After a lightning strike, significant damage was caused to the crown mounted compensator (CMC) cylinder of the ENSCO 8505. The CMC is a device used to apply a constant tension to the drill string and compensate for any rig movement. The impact of the lightning strike caused a substantial gouge – the size of a coin – on the CMC cylinder and without immediate repair, the damage would cause the cylinder seals to leak; resulting in hydraulic fluid loss and the threat of significant losSIFCO Process®t production.
The solution? Selectively brush plate the damaged area in-place using the SIFCO Process®. The SIFCO Process® is highly regarded in the oil and gas industry and used on many OEM and repair applications, particularly as components can be plated in-place and on-site, which ultimately saves time in maintenance, repairs and unplanned downtime.
SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts (ASC), worked together with the world leader in oilfield products and services, National Oilwell Varco (NOV) to repair critical damage caused by lightning strike on the ENSCO 8505 drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico within 24 hours of arrival on site, preventing costly unplanned downtime.
Today’s Energy Solutions, sat down with Tony Arana of SIFCO ASC to learn more about this critical repair and how other companies can use the SIFCO Process®. Click here to read the full article.
On an airplane, components are subjected to extreme friction and temperature. Hence the intense focus on safety, and the demand for high performance equipment that operates at optimum levels. Therefore, to protect or enhance the performance of their components through surface finishing or electroplating, airlines must use an approved and trusted process.
Surface finishes are used across airframes, engines, landing gear and parts, and metal deposits improve corrosion protection, wear resistance, electrical conductivity, lubricity, performance and in-service life.
While tank plating and HVOF are most widely used, selective plating is often overlooked – despite delivering directly comparable results for most applications, and better performance in many. Selective plating is also the only ‘portable’ technology, meaning it’s possible to take the process to the plane, if needed, enabling a rapid repair, often in-place, without removing the component. This is the SIFCO Process®. The benefits the SIFCO Process® delivers are significant, most notably in minimizing costs and accelerating the repair process.
SIFCO ASC is a world‑leading business with a global footprint and track-record of R&D in the aerospace sector. In the vanguard of selective plating technology, SIFCO ASC introduced its market-leading SIFCO Process® over 50 years ago, gaining early acceptance by the US Navy and now comprising a family of portable electrochemical processes for use on aircraft components in both OEM and repair applications.
The case for selective plating with the SIFCO Process® is as compelling today as it has ever been.
To learn more about how the SIFCO Process is improving the aerospace industry, download our whitepaper.
Instead of thermal spray or immersing parts in a tank, selective plating is commonly applied via a hand‑held tool – which is why it is also referred to as ‘brush’ plating. The operator soaks the tool in the plating solution and then applies it via an absorbent cover wrapped over the anode of the plating tool. A direct current is supplied via a portable power pack, and the operator keeps the tool in motion, ensuring an even deposit.
The SIFCO Process® can handle most metals traditionally applied by tank electroplating, along with others including copper, cobalt, nickel‑tungsten, cobalt chromium carbide, silver, gold and platinum. So how will the SIFCO Process® benefit you?
Safety – it requires lower volume, and less toxic chemicals, than other processes
Flexibility – it can be applied to a wide range of geometries and sizes
Integrity – performed at room temperature, selective plating eliminates the risk of heat distortion
Choice – the SIFCO Process® family includes selective electroplating, anodizing and electropolishing
Excellent adhesion – comparable or superior to tank plating in most applications
Quality – most brush plated deposits are metallurgically dense and free of defects, and meet or exceed the requirements for tank electroplates
Low hydrogen embrittlement – without the need for a post-plate bake
Speed – in addition to faster deposition rates (30‑60x faster), the SIFCO Process® often requires no component disassembly, and less masking
Hardness of finish – lies within the broad range of performance obtained with tank deposits
Plate to size – there often no requirement for post machining
Portability – the SIFCO Process® is a mobile technology which can be performed on site or in the field.
To learn more about how the SIFCO Process is improving the aerospace industry, download our whitepaper.
Equipment for surface finishing tends to have a large footprint, and demands its own specialist facilities including ventilated surroundings or EPA approval. In most cases, parts and components have to be removed to be delivered to the site and often incurs transportation costs. Once at a sub-contract plating company or repair facility extensive masking may also be necessary, all adding time to the process. But, selective plating can be applied direct to the component in situ, without the need for extensive masking. It is also suitable for a wider variety of geometries and sizes, including inside diameters as small as 1/4″.
