Workpiece outer surface electroplating processing device

Abstract

This invention discloses an electroplating device for the outer surface of a workpiece, comprising at least one electroplating module. The electroplating module includes a cage-shaped anode, a first fixed end cap, a shielding cover, a first pull rod, a second fixed end cap, and a power supply. The cage-shaped anode includes an anode conductive seat and an electroplating seat. A workpiece electroplating area is provided within the electroplating seat, and the electroplating seat and the workpiece electroplating area are coaxially aligned. The shielding cover surrounds the outside of the electroplating seat. The first fixed end cap is installed at one end of the electroplating seat, and the second fixed end cap is installed at the other end of the electroplating seat, with the first and second fixed end caps being tightened and fixed by the first pull rod. The anode conductive seat is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply, and the negative terminal of the power supply is connected to the cathode conductive seat. Workpiece positioning grooves are respectively provided on the first and second fixed end caps, and the workpiece positioning grooves are coaxially aligned with the electroplating seat and the workpiece electroplating area. This invention can meet the requirement of simultaneous electroplating of one or more outer surfaces of the same workpiece while ensuring the quality and uniformity of the plating layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to electroplating equipment, and more specifically to an electroplating equipment for the outer surface of a workpiece. Background Technology

[0002] In electroplating, parameters such as bath temperature, current density distribution, current uniformity, workpiece geometry, and fixture conductivity collectively constitute key control factors affecting the deposition rate of the coating. To ensure that hydrogen bubbles can effectively escape from the substrate surface, it is generally required that the axial direction of the part to be plated after the workpiece is mounted be perpendicular to the surface of the bath.

[0003] For landing gear with "7" and "T" shapes (such as...) Figure 1 For complex workpieces with complex structural features, the multi-segment outer surface presents a significant technical bottleneck in the traditional one-time electroplating process using a general-purpose anode and a single power source: due to the difference in deposition rate in each geometric feature region, defects such as coating thickness gradient distribution and grain coarsening are easily caused, which directly affect the coating quality and service performance.

[0004] To overcome the aforementioned technological limitations, the industry generally adopts a multi-stage, multi-surface electroplating approach to improve plating quality and chromium plating yield. For example, Figure 1 When the T-shaped part shown is electroplated using a traditional universal anode with a single power supply, areas I, II, and III of the part need to be placed in separate electroplating tanks for plating. The entire electroplating process requires three plating sessions (10 hours each) followed by three oven baking sessions (23 hours each), taking a total of 6 days. Each plating session also requires the use of a large amount of insulating tape to shield the ear-shaped cavity, and the tape is extremely difficult to apply to the ear-shaped cavity. If the tape is not completely applied, a plating layer will appear on the non-plated surface of the part, requiring rework and repair. This not only extends the production cycle but also increases manufacturing costs. The multiple plating processes also add to the risks associated with chromium plating, including an increased probability of electrical shock damage, accelerated corrosion rate of the substrate surface, and enhanced hydrogen embrittlement sensitivity.

[0005] It is worth noting that such workpieces generally have complex three-dimensional structural features, including a large number of non-standard geometric surfaces such as lugs and cavities. Each electroplating operation requires precise shielding protection of the entire workpiece, which not only increases the difficulty of the process exponentially, but also makes it easier to cause quality defects such as incomplete plating and substrate corrosion, forming a vicious cycle of process control and quality assurance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that, in view of the shortcomings of one-time electroplating of each electroplating area of ​​a workpiece with complex three-dimensional structural features, the present invention provides a workpiece outer surface electroplating processing device that can meet the requirements of simultaneous electroplating of one or more outer surfaces of the same workpiece while ensuring the quality and thickness of the plating layer.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: An electroplating apparatus for the outer surface of a workpiece includes at least one electroplating module and a cathode conductive base, characterized by the following structural features: The electroplating module includes a cage-shaped anode, a first fixed end cap, a shield, a first pull rod, a second fixed end cap, and a power supply; The cage-shaped anode includes an anode conductive base and an electroplating base. The anode conductive base is electrically connected to the electroplating base. The electroplating base is provided with a workpiece electroplating area accommodating area, and the electroplating base and the workpiece electroplating area accommodating area are arranged on the same axis. The areas of the electroplating base and the shielding cover are matched with the electroplating area of ​​the workpiece to be plated. The shielding cover wraps around the outside of the electroplating base and is only directly facing the electroplating area of ​​the workpiece to be plated. The first fixed end cap is installed at one end of the electroplating base, and the second fixed end cap is installed at the other end of the electroplating base, and the first and second fixed end caps are tightened and fixed by the first pull rod; The anode conductive base passes through the first fixed end cap and is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply, while the negative terminal of the power supply is connected to the cathode conductive base. The first fixed end cap and the second fixed end cap are respectively provided with workpiece positioning grooves, and the workpiece positioning grooves are coaxially arranged with the electroplating base and the workpiece electroplating area accommodating area.

