Method for recycling lead wire for barrel plating device

Abstract

To provide a recycling method for a lead wire, since there is a possibility that a plating effect decreases as power supply capacity decreases if an electrode part of a lead wire for a barrel plating device, which is used for electroplating processing by the barrel plating device, is easily replaced.SOLUTION: There is provided a recycling method for a lead wire for a barrel plating device that performs electroplating processing on a workpiece by supplying electric power from an anode to a cathode in a plating solution stored in a plating tank of the barrel plating device, the method comprising the steps of: removing an old electrode ball threaded to a lead wire body of the lead wire for the barrel plating device; removing an old coating body covering a tip side of the lead wire body; coating the tip side of the lead wire body with a new coating body; and threading a new electrode ball to the lead wire body to obtain a new lead wire.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for recycling lead wires for a barrel plating apparatus used when performing an electroplating process in the barrel plating apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Nickel plating, tin plating, zinc plating, alloy plating, etc. (hereinafter simply referred to as "plating") have high corrosion resistance and good color tone, and are therefore used for various purposes such as corrosion prevention, decoration, etc. There are various methods for plating products, but when plating a large number of small items, small components, etc., barrel plating using a barrel plating machine is preferred and widely used.

[0003] A barrel plating device consists of a processing liquid tank (plating tank) filled with processing liquid, a barrel container rotatably arranged within the processing liquid tank, and electricity is passed from the anode placed within the processing liquid tank to the cathode of a lead wire, rotating the plating barrel around its central axis while electroplating the workpiece.

[0004] When plating is performed using a lead wire, the plating metal is deposited on the electrode (cathode), but if electroplating is continued in this state in the barrel plating method, the contact between the workpiece and the electrode will deteriorate due to a decrease in the applied power, and the workpiece may come into contact with the deposited metal, causing scratches on the workpiece and reducing the product value. Therefore, when a certain amount of metal deposition is observed on the electrode, the lead wire needs to be replaced, but in order to make effective use of the lead wire, it is common to replace only the electrode part.

[0005] There are various known inventions and devices that, when plating metal adheres to the electrode of a lead wire, replace it with a new electrode and reuse the lead wire itself (lead wire body), such as the "cathode part for electroplating barrel" described in Patent Document 1. The device in Patent Document 1 is a cathode part for electroplating barrel characterized by comprising an insulating-coated lead wire, a stainless steel bolt attached to the tip of the lead wire, a zinc or zinc alloy cap detachably screwed onto the tip side of the bolt, and an acid- and alkali-resistant packing and hard resin sleeve attached to the middle part of the bolt between the cap and the lead wire.

[0006] Patent Document 1 states that "plated metal 16 adheres to the surface of cathode portion 11 and gradually grows. When plated metal 16 has formed a certain amount of mass...the cap 23 with plated metal 16 attached is twisted and removed from stainless steel bolt 17, and separated as shown in Figure 6. A new cap 23 is then screwed onto bolt 17 to complete the replacement procedure" (page 7).

[0007] Also, there is a "contact terminal for barrel plating" described in Patent Document 2. The device according to Patent Document 2 is a cathode contact terminal that is disposed inside the barrel body and comes into contact with the product, and is composed of a base portion to be soldered to the lead wire and a front portion that is connected to the base and can be removed freely, and the plating film that has grown on the outer periphery can be removed freely by removing only the front portion without removing the lead wire from the barrel body.

[0008] Patent Document 2 states that "a plating film forms on the contacts, and when this grows to a certain thickness, the front end of the contact can be reversed and removed, and easily replaced with a new front end" (page 4).

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Actual Publication Showa 59-193865 [Patent Document 2] Actual Publication Showa 63-98379 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] However, as in the devices according to the documents 1 and 2, if the electrode part is replaced too easily, there is a risk that the plating effect will be reduced due to a decrease in the applied power. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] Therefore, the present invention provides a method for recycling lead wires for barrel plating equipment.

[0012] The invention of claim 1 is a method for recycling lead wires for a barrel plating device that applies electroplating to a workpiece by passing electricity from an anode to a cathode in a plating solution stored in a plating tank of the barrel plating device, and includes the steps of removing an old electrode ball screwed onto the lead wire body of the barrel plating device, removing an old coating that coats the tip end of the lead wire body, coating the tip end of the lead wire body with a new coating, and screwing a new electrode ball onto the lead wire body to form a new lead wire.