Deposition Rate
Selective plating has a faster deposition rate per hour (0.015″) compared with tank plating (0.001″), meaning plating can be up to 60 times faster. These and other factors mean lead times for the SIFCO Process® are shorter – greatly accelerating turnaround times without compromising quality.
Chemical Quantities on Hand
Importantly, tank plating requires large quantities of potentially harmful chemicals which generate hazardous waste. Which is not a consideration with the SIFCO Process®. SIFCO ASC has developed a suite of ultra‑portable solutions which includes a Cadmium Travel Kit which can be carried by hand. Designed specifically for the aerospace industry and ideally suited for aircraft on ground (AOG) operations, it offers a practical and cost‑effective option for repairing and enhancing the surfaces of components.
Prime Approvals
The aerospace industry was one of the first to widely accept and approve selective plating to restore worn and corroded metal components, and it is approved worldwide by most major airlines and landing gear and engine manufacturers. It is also specified in overhaul manuals and standard practice manuals. Today SIFCO ASC stands as a leading provider in the sector.
To learn more about how the SIFCO Process is improving the aerospace industry, download our whitepaper.
A surface bond between two adjacent materials can be achieved 2 ways: mechanical or atomic. And the quality of the adhesive is related to the force required to completely separate the two materials.
Thermal spray provides a mechanical bond. In mechanical bonds the technician is purposefully creating a very rough surface to cause an interlock of the two materials, under high pressure.
Whereas with atomic bonding, the ions of the metals (going from solution to substrate) are connecting to form an ionic bond. Selective plating, with the SIFCO Process® creates a powerful atomic bond which is resistant to cyclical temperature fluctuations and sharp, direct impact. The durability of your surface coating is most important if that coating is subject to a corrosive environment. Assuming that base material is properly prepared, tests run in accordance with ASTM C633‑13 on the SIFCO Process® show that two commonly used nickel deposits had a bond strength exceeding the strength of cement. Furthermore, selective plating provides a precise deposit thickness, while thermal sprayed parts require machining to the required dimension.
If you are having problems with adhesion, determine if your application may be suitable for selective plating. To learn more about how the SIFCO Process is improving the aerospace industry, download our whitepaper.
Selective plating is suitable for a wide array of aerospace equipment, including airframes and engines, electronic housings, landing gear, turbine blades, actuators, bearing journals, bushing bores, flap tracks and axles. Depending on the component being plated, a different deposits will be used for different applications.
Corrosion protection: Cadmium is most commonly used to provide a sacrificial barrier on landing gear and support lugs. With low hydrogen embrittlement and no post baking required, repairs can be made in-place with minimal or no-disassembly.
Pre-braze: Turbine blades and vanes are nickel plated to ensure proper wetting of the surfaces to be brazed. Selective plating offers a fast, consistent and cost-effective method of application. Depending on the number of parts needing plating, the process can also be automated, ensuring traceability, quality control, and reduction of ergonomic risks.
Refurbishment: MRO applications use nickel or sulfamate nickel for dimensional restoration of inside or outside diameters on components such as end bell housings and bushing bores. Parts out of tolerance, due to wear or mis-machining, can be plated to size in thicknesses ranging from .0002” to .0300” per side, with minimal masking or disassembly.
Surface enhancements: The application of nickel or a nickel alloy improves the hardness and wear resistance of the component.
Anodizing: Unlike tank anodizing, selective anodizing does not generate heat. With selective anodizing, technicians can replace worn or damaged hardcoat without the risk of a loss in dimension or the removal of anodic coating due to re-machining.
Cadmium replacements: Most importantly, for the airlines looking for alternatives to cadmium plating, selective plating and the SIFCO Process offers multiple solutions. While detailed studies show these alternatives do not perform well in either tanks or thermal spray application, they deliver excellent results via selective plating, offering superior sacrificial corrosion protection for steel by combining the barrier protection of tin, with the galvanic protection of zinc.
Are you getting the most out of your selective plating operation?
To learn more about how the SIFCO Process is improving the aerospace industry, download our whitepaper.