[0008] This invention includes at least one electroplating module, and each electroplating module is equipped with an independent power supply. Thus, when electroplating workpieces with complex three-dimensional structural features, the corresponding number of electroplating modules can be configured according to the geometric feature areas of the workpiece. This not only enables simultaneous electroplating of one or more parts of the same workpiece, simplifying the electroplating operation, shortening the electroplating processing cycle, and reducing production costs, but also, because each electroplating module uses an independent power supply, the deposition rate difference between different geometric feature areas is small, making it less prone to defects such as coating thickness gradient distribution and grain coarsening, thereby improving coating quality and service performance.

[0009] In addition, the areas of the electroplating base and the shielding cover of the electroplating module of the present invention are matched with the electroplating area of ​​the workpiece to be plated. The shielding cover wraps around the outside of the electroplating base and only shields the electroplating area of ​​the workpiece to be plated, thereby significantly reducing the shielding protection of non-electroplated areas, reducing processing costs, and improving electroplating efficiency.

[0010] According to embodiments of the present invention, the present invention can be further optimized, and the optimized technical solution is as follows: In one preferred embodiment, the portion of the anode conductive seat that contacts the plating bath is wrapped with an insulating shielding layer, and the plating seat is provided with a first plating bath flow hole.

[0011] In one preferred embodiment, the first fixed end cap is provided with an anode conductive seat through hole, a first pull rod through hole, and a second tank liquid flow hole.

[0012] In one preferred embodiment, a first workpiece through hole is provided on the first fixed end cap, which also serves as the workpiece positioning groove.

[0013] In one preferred embodiment, a third fluid flow hole is provided in the workpiece positioning groove on the first fixed end cap.

[0014] In one preferred embodiment, the second fixed end cap is provided with a second workpiece through hole and a second tie rod through hole, the second workpiece through hole also serving as the workpiece positioning groove.

[0015] In one preferred embodiment, the first fixed end cap and the second fixed end cap are respectively provided with a third pull rod through hole, and a second pull rod is inserted into the third pull rod through hole of the two coaxially mounted electroplating modules, and the two electroplating modules are tightened and fixed by the second pull rod.

[0016] In one preferred embodiment, the shield is provided with a fourth liquid flow hole.

[0017] In one preferred embodiment, the cathode conductive base includes multiple connection interfaces.

[0018] In one preferred embodiment, the workpiece outer surface electroplating processing device includes three electroplating modules arranged in a T-shape to accommodate the electroplating of T-shaped workpieces.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1) This invention designs a contoured anode and sets a shield on the outside of the electroplating area. At the same time, it adopts independent power control for each electroplating module, so that the distribution of the electroplating electric field is precisely limited to the target electroplating area, which eliminates the electrochemical effect in the non-plating area to the greatest extent, reduces the shielding protection area of ​​the non-chromium plating area, and significantly reduces the production cost.

[0020] 2) This invention adopts a modular design and achieves coating uniformity adjustment through an independent and controllable power supply. Multiple electroplating modules can be used to carry out multi-area electroplating operations simultaneously, which greatly reduces the number of electroplating operations and shortens the process cycle by more than 66.7%.