[0013] The invention of claim 2 is a method for recycling lead wires for a barrel plating device as described in claim 1, which includes a process of coating the tip end of the lead wire body with a coating material instead of the process of coating the tip end of the lead wire body with a new coating.

[0014] The invention of claim 3 is the method for recycling lead wires for a barrel plating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a step of applying marking processing to new lead wires according to the number of times they have been recycled.

[0015] The invention of claim 4 is a method for recycling lead wires for a barrel plating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a step of forming new lead wires by heating and / or cooling them.

[0016] The invention of claim 5 is the method for recycling lead wires for a barrel plating apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a step of forming new lead wires by heating and / or cooling them. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the inventions described in claims 1 and 2 of the present application, the lead wire body can be used as is, and by replacing the old electrode balls, etc. with new electrode balls, etc., it can be recycled as a new lead wire with maintained or even improved performance.

[0018] According to the invention described in claim 3 of the present application, the number of times replacement work has been performed can be easily seen from the outside, making it possible to estimate when the lead wire body should be replaced.

[0019] According to the inventions set forth in claims 4 and 5 of the present application, it is possible to fit the shape of a barrel plating device or the like, and to carry out plating work efficiently. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a photo of the lead wire. [Figure 3] This is a photograph of the free end of the lead wire. [Figure 4] This is a photograph of the free end side of the lead wire body. [Figure 5] This is a photograph of a lead wire with a buffer material interposed therebetween. [Figure 6] This is a photograph of the free end side of the lead wire with the buffer material interposed therebetween. [Figure 7] This is the first disassembled photo of the lead wire with the electrode ball and cushioning material removed. [Figure 8] This is the second disassembly photo with the electrode ball and cushioning material removed from the lead wire body. [Figure 9] 1 is a photograph of the proximal end of the lead body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The barrel plating method using a barrel plating device (not shown) involves placing a large number of objects to be plated (small items such as screws and nuts) in a container called a barrel, immersing this barrel container in a plating solution in a plating tank, and rotating the barrel container to move the objects to be plated inside the barrel container while passing a direct current from an anode plate (anode) placed in the plating tank to a lead wire 1 (cathode), thereby forming a plating film on the surface of the objects to be plated.

[0022] The present invention is a method for recycling lead wires 1 that serve as cathodes immersed in plating solution during electroplating in a barrel plating apparatus, i.e., lead wires for barrel plating apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as "lead wires") 1. Even if plating metal is deposited on the electrode balls 20 of the lead wires 1 during plating, the lead wires can be recycled and reused as new lead wires 1 by going through the steps of the present invention.

[0023] The lead wire 1 is fixed to a well-known barrel plating device. An example of the barrel plating device and plating process will be briefly described below.

[0024] The barrel container, which contains the objects to be plated and is rotatably supported within the plating tank by an arm that can move up and down, is a polygonal container body such as a hexagon, with many holes drilled through it for immersing the objects to be plated in the plating solution. A second gear that meshes with a first gear connected to the rotating shaft of the drive unit (motor) is fixedly attached to both the left and right sides of the barrel container.

[0025] One or more lead wires 1 (cathode) are inserted into the barrel vessel, and the electrode balls 20 of the lead wires 1 are in contact with the object to be plated. With electricity flowing from the anode plate (anode) in the plating tank to the cathode in the barrel vessel, the drive unit rotates the first gear and the second gear meshing with the first gear, causing the barrel vessel to rotate. This causes electricity to flow from the anode plate (anode) connected to the positive terminal of the power supply to the lead wire 1 (cathode) connected to the negative terminal of the power supply, resulting in electroplating of the object to be plated in contact with the cathode. The multiple lead wires 1 can be arranged, for example, by inserting a pair of lead wires 1 through through-holes at both lateral ends of the barrel vessel, or by hanging two or more lead wires 1 from above into the barrel vessel. When inserting a pair of lead wires 1 from the left and right of the barrel vessel, it is desirable to reverse the direction of the screw threads of the electrode balls 20 of the left and right lead wires 1. Specifically, it is desirable to form the screw hole 22 of the electrode ball 20 of one lead wire 1 into a forward-rotation thread, and the screw hole 22 of the electrode ball 20 of the other lead wire 1 into a reverse-rotation thread. By using electrode balls 20 with reverse-rotation threads in this way, the rotation of the barrel container brings both electrode balls 20, 20 into frictional contact, rotational contact, etc. with the inner surface of the barrel container, thereby allowing both electrode balls 20, 20 to be fastened together.

