Elektrolyse AG

Elektrolyse AG was founded on April 12, 1965, with its headquarters in Lucerne. Since then, we have been involved in the selective electroplating of metal surfaces. Over the years, our customer base and their demands have grown steadily, resulting in a large and sophisticated range of products.

Due to space constraints, the company headquarters was relocated to Root in 1974. This was followed by the construction of a new production hall in 1978 and a new hall for tube electroplating in 1996. We have been ISO 9001:2015 certified since January 1997. In 2001, a manual electroplating facility was built in Root.

In February 2008, the company headquarters was relocated again for space reasons, and the workforce was able to move into new and modern premises in Sins. Elektrolyse AG currently employs 50 people.

Services

Electroplating coatings are designed to create desired surface properties. They can specifically influence appearance, corrosion protection, hardness, conductivity, contact, wear protection, catalysis, and solderability.

We specialize in coating aluminum, copper, non-ferrous metals, stainless steel, and cast iron, predominantly with complex, selective coatings. Our coating processes include:

– Pad printing
– Pipe production
– Rack system
– Manual electroplating
– On-site finishing

In order to offer a complete service, the following additional services are provided:

– Sandblasting
– Grinding
– Packaging, transport, logistics
– Comprehensive and expert advice

Electroplating

Electroplating refers to the electrochemical deposition of metallic coatings on objects.

The deposition of metals in electroplating is based on an electrolyte through which electricity is conducted. The electrolyte (an electrically conductive liquid) consists, among other things, of metal salts of the metal to be deposited (e.g., nickel, copper, or zinc). In the electrolyte, the metals, if they are not complexed, are present as positively charged ions (e.g., Ni2+, Cu2+, or Zn2+). The material to be coated is connected cathodically (negative pole) and is therefore also called the cathode. To create a closed circuit, a counterpole (positive pole) called the anode is required. As soon as the current is applied, the ions begin to migrate to the opposite pole. The positive metal ions (cations) migrate to the negative cathode (workpiece) and are reduced to metal by the absorption of electrons. The longer this process takes and the higher the electric current, the thicker the layer becomes.

Fundamental distinction between decorative and functional layers. In detail, an electroplated layer can fulfill one or more of the following functions:

– Appearance
– Corrosion protection
– Improvement of conductivity
– Improvement of contact
– Adhesion primer for further layers
– Wear protection
– Catalysis
– Production of micro or macrostructures
– Improvement of solderability

The areas of application for electroplated coatings are incredibly diverse, which is why electroplating technology is omnipresent in everyday life and has become indispensable. Areas of application include:

– Components for aerospace
– Watches, jewelry, utility and decorative items
– Electronic circuits
– Sanitary fittings
– Machining, cutting, and forming technology
– Facade elements
– Construction elements
– Corrosion protection (screws, pipes, nails, fasteners, and much more)
– CDs/DVDs (stampers, templates for pressing)

The pad printing process

With the tampon electroplating process, System Electrolysis, metal can be partially applied electrolytically to almost all conductive parts without a bath. The following equipment is required for this application technology:
Rectifier, anode holder, graphite anodes with absorbent tampons, electrolytes.

The workpiece to which metal is to be applied is connected to the negative pole of the rectifier. The positive pole is connected from the rectifier to the anode holder and thus to the anode. The anode with the absorbent pad is immersed in the appropriate electrolyte.
The metallic deposit is formed by moving the anode on the cathode (workpiece) under the influence of direct current.
The structure and composition of the electrolytes allow deposition rates that are 5-10 times faster than in a conventional bath. (Calculated per surface area of the anode).
Due to the deposition technique, the metallic deposits produced by the tampon have special physical properties:

– Good adhesive strength No or only minimal pore formation
– No or very low hydrogen embrittlement
– Controlled hardness and low loss of fatigue strength (for friction alloys)
Small areas from 1 cm2 to 1 m2 and more can be coated. Approximately 20 pure metals and various binary and ternary alloys can be deposited. Alloys are achieved by mixing certain electrolytes. (Alloys are not currently used in the finishing of SF 6 parts). The layer thickness can be varied from 1 µm to several tenths of a millimeter. The layer thickness can be controlled very precisely.
Metals that are difficult to galvanize can be pretreated mechanically using the wet slurry blasting system. This allows metallic coatings to be applied to difficult materials such as silicon-containing aluminum alloys, titanium, zirconium, and stainless steel. In this process, the dense, sometimes thick oxide layer is removed mechanically.

Pre-treatment of metals (general information)

In order to electroplate a surface with good adhesion, it must be adequately pretreated. The surface must be free of grease, oil, oxides, and other release agents. This is done chemically, electrochemically, or mechanically, for example, using the wet slurry blasting process.

Since every alloy, especially special alloys, reacts differently to pretreatment, the processes must be tailored to the respective base material in order to create a good basis for the coating. Surface imperfections, such as pores, also have a negative effect on the coating.

Other influential factors include crystallization, so-called "precipitations," a Beilby layer, and all types of smearing and contamination on and within the surface. These can further increase the effort required for pretreatment.

Problems attributed to pretreatment often occur in connection with process changes and process fluctuations that take place before electroplating and affect the quality of the surface. General examples of this are:

– Change in mechanical surface treatment (example: switch from turning to milling)
– Use of different oils
– Fluctuations in thermal treatment processes
– Different pressures during pressing
– Different brushes, brush qualities, and pressures during the brushing process