wall of the titanium cylinder is uniform, without any pitting, scratches or defects, and the coating has not peeled off. Example

[0026] An automated silver plating equipment for titanium cylinders with multiple cathode sizes, such as Figure 1As shown, the device includes a rotating mechanism, an electroplating mechanism, and a control mechanism. The rotating mechanism comprises a rotating disk 1, a robotic arm 2, a motor 3, and a Z-axis 4. The rotating disk 1 and Z-axis 4 are connected, and the robotic arm 2 is also connected to the Z-axis 4. Controlling the rotating disk 1 allows the robotic arm 2 to rotate 360° in the circumferential direction, and controlling the motor 3 allows the robotic arm 2 to move up and down along the Z-axis 4. The electroplating mechanism includes a coating fixture 5 and a DC power supply. The coating fixture 5 is connected to the robotic arm 2 and includes a liquid inlet 6 and a power inlet 7. The power inlet is connected to the DC power supply, enabling solution replenishment and electroplating. The control mechanism includes a PLC control system and a control cabinet 8. Controlling the rotating disk 1 and the motor 3 allows the robotic arm 2 to rotate and move along the Z-axis 4, thereby enabling the coating fixture 5 to perform electroplating operations on the inner wall of the titanium cylinder. The robotic arm can extend up to 1.5m, and its vertical movement along the Z-axis is controlled by the motor, ranging from 0 to 2m.

[0027] An automated silver plating method for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders includes the following steps: Step 1: Silver plating preparation. Prepare a titanium cylinder, automated silver plating equipment, DC power supply, electroplating solution, and coating fixture. Install the coating fixture on the robotic arm. Use an overhead crane to grab the titanium cylinder and keep it concentric with the automated equipment. Then, slowly lower it while simultaneously powering on the automated silver plating equipment. The titanium cylinder has an inner diameter of 3m, a height of 2m, and a surface roughness Rz≤3.6μm. Step 2: The inner wall of the titanium cylinder from Step 1 is degreased and activated using automated equipment. The degreasing and activation process involves introducing a degreasing solution into the coating fixture through the inlet. Electroplating parameters are controlled by a DC power supply, and the rotation and lifting of the robotic arm and coating fixture are controlled by a control system. This process is repeated twice to complete the degreasing and activation. The degreasing solution is a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate in a 2:3 volume ratio, with a pH value controlled at 12. The DC power supply parameters are 8V and 25A. The rotation angle is 360°, the rotation speed is 6 r / min, and the number of revolutions is 6. The lifting range is 0–2m, the spacing is 0.25m, and the lifting speed is 0.5m / min. After the degreasing and activation process is completed, the fixture and the inner wall of the titanium cylinder are rinsed with tap water 2–3 times to remove residual degreasing agent and prevent impurities from reacting in subsequent steps. Step 3: The inner wall of the titanium cylinder after degreasing and activation in Step 2 is subjected to acid pickling to remove oxide scale using automated equipment. The acid pickling process involves inputting the pickling solution into the coating fixture through the inlet. Electroplating parameters are controlled by a DC power supply, and the rotation and lifting of the robotic arm and coating fixture are controlled by a control system. This process is repeated three times to complete the acid pickling and oxide scale removal. The pickling solution is a mixture of oxalic acid and hydrofluoric acid in a 3:1 volume ratio, with the pH value controlled at 3. The DC power supply parameters are 12V and 35A. The rotation angle is 360°, the rotation speed is 15 r / min, and the number of revolutions is 12 r. The lifting range is 0–2 m, the spacing is 0.25 m, and the lifting speed is 0.5 m / min. After acid pickling, the cylinder is immediately rinsed 2–3 times with running pure water to ensure complete removal of residual acid. Step 4: The inner wall of the titanium cylinder after pickling and activation in Step 3 is subjected to nickel plating undercoating using automated equipment. The nickel plating undercoating process involves inputting the nickel plating solution into the coating fixture through the inlet, controlling the electroplating parameters via DC power, and controlling the rotation and lifting of the robotic arm and coating fixture via a control system. This process is repeated three times to complete the nickel plating undercoating. The nickel plating solution is a mixture of nickel sulfate, nickel chloride, and boric acid in a volume ratio of 6:1:1.2, with the pH value controlled at 4. The DC power supply parameters are 30V and 70A. The rotation angle during the rotation process is 360°, the rotation speed is 20 r / min, and the number of revolutions is 13. The lifting range is 0–2m, the spacing is 0.25m, and the lifting speed is 0.5m / min. Immediately after nickel plating, the surface is rinsed 3–5 times with running pure water to remove residual plating solution and ensure no salt residue remains. Step 5: The inner wall of the titanium cylinder after nickel plating in Step 4 is subjected to silver plating using automated equipment. The silver plating process involves inputting the silver plating solution into the coating fixture through the inlet. The electroplating parameters are controlled by a DC power supply, and the rotation and lifting of the robotic arm and coating fixture are controlled by a control system. This process is repeated four times to complete the silver plating. The silver plating solution is a mixture of silver nitrate and sodium borate in a 1:3 volume ratio, with a pH value controlled at 5. The DC power supply parameters are 15V voltage and 50A current. The rotation angle is 360°, the rotation speed is 20 r / min, and the number of revolutions is 25 r. The lifting range is 0–2 m, the spacing is 0.25 m, and the lifting speed is 0.5 m / min. After silver plating, the cylinder is immediately rinsed with running deionized water 3–5 times. The silver plating layer thickness deviation is required to be ≤±3%, with no pitting, scratches, or defects, strong adhesion, and no peeling. Step Six: After silver plating is completed, turn off the DC power supply and control system power supply, use an overhead crane to lift the titanium cylinder away, and rinse the automated equipment to prevent corrosion. Example