[0026] Next, a description will be given of the lead wire 1 that is used in the barrel plating apparatus and is recycled. In the embodiment, the same reference numerals are used to designate old components and corresponding new components.

[0027] The lead wire 1 can be broadly divided into a lead wire body 2 and electrode balls 20. The lead wire body 2 mainly comprises a conducting wire 3 that conducts electricity, a connection base 6 that connects to one end (free end) of the conducting wire 3, and a terminal 13 that connects to the other end (base end) of the conducting wire 3. The length of the lead wire 1 (lead wire body 2 and electrode balls 20) is not important.

[0028] The material of the conductor wire 3 is not particularly limited, but may be a soft twisted copper wire, a flexible twisted copper wire, etc. The conductor wire 3 is covered with an insulator 5.

[0029] The material of the insulator 5 may be soft vinyl or the like, and any insulating material may be used.

[0030] The tip of the lead wire body 2 is provided with a connection base 6. The connection base 6 is a member that connects the conductor wire 3 and the electrode ball 20, and is connected to one end of the conductor wire 3. Specifically, a connection hole (not shown) is opened at the rear end of the body 7 of the connection base 6, and the free end of the conductor wire 3 inserted into this connection hole is clamped and held. The connection base 6 is connected to the centering portion of the conductor wire 3 that is centered from the free end of the insulator 5. The clamping portion may be one or more. Although the internal structure is not shown, for example, the free end of the lead wire 1 may be clamped and held at two locations: an insulator crimping portion 15 that crimps the conductor wire 3 together with the insulator 5 when the conductor wire 3 is centered from the insulator 5, and a conductor crimping portion 17 that crimps the conductor wire 3 (centering portion). In such an example, the connection hole of the connection base 6 has two stages with different diameters, with the first stage (large diameter) being the insulator crimping portion 15 and the second stage (small diameter) being the conductor crimping portion 17. A bolt portion 8 stands upright from the front end of the main body 7, and this bolt portion 8 has a thread groove that screws into the thread groove of the electrode ball 20.

[0031] An electrode ball 20 is threadedly attached to the connection base 6 at the free end of the lead wire body 2. The electrode ball 20 is a cylindrical member with a hole drilled from the base end, and a screw groove is threaded on the inner circumferential surface of this hole. That is, a screw hole 22 is provided in the central axial direction. The shape of the tip end may be any shape, such as a bullet shape (spherical shape) or a flat shape, and is not particularly limited. In addition, a collar may be press-fitted onto the tip end of the electrode ball 20, or a collar may be welded (not shown). The electrode ball 20 may be made of any material that is electrically conductive, such as brass, copper, iron, stainless steel, etc. Titanium may also be used. The diameter, length, etc. of the electrode ball 20 may be selected as desired.

[0032] The conducting wire 3 is covered with an insulator 5, and the free end side of the lead wire body 2 is further covered with a coating 10. Specifically, the coating extends to the edge (tip surface 7a) of the main body 7 of the connection base 6. The material of the coating 10 may be any material. For example, it may be made of a material that is stretchable and adheres well to the insulator 5 covering the lead wire 1, a material that adheres well to the insulator 5 covering the lead wire 1 due to thermal contraction, or a material that is resistant (chemical resistant) to the chemicals used for plating.

[0033] A terminal 13 having a terminal hole 13a formed therein is connected to the base end of the lead wire body 2 (see FIG. 9, etc.). The terminal 13 and the conductor 3 may be connected by any method, such as soldering or spot welding (resistance welding). The area between the base end of the lead wire body 2 and the terminal 13 is preferably covered with a covering 10 and further provided with a sealing structure.

[0034] The electrode balls 20 are screwed into the connection base 6, and a buffer material 30 may be interposed between the electrode balls 20 and the connection base 6 (see FIG. 5, etc.). Specifically, the buffer material 30 is fitted onto the bolt portion 8 of the connection base 6 that connects the conductor 3 and the electrode balls 20, and is finally crimped in place by the electrode balls 20. The buffer material 30 may be any material that can provide a buffer seal between the electrode balls 20 and the connection base 6, and examples of the buffer material include an O-ring (made of resin, etc.) and a packing (made of rubber, etc.).