Based in Muskegon, MI, Johnson Technology, Inc., a subsidiary of GE Aviation, is the leading manufacturer of aircraft engines and engine parts; such as: blades, vanes, turbines and hangers for the aerospace and power generation industries. In the late 90’s, Johnson sought SIFCO ASC for their selective plating expertise and solutions for Johnson’s selective plating needs. THE CHALLENGE
A uniform application of SIFCO Process® solution AeroNikl® 250 Sulfamate Nickel is needed on the irregular-shaped face of the turbine castings in order to improve the brazing process. Due to the environmental health and safety issues and ergonomic risks, Johnson wanted to remove the chemicals and plating operation from their facility. By outsourcing their plating needs to the experts at SIFCO ASC, this allowed Johnson to focus on their core business objectives, remaining the leading manufacturer in the aerospace and power generation industries.
As with many selective plating applications, plating the casting was a manual process requiring a technician to handle each part individually. Each part takes approximate 7.5 minutes to plate from start to finish. With 48 parts to plate per day, a technician could expect to spend 6 working hours at the workstation each day. Due to the constant movement needed for an effective plating application, technicians were exposed to persistent stress on not only their upper extremities, but their neck, upper and lower back, and lower extremities due to the long hours of standing. Beyond the ergonomic factors, the workstation incorporated no mechanical tool handling to hold the turbine castings. THE SOLUTION
SIFCO’s solution to the ergonomic risk came in the form of a fully-automated system. Engineers at SIFCO ASC designed a turnkey robotic plating system to perform the functions of the technician.
A robotic arm holds the turbine casting, carefully bringing it to the solution soaked anode, oscillating at the optimum anode-to-cathode speed, rinsing and then continuing the SIFCO Process® until the plating is complete. TRACKING THE RESULTS
Automating the plating process for Johnson’s turbine castings has proven to be extremely successful. Not only has the ergonomic risk to the technicians been significantly reduced, component plating process time has also been reduced by 50% – increasing the technicians available time.
Additionally, by automating the process using a programmable logic controller, technicians can review data captured through the human-machine interface to determine if the operation was completed within tolerance – effectively improving CPK values. If any errors occur, or quality standards are not met, technicians can review the data and trace the error to its source and assign the appropriate corrective action, preventing the errors being repeated.
To learn more about how the SIFCO Process is helping companies in the aerospace industry like Johnson Technology, Inc, download our whitepaper
Making critical repairs to aerospace equipment using The SIFCO Process®.
Selective electroplating, such as the SIFCO Process®, can be used to make repairs to airframes, engines, landing gear and parts in situ. Also known as brush plating, this not only improves lead time in critical situations, but also provides corrosion protection, wear-resistance and electrical conductivity, and enhances lubricity, performance and in-service life.
Here are 6 real-life examples of how the SIFCO Process® did just that.
Touch-up on support lugs of a SH-60B Sikorsky Seahawk helicopter
Selective plating significantly reduced downtime by cadmium plating the inside diameter (ID) and faces of the support lugs of a SH-60B Sikorsky Seahawk helicopter in situ.
In a process which took only five minutes per lug, components were cleaned with solvent and a wire brush before being plated with the SIFCO Process®, using brush plating solution Cadmium No Bake 2023, and using FT-40 and ID-10 anodes with cotton jackets.
Anodizing touch-up of lead lag on Lord Corporation helicopter rotor
Due to the heat generated in tank anodizing, a loss of dimension was caused on the ID of the lead lag on the rotor of a Lord Corporation helicopter. To restore the dimension, Lord required re-boring which in turn caused the removal of the anodic coating.
Selective brush anodizing repaired the coating while also improving corrosion protection and lead-times. By using brush anodizing with the SIFCO Process®, 24 parts were able to be processed in one day, compared to almost four days when processed via tank.
Critical plating repairs to Allied Signal Aerospace’s out of tolerance end bells
Here, selective plating allowed non-conforming parts, which were out of acceptable engineering drawing tolerance, to be plated in thicknesses ranging from 0.0002″ to 0.0300″ per side. SIFCO ASC’s technicians were able to plate 0.005″ thickness of Nickel Acid 2080 in 30 carbon steel bores, which were approximately 2″ in diameter by 1/2″ deep.
Nickel plating of Professional Aircraft’s landing gear
Plating two internal bores – 2.7″ diameter x 2.0″ long – of Professional Aircraft’s landing gear was complicated to do through tank plating due to the company’s location. But selective plating with the SIFCO Process® Cadmium LHE® 5070 facilitated the work in place with minimum masking, and to FAA approval.