[0028] An automated silver plating equipment for titanium cylinders with multiple cathode sizes, such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes a rotating device, an electroplating device, and a control device. The rotating device includes a rotating disk 1, a robotic arm 2, a motor 3, and a Z-axis 4. The rotating disk 1 and the Z-axis 4 are connected, and the robotic arm 2 is also connected to the Z-axis 4. By controlling the rotating disk 1, the robotic arm 2 can rotate 360° in the circumferential direction, and by controlling the motor 3, the robotic arm 2 can move up and down along the Z-axis 4. The electroplating device includes a coating fixture 5 and a DC power supply. The coating fixture 5 is connected to the robotic arm 2 and includes a liquid inlet 6 and a power inlet 7. The power inlet is connected to the DC power supply, which can realize solution replenishment and electroplating. The control device includes a PLC control system and a control cabinet 8. By controlling the rotating disk 1 and the motor 3, the robotic arm 2 can rotate and move along the Z-axis 4, thereby realizing the electroplating operation of the coating fixture 5 on the inner wall of the titanium cylinder. The robotic arm can automatically extend and retract to 2m, and the robotic arm can be raised and lowered along the Z-axis by the motor, with a range of 0-3m. The inner diameter of the titanium cylinder is 4m, the height is 3m, and the roughness Rz≤3.6μm.