[0021] 3) This invention has significant advantages such as simplified structure, convenient maintenance and strong durability. It is particularly suitable for multi-area one-time electroplating operation of workpieces with complex three-dimensional structural features. The modular architecture facilitates functional expansion and maintenance. The overall cost of use is reduced by more than 60% compared with traditional processes, which has significant economic benefits and industrial application value. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a T-shaped electroplated workpiece.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a clamping structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a simplified front view of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of an electroplating module, where a is a cross-sectional view and b is a front view.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a cage anode.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a front view structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the first fixed end cap.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of the shielding cover.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the first tie rod.

[0031] Figure 9 This is a front view structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the second fixed end cap.

[0032] Figure 10 This is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the electroplating module, where a is a cross-sectional view and b is a front view.

[0033] Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the cage anode.

[0034] Figure 12 This is a front view structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the first fixed end cap.

[0035] Figure 13 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the shielding cover.

[0036] Figure 14 This is a front view structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the second fixed end cap.

[0037] Figure 15 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the cathode conductive base.

[0038] In the figure: 1-cage anode, 2-first fixed end cap, 3-shielding cover, 4-first pull rod, 5-second fixed end cap, 6-cathode conductive seat, 7-workpiece positioning groove, 8-second pull rod, 9-workpiece, 11-anode conductive seat, 12-electroplating seat, 61-connection interface, 121-workpiece electroplating area accommodating area. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific preferred embodiments, but this does not limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0041] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0042] Please see Figure 1 In this embodiment, the workpiece 9 is a T-shaped structure with three electroplating areas: area I, area II, and area III. Chromium plating is required on the surface of the workpiece, with a plating thickness of 180-240 μm. Areas I and II have the same electroplating profile, and the plating layer is required to be fine and uniform in crystallization, free of burrs and particles, and meet the thickness requirements after plating.

[0043] like Figure 2 - Figure 3 As shown, the workpiece outer surface electroplating processing apparatus of the present invention is for... Figure 1The embodiment shown for workpiece 9 employs electroplating modules and cathode conductive bases 6 designed for regions I, II, and III, respectively. Regions I and II use identical electroplating modules, which are combined into a T-shape. The electroplating module for regions I / II is positioned by its first fixed end cap 1, ensuring that the plating portion of workpiece 9 in regions I / II is coaxial with the corresponding electroplating module. A second pull rod 8 passes through the first fixed end cap 1 of the electroplating module for regions I / II and the workpiece 9 to achieve a stable connection between the electroplating module and the workpiece 9. The electroplating module for region III is supported and positioned by the second fixed end cap 5, while the first fixed end cap 2 ensures that the electroplating module for region III is coaxially aligned with the plating portion of workpiece 9 in region III.

[0044] The cathode conductive base 6 has three connection interfaces, each of which is connected to the negative power supply of the electroplating module used in region I, region II, and region III respectively. The anode conductive base 11 of the cage anode 1 of the electroplating module used in region I, region II, and region III is connected to its positive power supply respectively, so as to realize independent power supply parameter control.

[0045] By simultaneously activating the power supplies of the electroplating modules used in areas I, II, and III, the electroplating operations of areas I, II, and III of workpiece 9 can be completed in one go.

[0046] like Figure 4 As shown, the electroplating module includes a cage-shaped anode 1, a first fixed end cap 2, a shield 3, a first pull rod 4, a second fixed end cap 5, and a power supply (not shown in the figure).