[0035] Electrical grease can also be applied to the bolt portion 8 of the connection base 6. This electrical grease can be any material that has an electrical conductivity, but examples include grease or other oils mixed with metal powder with low electrical resistance, such as copper, and containing additives such as antioxidants and corrosion inhibitors. The consistency, dropping point, oil separation rate, etc. of the grease composition can be selected as appropriate.

[0036] By applying conductive grease to the bolt 8, when the electrode ball 20 is screwed into the connection base 6, a thin film is formed between the thread groove of the bolt 8 and the thread groove of the electrode ball 20, reducing the electrical resistance at the contact point between the connection base 6 and the electrode ball 20, allowing for smooth and stable current flow. In addition, oxidation and corrosion at the contact point between the connection base 6 and the electrode ball 20 are prevented.

[0037] The present invention is a method for recycling lead wires 1, which uses the barrel plating apparatus described above to electroplating a workpiece by passing current from the anode to the cathode in a plating solution stored in a plating tank. Each step of the recycling method of the present invention is described below. Various types of plating can be used for electroplating, such as nickel plating, tin plating, zinc plating, and alloy plating. In the following embodiment, a method for recycling lead wires 1 in which clumps of plated metal adhere to electrode balls or the like during nickel electroplating is described.

[0038] First, as a preliminary step in the present invention, the lead wire 1 with plated metal clumps adhering to the cathode electrode ball 20 is removed and recovered from the barrel plating machine. After a certain period of plating work, old electrode balls 20 must be replaced due to the adhesion of plated metal clumps to the electrode ball 20 of the lead wire 1. To facilitate the recycling process of the lead wire 1 to maintain or improve its performance, the lead wire 1 with plated metal clumps adhering to the electrode ball 20 is removed from the barrel plating machine. For example, if the lead wire 1 is fastened to the barrel plating machine via fasteners such as bolts and nuts in the terminal hole 13a of the terminal 13 at the base end, the lead wire 1 can be removed from the barrel plating machine by loosening the fastener. Removal can be done manually or using tools. From here, the individual steps of the present invention are carried out.

[0039] The first step is to remove the old electrode ball 20 that is screwed into the lead wire body 2 of the lead wire 1 (ST1). Because the old electrode ball 20 is screwed into the connection base 6, the old electrode ball 20 with the plated metal clumps attached thereto is removed from the connection base 6 of the lead wire 1 by turning the screw in the direction opposite to the fastening direction.

[0040] The second step is to remove the old coating 10 that covers the tip end of the lead wire body 2 (ST2). The old coating 10 that covers the tip end of the lead wire body 2 may become scratched during the plating process, and clumps of plated metal may adhere not only to the old electrode ball 20 but also to the old coating 10, so the old coating 10 is removed.

[0041] The third step is to coat the tip end of the lead wire body 2 with a new coating 10 (ST3). Specifically, the coating 10 is tightly attached to the insulator 5 of the lead wire body 2. If the coating 10 is a heat-shrinkable tube, the heat-shrinkable tube will shrink when any heat is applied, and this heat-shrinkable tube will coat the tip end of the lead wire 1 (insulator 5). It is desirable to coat up to the tip end surface 7a of the main body 7 of the connection base 6 (see Figure 8, etc.). Coating up to the tip end surface 7a of the main body 7 further improves the airtightness between the electrode ball 20 and the connection base 6.

[0042] The fourth step is to screw new electrode balls 20 into the lead wire body 2 to form a new lead wire 1 (ST4). The new electrode balls 20 are screwed into the connection base 6 and tightened. That is, the new lead wire 1 is completed by screwing and tightening the new electrode balls 20. When screwing the electrode balls 20, by tightly tightening the electrode balls 20, it is possible to prevent the plating solution from seeping in. The electrode balls 20 can be tightened manually or with a tool.

[0043] Although the lead wire 1 can be recycled by going through the above steps, some of the steps may be replaced with other steps. For example, instead of step (ST3) of covering the tip end of the lead wire body 2 with a new covering 10, a step of covering the insulator 5 of the lead wire body 2 with a coating material may be performed. The coating material may be of any material, and the insulator 5 may be covered entirely or only partially at the tip end. Note that if the tip surface 7a of the body 7 of the connection base 6 is also covered with a coating material, it may not be necessary to interpose the buffer material 30 between the electrode ball 20 and the connection base 6.

