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TANK LEVEL
The TANK LEVEL is an
information level for everyone interested in Gold Plating in large TANKS.
Although a TANK can be
anything that will contain a liquid, the generally accepted type of TANK PLATING of
AUTOMOTIVE ITEMS is typically a tank of at least 33 gallons. A tank size of 33 gallons is
designed to gold plate large items, such as the front GRILLS and WHEELS off of Cars,
Trucks, Sport Utility Vehicles and Vans.
The best start
is to make a simple comparison between TANK PLATING and BRUSH PLATING.
BRUSH PLATING is
like taking a shower. You get a fresh stream of water from the shower head. As you take
the shower, the soap and whatever else is flushed off of you and down the drain. So, each
time you take a shower, you are always using fresh water, and reusing some soap.
TANK PLATING is
like your taking a bath in a tub and leaving the water, and whatever else, in the tub for
the next person, who takes a bath in the same water. Then, the third person gets a bath in
water that has the soap and assorted residue from the two preceding people. And so on.
Commonly, a TANK
PLATER will wash the pieces they are going to Gold Plate to remove common dirt.
Although it is
not exactly the same conditions, this simple illustration gives you an idea of why TANK
PLATING requires filtration systems and so on.
Because TANK
PLATING reuses the chemicals in the tanks, the process of sending the TANK CHEMICALS for
LABORATORY ANALYSIS is a common occurrence.
In BRUSH
PLATING, you get basically FRESH CHEMICALS for each application.
However, the description of
TANK PLATING means different things to different people.
- To some a 16 ounce container
is a TANK TYPE PLATING SYSTEM to gold plate over existing gold on small jewelry items.
- From our point of view, TANK
PLATING means a MINIMUM of a 33 gallon tank designed to do AUTOMOTIVE WHEELS.
The first system of gold
plating scripts was gold plating in tanks.
It is still done today,
basically the same as it was originally done.
The scripts are attached to
a RACK primarily by spring tension. The rack is made of a ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE
MATERIALS. The rack and scripts are lowered into assorted electro chemical baths. The
first bath strips the chrome. Then a rinse tank. The second bath is the nickel activator.
Then a rinse. The last bath is the GOLD PLATING SOLUTION which deposits gold onto the
exposed and activated nickel. Then a rinse.
This is the same basic
group of steps done in the mobile plating process.
The primary advantage to
TANK PLATING is the ability to give a complete chemical bath to the item(s) being
processed, all at the same time. This is particularly important on large items such as
automotive grills and wheels.
The large surface area on
grills and wheels show up any irregularities in the plating process.
If you gold plate such
large pieces, it is possible to accidentally not do the same amount of stripping,
activating and gold plating on all spots of the piece. After all, you are working an area
approximately the size of your thumb one area at a time.
It is a lot like finger
painting but the errors cost money.
With a grill or wheel
totally under the solutions surface, all areas get equal stripping, equal activating and
equal gold plating.
Is a TANK SYSTEM the system
for you?
The TANK SYSTEMS do a good
job, generally. However, to justify the cost of the equipment and supplies, plus the
physical structure area you have to dedicate to doing the work, you must have a HIGH
DEMAND. If you are presently sending roughly 3 to 4 sets of chrome wheels out for Gold
Plating each week, offering in-house TANK PLATING may work for you.
If your actual demand is
gold plating scripts and occasionally gold plating a grill or a set of wheels, a TANK
SYSTEM is not logical for you.
Based on you doing mostly
scripts, the BRUSH PLATING SYSTEM will give you a good quality of work with a durable
finish without a large expense.
If, after you have worked
Gold Plating scripts and you see a growing need to TANK PLATE many sets of wheels, we can
discuss setting up a tank plating system for you. The TANK PLATING SYSTEM of equipment and
supplies is substantially more expensive than BRUSH PLATING. Further, you will need to
have a space of at least the size of a one car garage to do the work. Plus assorted
containment systems, air ventilation systems and so on. If you have the need, we can help
you get set up to do Gold Plating of CHROME WHEELS.
As a part of TANK GOLD
PLATING, the issue of CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION comes up.
Chemical contamination is
not an issue or a concern to BRUSH PLATERS because in brush plating, the chemicals are
either consumed or run off into the drain pan. There is a small potential for some residue
from an emblem getting back into the WORK SITE CONTAINER. However, this is very seldom.
This is why BRUSH PLATERS do not get involved with chemical contamination problems.
In TANK PLATING,
particularly in the GOLD PLATING TANK, it is advisable to use TITANIUM electrodes
(cathodes and anodes) to reduce chemical contamination. An alternative to the high cost of
titanium is to remove the electrodes from the solution with they are not in use.
One other item is the use
of an INERT tank heater in your chemical chrome stripper and gold plating chemical
solutions.
Or, check out our Mobile
Gold Plating Machines CLICK HERE
25 AMP " Mobile Type
Brush Plating System CLICK HERE
35 AMP " Mobile Type
Brush Plating System CLICK HERE
To check out the brush
plating chemicals, CLICK HERE
To check out the Local
sourced supplies CLICK HERE
To check out the SPECIAL
Gold Plating supplies CLICK HERE
To go to the INTERMEDIATE
LEVEL CLICK HERE
To go to the ADVANCED LEVEL
CLICK HERE
To go to the TANK LEVEL CLICK HERE
To go to our GOLD PLATING
INFORMATION PAGE, CLICK HERE.
To go back to our HOME
PAGE, CLICK HERE.
To get more information on
starting to TANK PLATE, please send us an e-mail at smcuato@dmci.net
or call us at 800-245-7450 and let us know what you want to do. We will work with you and
address your Gold Plating needs.
To go to our GOLD PLATING INFORMATION PAGE,
CLICK HERE.
To go back to our HOME PAGE, CLICK HERE.
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