[0029] An automated silver plating method for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders includes the following steps: Step 1: Silver plating preparation. Prepare the titanium cylinder, automated silver plating equipment, DC power supply, electroplating solution and coating fixture. Install the coating fixture on the robotic arm. Use the overhead crane to grab the titanium cylinder and keep it concentric with the automated equipment. Then slowly lower it while powering on the automated silver plating equipment. Step 2: The inner wall of the titanium cylinder from Step 1 is degreased and activated using automated equipment. This degreasing and activation process involves introducing a degreasing solution into the coating fixture through the inlet. Electroplating parameters are controlled by a DC power supply, and the rotation and lifting of the robotic arm and coating fixture are controlled by a control system. This process is repeated twice to complete the degreasing and activation. The degreasing solution is a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate in a 2:3 volume ratio, with a pH value controlled at 13. The DC power supply parameters are 10V and 30A. The rotation angle is 360°, the rotation speed is 8 r / min, and the number of revolutions is 8. The lifting range is 0–3m, the spacing is 0.3m, and the lifting speed is 0.5m / min. After the degreasing and activation process, the fixture and the inner wall of the titanium cylinder are rinsed with tap water 2–3 times to remove residual degreasing agent and prevent impurities from reacting in subsequent steps. Step 3: The inner wall of the titanium cylinder after degreasing and activation in Step 2 is subjected to acid pickling to remove oxide scale using automated equipment. The acid pickling process involves inputting the pickling solution into the coating fixture through the inlet. Electroplating parameters are controlled by a DC power supply, and the rotation and lifting of the robotic arm and coating fixture are controlled by a control system. This process is repeated three times to complete the acid pickling and oxide scale removal. The pickling solution is a mixture of oxalic acid and hydrofluoric acid in a 3:1 volume ratio, with a pH value controlled at 4. The DC power supply parameters are 15V and 40A. The rotation angle is 360°, the rotation speed is 20 r / min, and the number of revolutions is 15 r. The lifting range is 0–3 m, the spacing is 0.3 m, and the lifting speed is 0.5 m / min. After acid pickling, the cylinder is immediately rinsed 2–3 times with running pure water to ensure complete removal of residual acid. Step 4: The inner wall of the titanium cylinder, which underwent acid pickling to remove oxide scale in Step 3, is then subjected to nickel plating as a base coat using automated equipment. The nickel plating base coat operation involves feeding the nickel plating solution into the coating fixture through the inlet. Electroplating parameters are controlled by a DC power supply, and the rotation and lifting of the robotic arm and coating fixture are controlled by a control system. This process is repeated twice to complete the nickel plating base coat operation. The nickel plating solution is a mixture of nickel sulfate, nickel chloride, and boric acid in a volume ratio of 6:1:1.2, with the pH value controlled at 5. The DC power supply parameters are 40V and 80A. The rotation angle during the rotation process is 360°, the rotation speed is 30 r / min, and the number of revolutions is 15 r. The lifting range is 0–3 m, the spacing is 0.3 m, and the lifting speed is 0.5 m / min. Immediately after nickel plating, the surface is rinsed 3–5 times with running pure water to remove residual plating solution and ensure no salt residue remains. Step 5: The inner wall of the titanium cylinder after nickel plating in Step 4 is subjected to silver plating using automated equipment. The silver plating process involves inputting the silver plating solution into the coating fixture through the inlet. The electroplating parameters are controlled by a DC power supply, and the rotation and lifting of the robotic arm and coating fixture are controlled by a control system. This process is repeated four times to complete the silver plating. The silver plating solution is a mixture of silver nitrate and sodium borate in a 1:3 volume ratio, with a pH value controlled at 6. The DC power supply parameters are 20V and 60A. The rotation angle is 360°, the rotation speed is 35 r / min, and the number of revolutions is 30 r. The lifting range is 0–3 m, the spacing is 0.3 m, and the lifting speed is 0.5 m / min. After silver plating, the cylinder is immediately rinsed with running deionized water 3–5 times. The silver plating layer thickness deviation is required to be ≤±3%, with no pitting, scratches, or defects, strong adhesion, and no peeling. Step Six: After silver plating is completed, turn off the DC power supply and control system power supply, use an overhead crane to lift the titanium cylinder away, and rinse the automated equipment to prevent corrosion.

[0030] This invention utilizes automated equipment for silver plating of titanium cylinders, enabling silver plating of cylinders with inner diameters of 2–4 m and heights of 1–3 m. The silver plating thickness deviation is ≤±3%, significantly improving plating quality and uniformity. The coating is free of pitting, scratches, and defects, exhibiting strong adhesion and no peeling. Closed-loop control automatically adjusts the replenishment volume, current output, and rotation speed, reducing raw material costs by 20% while shortening production time and significantly increasing production efficiency by 50%.

[0031] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical solutions also fall within the scope of the present invention, and the patent protection scope of the present invention should be defined by the claims.

Claims

1. An automated silver plating equipment for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders, characterized in that: The equipment includes a rotating device, an electroplating device, and a control device. The rotating device includes a rotary disk, a robotic arm, a motor, and a Z-axis. The rotary disk and the Z-axis are connected, and the robotic arm is connected to the Z-axis. The robotic arm rotates in a circular direction by controlling the rotary disk, and moves up and down along the Z-axis by controlling the motor. The electroplating device includes a coating fixture connected to the robotic arm. The coating fixture includes a liquid inlet and a power connection. The liquid inlet is used to input solution into the coating fixture, and the power connection is connected to a DC power supply. The control device includes a PLC control system and a control cabinet.