[0044] In addition to the steps described above, the following steps may be added. When multiple steps are inserted, the order of the steps may be reversed, and the steps may be inserted between any of the steps.

[0045] For example, the method may further include a step of marking the lead wire 1 according to the number of times of recycling before the step of fixing a new lead wire 1 in the barrel plating device. The replacement time of the lead wire body 2 can be estimated, but the marking may be performed at any location on the lead wire 1 and by any method. For example, the marking may be performed by printing, engraving, writing with a marking pen or the like, or coloring the terminal 13. Furthermore, if the rear end of the lead wire body 2 is covered with a coating 10, marking may be performed by cutting a notch in the coating 10.

[0046] The process may further include a step of heating and / or cooling the new lead wire 1 to form a shape before the step of fixing the new lead wire 1 to the barrel plating apparatus. Examples of steps for forming (forming) the new lead wire 1 into a shape that makes it difficult for the electrode beads 20 to float, conforms to the internal shape of the barrel container, or allows the electrode beads 20 to contact the object to be plated. Examples of the shape of the lead wire 1 include a U-shape, an L-shape, and a crank shape. The heating temperature and cooling temperature are not particularly limited, and any method for forming the shape may be used.

[0047] There may be cases where old cushioning material 30 is fitted around the bolt portion 8 of the connection base 6 that connects to the conductor 3 of the lead wire 1. In such cases, the old cushioning material 30 fitted around the bolt portion 8 of the connection base 6 that connects to the conductor 3 of the lead wire 1 may be removed, and new cushioning material 30 may be fitted around the bolt portion 8 of the connection base 6. By inserting the new cushioning material 30 from the tip of the bolt portion 8 and fitting it around the bolt portion 8 of the connection base 6, the new cushioning material 30 will be interposed between the connection base 6 and the electrode ball 20.

[0048] A process of spreading the conductive grease evenly onto the bolt portion 8 of the connection base 6 may be added. By spreading the conductive grease evenly onto the thread grooves of the bolt portion 8, it is possible to improve heat resistance and weather resistance and prevent a decrease in conductivity due to oxidation and corrosion. Note that the grease can also be spread evenly onto the bolt portion 8 of the connection base 6 by screwing in a new electrode ball 20 several times.

[0049] Before the step of spreading the conductive grease onto the bolt portion 8 of the connection base 6, a step of polishing the bolt portion 8 manually using a device such as a rotary wire brush or a metal brush may be added. This step removes rust, dust, etc. from the bolt portion 8, further improving the electrical conductivity.

[0050] Furthermore, in order to prevent the electrode ball 20 from loosening and to make the screwing stronger, a thread locking agent may be applied between the bolt portion 8 of the connection base 6 and the screw hole 22 of the electrode ball 20 .

[0051] After forming the new lead wire 1, the method may further include a step of measuring the resistance of the new lead wire 1 before the step of fixing the new lead wire 1 in the barrel plating apparatus.

[0052] Finally, the new lead wire 1 that has undergone each process is fixed to the barrel plating apparatus. For example, when a pair of left and right lead wires 1 are placed in a barrel container, the lead wire 1 that screws into the bolt portion 8 when the electrode ball 20 is rotated forward (clockwise) and the lead wire 1 that screws into the bolt portion 8 when the electrode ball 20 is rotated backward (counterclockwise) are fixed to the barrel plating apparatus. For example, when plating work is performed in a barrel container that rotates toward the front, by arranging and fixing a lead wire 1 with an electrode ball 20 that screws in in a forward (clockwise) direction on the right side as viewed from the front, and a lead wire 1 with an electrode ball 20 that screws in in a reverse (counterclockwise) direction on the left side as viewed from the front, it is possible to prevent the two electrode balls 20, 20 from loosening due to the rotation (frictional contact) of the barrel container and maintain a tightly fastened state.

[0053] The new lead wire 1 completed through each step of the recycling method of the present invention should preferably be consistently performed by the manufacturer of the lead wire 1 before it is removed from the barrel plating apparatus. That is, it is desirable that the manufacturer of the lead wire 1 (including a subcontractor) perform all of the steps, including the step (ST1) of removing the old electrode ball 20 threaded onto the lead wire body 2 of the lead wire 1 for use in a barrel plating apparatus of the present invention, the step (ST2) of removing the old coating 10 coating the tip end of the lead wire body 2, the step (ST3) of coating the tip end of the lead wire body 2 with a new coating 10, and the step (ST4) of threading the new electrode ball 20 onto the lead wire body 2 to form a new lead wire 1.