[0047] like Figure 5 - Figure 9 As shown, the cage-shaped anode 1 includes an anode conductive seat 11 and an electroplating seat 12. The anode conductive seat 11 is electrically connected to the electroplating seat 12. The electroplating seat 12 is provided with a workpiece electroplating area accommodating area 121, and the electroplating seat 12 and the workpiece electroplating area accommodating area 121 are arranged on the same axis. The areas of the electroplating base 12 and the shielding cover 3 are matched with the electroplating area of ​​the workpiece to be plated. The shielding cover 3 wraps around the outside of the electroplating base 12 and is only directly facing the electroplating area of ​​the workpiece to be plated, so as to shield the electroplating electric field in the electroplating area and show the shielding requirements of the non-electroplating area. The first fixed end cap 2 is installed at one end of the electroplating base 12, and the second fixed end cap 5 is installed at the other end of the electroplating base 12. The first and second fixed end caps 2 and 5 are tightened and fixed by the first pull rod 4. The anode conductive base 11 passes through the first fixed end cap 2 and is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply, and the negative terminal of the power supply is connected to the cathode conductive base 6; The first fixed end cover 2 and the second fixed end cover 5 are respectively provided with workpiece positioning grooves 7, and the workpiece positioning grooves 7 are coaxially arranged with the electroplating base 12 and the workpiece electroplating area accommodating area 121.

[0048] The electroplating base 12 of the cage anode 1 is made of a non-fusible metal, such as lead; the anode conductive base 11 is made of a highly conductive material; the first fixed end cap 2, the shielding cover 3, and the second fixed end cap 5 are made of acid- and alkali-resistant insulating materials; the first pull rod 4 is made of ordinary steel or stainless steel.

[0049] like Figure 4 As shown, the III region electroplating module is inserted into the III region of workpiece 9 in the direction of the arrow, so that the cage anode 1 is directly facing the chromium plating surface E of workpiece 9.

[0050] like Figure 5 As shown, the cage-shaped anode 1 serves as the core electroplating anode and is custom-designed based on the geometric features and dimensions of the plating area of ​​the workpiece 9. The anode conductive seat 11 of the cage-shaped anode 1 is used to connect to the positive terminal of the power supply, and the part of the anode conductive seat 11 that contacts the plating bath is wrapped with an insulating shielding layer. The electroplating base 12 is provided with multiple first plating bath flow holes a for plating bath flow.

[0051] like Figure 6 As shown, the first fixed end cap 2 is provided with an anode conductive seat through hole b, a first pull rod through hole c, and a second plating solution flow hole d. The anode conductive seat through hole b is for the anode conductive seat 11 to pass through, the first pull rod through hole c is for the first pull rod 4 to pass through and fasten the entire electroplating module, and the second plating solution flow hole d is for plating solution flow to avoid the formation of air pockets. The first fixed end cap is also provided with a first workpiece through hole e, for the outer surface of the chromium-plated surface E of the workpiece 9 to pass through. At the same time, the first workpiece through hole e also serves as the workpiece positioning groove 7, so that the electroplating part of region III of the workpiece 9 is on the same axis as the electroplating module.

[0052] like Figure 7 As shown, the shield 3 is located outside the cage anode 1 and is used to shield the cage anode 1, controlling the electric field within the electroplating area of ​​the workpiece 9, significantly reducing the shielding protection area of ​​the non-electroplating area, and simplifying operation. The shield 3 is provided with a fourth bath liquid flow hole f for bath liquid flow.

[0053] like Figure 9 As shown, the second fixed end cover 5 is provided with a second workpiece through hole g and a second pull rod through hole h. The second workpiece through hole g also serves as the workpiece positioning groove 7, through which the electroplating part of the workpiece 9 passes, so that the electroplating part of the workpiece 9 is on the same axis as the corresponding electroplating module. The second pull rod through hole h is through which the first pull rod 4 passes, fastening the entire electroplating module.

[0054] like Figure 10 - Figure 14As shown, when used for electroplating areas I and II of workpiece 9, the electroplating base 12 of the cage anode 1 of the electroplating module may also include three continuously designed rings, each ring corresponding to a chromium-plated surface (A1, B1, C1, D1) or chromium-plated surface (A2, B2, C2, D2) of workpiece 9. A third bath liquid flow hole 0 is provided in the workpiece positioning groove 7 on the first fixed end cover 2 for bath liquid flow in the inner hole of workpiece 9, avoiding the formation of a cavity and causing corrosion of the workpiece 9 substrate; a third pull rod through hole p is provided on the first fixed end cover 2 and the second fixed end cover 5 respectively, and a second pull rod 8 is inserted into the third pull rod through hole p of the two coaxially mounted electroplating modules, and the two electroplating modules and workpiece 9 are tightened and fixed by the second pull rod 8, so that the electroplating part of workpiece 9 is on the same axis as the electroplating module. The shielding cover 3 is provided with a fourth bath liquid flow hole f only in the area not directly opposite the chromium-plated surface for bath liquid flow; like Figure 15 As shown, the cathode conductive base 6 is made of highly conductive metal, and its shape is designed according to the conductive parts of the workpiece 9 and the external power supply. In this embodiment, the cathode conductive base 6 has three connection interfaces 61, which are respectively connected to the negative terminal of the power supply of each electroplating module.