2. The automated silver plating equipment for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The extension length of the robotic arm is 1~2m, and the robotic arm moves up and down along the Z-axis via a motor, with a movement range of 0~4m.

3. An automated silver plating method for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders, characterized in that: The method includes the following steps: Step 1: Prepare the titanium cylinder, silver plating automation equipment, DC power supply, electroplating solution and coating fixture. Install the coating fixture on the robotic arm, keeping it concentric with the automation equipment, and power on the equipment. Step 2: Use automated silver plating equipment to degrease and activate the inner wall of the titanium cylinder; control the pH value of the degreasing solution between 11 and 13, and immediately rinse with running pure water after degreasing to remove residual degreasing agent; Step 3: Use automated silver plating equipment to pickle and remove oxide scale from the inner wall of the titanium cylinder; control the pH value of the pickling solution between 2 and 4, and rinse immediately with running pure water after pickling to ensure that residual acid is completely removed; Step 4: Perform nickel plating on the inner wall of the titanium cylinder using automated silver plating equipment; control the pH value of the nickel plating solution between 3 and 5, and rinse immediately with running pure water after nickel plating to remove residual plating solution and ensure no salt residue remains; Step 5: Perform silver plating on the inner wall of the titanium cylinder using automated silver plating equipment; control the pH value of the silver plating solution between 4 and 6; immediately rinse with flowing deionized water after silver plating; the thickness deviation of the silver plating layer should be ≤ ±3%.

4. The automated silver plating method for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders as described in claim 3, characterized in that: In step two, the degreasing and activation operation includes: feeding a degreasing solution with a pH value controlled at 11-13 into the coating fixture through the inlet; controlling the robotic arm to rotate 5-8 times at a speed of 5-8 r / min and to rise and fall at a speed of 0.5 m / min and a spacing of 0.2-0.3 m twice under the condition of DC power supply voltage of 5-10V and current of 20-30A; and then rinsing the inner wall of the titanium cylinder with tap water 2-3 times.

5. The automated silver plating method for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders as described in claim 3, characterized in that: In step three, the acid pickling and oxide scale removal operation includes: feeding an acid pickling solution with a pH value controlled at 2-4 into the coating fixture through the inlet; controlling the robotic arm to rotate 10-15 times at a speed of 10-20 r / min and to rise and fall at a speed of 0.5 m / min and a spacing of 0.2-0.3 m, repeating this process 3 times; then rinsing the inner wall of the titanium cylinder 2-3 times with running pure water.

6. The automated silver plating method for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders as described in claim 3, characterized in that: In step four, the nickel plating undercoat operation includes: feeding a nickel plating solution with a pH value controlled at 3-5 into the coating fixture through the inlet; controlling the robotic arm to rotate 12-15 times at a speed of 10-30 r / min and to rise and fall at a speed of 0.5 m / min and a spacing of 0.2-0.3 m twice under DC power supply conditions of 20-40V and 60-80A; and then rinsing the inner wall of the titanium cylinder 3-5 times with running pure water.

7. The automated silver plating method for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders as described in claim 3, characterized in that: In step five, the silver plating operation includes: feeding a silver plating solution with a pH value controlled at 4-6 into the coating fixture through the inlet; controlling the robotic arm to rotate 20-30 times at a speed of 15-35 r / min under DC power supply conditions of 10-20V and 40-60A, and raising and lowering it at a speed of 0.5m / min and a spacing of 0.2-0.3m, repeating this process 4 times; then rinsing the inner wall of the titanium cylinder 3-5 times with flowing deionized water.

8. The automated silver plating method for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The titanium cylinder has an inner diameter of 2-4m, a height of 1-3m, and an inner wall roughness Rz ≤ 3.6μm.

9. The automated silver plating method for multi-size cathode roller titanium cylinders as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The degreasing solution in step two is a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate in a volume ratio of 2:3; the pickling solution in step three is a mixture of oxalic acid and hydrofluoric acid in a volume ratio of 3:1; the nickel plating solution in step four is a mixture of nickel sulfate, nickel chloride, and boric acid in a volume ratio of 6:1:1.2; and the silver plating solution in step five is a mixture of silver nitrate and sodium borate in a volume ratio of 1:3.

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