[0054] As described in the problem of the invention, if the electrode part (electrode ball 20) is replaced too easily, there is a risk that the plating effect will be reduced due to a decrease in the power supply of the lead wire 1. Therefore, if the manufacturer of the lead wire 1, who is most familiar with the performance, function, safety, effectiveness, etc. of the lead wire 1, carries out each of the recycling steps described above, the new lead wire 1 will also be able to exhibit high performance such as high sealing properties and low electrical resistance.

[0055] Examples of steps before and after each step and examples of workers will also be explained for completeness. The lead wire 1 with the plated metal lumps attached thereto is removed from the barrel plating device by a plating contractor, and the lead wire 1 removed from the barrel plating device is collected by a dealer (sales agent, etc.) and handed over to the manufacturer of the lead wire 1. After the manufacturer of the lead wire 1 performs each step of the present invention, it hands over a new lead wire 1 to the dealer, who then delivers the new lead wire 1 to the plating contractor, who then fixes the new lead wire 1 to the barrel plating device. This division of roles contributes to improved business efficiency and enables high performance of the new lead wire 1 to be maintained. Alternatively, the plating contractor may directly send the lead wire 1 with the plated metal lumps attached thereto to the manufacturer of the lead wire 1 without going through a dealer, and the manufacturer of the lead wire 1 may then send the new lead wire 1 to the plating contractor. Note that the manufacturer of the lead wire 1 may also perform the steps before and after each step.

[0056] The present invention has been described above based on each embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications may be made within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, or the techniques described in each embodiment or other publicly known or well-known techniques may be combined.

[0057] To determine when the lead wire 1 should be recycled, a step of measuring the amount of plated metal lumps deposited on the electrode balls 20 may be added. The amount of deposition may be measured, for example, by measuring the thickness (width in the transverse direction) of the old electrode balls 20 to which the plated metal lumps have adhered after plating using a vernier caliper, gauge, etc., and subtracting the thickness (width in the transverse direction) of the electrode balls 20 to which the plated metal lumps have not adhered from the thickness of the old electrode balls 20. If the difference exceeds a certain range, it may be determined that the lead wire 1 should be recycled. Other methods for determining when the lead wire 1 should be recycled include visual inspection or simply determining when the lead wire 1 was installed in a barrel plating device.

[0058] Depending on the type of plating solution, the electrodes 20 may wear or dissolve, but even in such cases, by going through the steps of the present invention, the electrodes 20 can be replaced with new ones to produce a new lead wire 1. In other words, the electrodes 20 may be replaced with new lead wire 1 even in cases other than when lumps of plating metal adhere to the electrodes 20.

[0059] The barrel plating device to which the new lead wire 1 is fixed may be a horizontal barrel plating device having a barrel with a horizontal rotation axis, or an inclined barrel plating device having a barrel with an inclined rotation axis. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1: Lead wire 2: Lead wire body 3: Conductor 5: Insulator 6: Connection base 7: Main body 7a: Tip surface 8: Bolt section 10: Covering body 13: Terminal 13a: Terminal hole 15: Insulator crimping part 17: Conductor crimping part 20: Electrode ball 22:Screw hole 30: Cushioning material ST1: First step ST2: Second process ST3: Third process ST4: Fourth process

Claims

1. A method for recycling lead wires for a barrel plating apparatus that electroplates a workpiece by passing current from an anode to a cathode in a plating solution stored in a plating tank of the barrel plating apparatus, comprising: removing an old electrode ball screwed onto the lead wire body of the lead wire for the barrel plating apparatus; removing an old coating covering the tip end of the lead wire body; a step of covering the tip end of the lead wire body with a new covering; and a step of screwing a new electrode ball onto the lead wire body to produce a new lead wire.

2. 2. The method for recycling lead wires for a barrel plating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the step of covering the tip end of the lead wire body with a coating material instead of the step of covering the tip end of the lead wire body with a new coating.

3. 3. The method for recycling lead wires for a barrel plating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the step of marking the new lead wires according to the number of times they have been recycled.

4. 3. The method for recycling lead wires for a barrel plating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a step of forming the new lead wires by heating and / or cooling them.

5. 4. The method for recycling lead wires for barrel plating apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a step of forming the new lead wires by heating and / or cooling them.

Images