[0055] Figure 1 When the T-shaped part shown is electroplated using the electroplating processing device of the present invention, it only needs to be electroplated once in the tank (10h) and baked once in the oven (23h). The whole process only takes 2 days. Compared with the traditional electroplating device using a general anode and a single power supply, the processing cycle is shortened by 66.7%. Moreover, only the regular surface needs to be shielded with insulating tape, reducing the amount of tape used by 70%. The area of ​​the ear plate cavity is basically zero, reducing the probability of rework and repair.

[0056] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make many possible variations and modifications to the technical solution of the present invention, or modify it into equivalent embodiments with equivalent changes, without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention should fall within the scope of protection of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A workpiece outer surface electroplating processing apparatus comprising at least one electroplating module and a cathode current conducting pedestal, characterized in that, The electroplating module includes a cage-shaped anode, a first fixed end cap, a shield, a first pull rod, a second fixed end cap, and a power supply; The cage-shaped anode includes an anode conductive base and an electroplating base. The anode conductive base is electrically connected to the electroplating base. The electroplating base is provided with a workpiece electroplating area accommodating area, and the electroplating base and the workpiece electroplating area accommodating area are arranged on the same axis. The areas of the electroplating base and the shielding cover are matched with the electroplating area of ​​the workpiece to be plated. The shielding cover wraps around the outside of the electroplating base and is only directly facing the electroplating area of ​​the workpiece to be plated. The first fixed end cap is installed at one end of the electroplating base, and the second fixed end cap is installed at the other end of the electroplating base, and the first and second fixed end caps are tightened and fixed by the first pull rod; The anode conductive base passes through the first fixed end cap and is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply, while the negative terminal of the power supply is connected to the cathode conductive base. The first fixed end cap and the second fixed end cap are respectively provided with workpiece positioning grooves, and the workpiece positioning grooves are coaxially arranged with the electroplating base and the workpiece electroplating area accommodating area.

2. The workpiece outer surface electroplating apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The part of the anode conductive seat that contacts the plating solution is wrapped with an insulating shielding layer, and the electroplating seat is provided with a first plating solution flow hole.

3. The workpiece outer surface electroplating apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The first fixed end cap is provided with an anode conductive seat through hole, a first pull rod through hole, and a second tank liquid flow hole.

4. The workpiece outer surface electroplating apparatus of claim 3, wherein, The first fixed end cap is provided with a first workpiece through hole, which also serves as the workpiece positioning groove.

5. The workpiece outer surface electroplating processing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, A third fluid flow hole is provided in the workpiece positioning groove on the first fixed end cap.

6. The workpiece outer surface electroplating processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second fixed end cap is provided with a second workpiece through hole and a second tie rod through hole, and the second workpiece through hole also serves as the workpiece positioning groove.

7. The workpiece outer surface electroplating processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first fixed end cap and the second fixed end cap are respectively provided with a third pull rod through hole. A second pull rod is inserted into the third pull rod through hole of the two coaxially mounted electroplating modules, and the two electroplating modules are tightened and fixed by the second pull rod.

8. The workpiece outer surface electroplating processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shielding cover is provided with a fourth liquid flow hole.

9. The workpiece outer surface electroplating processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cathode conductive base includes multiple connection interfaces.

10. The workpiece outer surface electroplating apparatus according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, It includes three electroplating modules, which are arranged in a T-shape.

Images