Critical repairs to port and starboard undercarriage of Boeing 767
During a Type C inspection and overhaul, engineers discovered areas of damaged cadmium on a Boeing 767. Carrying all equipment as hand baggage in a cad plating kit, a SIFCO ASC service technician completed repairs in place within one day, helping keep the overhaul on schedule.
Brush plating repair of a landing gear strut for Boeing aircraft at Aero Asia
A chrome defect was noted at two locations on the landing gear strut – one with a 0.50″ diameter, the other 1.50” diameter x 1.80″ long. After masking, technicians selectively plated both locations with SIFCO Process® Nickel High Speed, LHE® 5644, delivering a fast and effective repair.
Want to know more about SIFCO ASC’s specific brush plating solutions for aerospace? Then you can download our whitepaper here.
For general enquiries about our brush plating services, please contact us here.
Zinc-nickel plating is an environmentally and safer alternative to cadmium and can be used across a wide range of industries. It combines the sacrificial coating properties of zinc with the strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance of nickel – creating a surface finish that, in some cases, is superior to cadmium.
The use of sacrificial, anodic coatings has become increasingly popular in the aerospace, industrial and automotive sectors due to its corrosion protection, wear resistance and ability to limit thermal stress.
Why is zinc-nickel resistant to corrosion
Both ZnNi and Cadmium are sacrificial coatings that will corrode before the substrate material, protecting it. That is why both coatings experience discoloration before red rust appears. In ZnNi the Zn continues to act as a sacrificial coating, but in addition the Ni is able to act as a barrier layer due to being more noble than the Zn and the underlying substrate. ZnNi coatings protect best when there is between 11-16% Ni with Zn balance.
Why you should use zinc-nickel and how to properly apply it.
Watch our video that explains the benefits of Zinc-Nickel 4018 and gives a step-by-step demonstration on how to apply the solution
What applications use zinc-nickel plating?
Zinc-nickel plating can be used for a variety of applications across a wide range of industries. These include:
Landing gears,
Actuators,
Flap tracks,
Bushings
Zinc-nickel plating and the aerospace and defence industry
Although an LHE zinc-nickel deposit has been available for over 20 years, it has seen a significant increase in use over the last few years coinciding with the aerospace industry’s and the environmental push to find safe and viable alternatives to cadmium coatings. Selective plating process of zinc-nickel is approved by Boeing, Goodrich, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, Bell, NASA, Airbus, and more.
Zinc-nickel plating specifications
In addition to the numerous commercial specifications written, AMS 2451/9, Brush Plating Zinc-Nickel, Low Hydrogen Embrittlement was written to cover the requirements for brush plating zinc-nickel by electrodeposition. When tested in accordance with ASTM B 117, zinc-nickel withstands 1000 hours of exposure to salt spray corrosion with no evidence of base metal corrosion; as well as passing hydrogen embrittlement testing with notched tensile samples being subjected to a 200-hour sustained load test at 75% of the notched ultimate tensile strength. This conforms with ASTM F519 and all applicable Federal, Military, AMS, ASTM requirements.
To learn about other cadmium replacements available, visit our Cadmium Knowledge Hub. If you feel zinc-nickel is the right deposit for your application, call us at 800-765-4131.
This question first appeared December 1, 2016 on ProductsFinishing.com in the Plating Clinic. By Derek Vanek.
The key to uniform thickness distribution is uniform current distribution. Assuming 100% efficiency, fundamental laws of electrochemistry (i.e. current distribution) do not always allow for a uniform deposit. Direct current always seeks the path of least resistance from the anode to the cathode (substrate/work piece). As a result, paths of least resistance such as sharp edges or protrusions will receive a heavier deposit, while areas such as internal corners/radii receive a significantly less amount of deposit. The goal of the plater and designer is provide for the least amount of thickness variation across a workpiece. Design considerations take into account several variables: anode design (geometry, masking, and tool movement), work piece (masking and thieving), bath variables (current density, temperature, additives, and flow distribution) to name a few. Here will focus primarily on anode design.
Selective (brush) plating is a well engineered method of electroplating controlled thicknesses of deposits such as copper, cadmium, cobalt, gold, nickel, silver, tin, as well as alloys that include babbitt, cobalt-tungsten, nickel-tungsten, and zinc-nickel onto all commonly used base materials for industrial components.
As the name implies, the process is focused on a specific “select” area of a component. The area to be plated, as well as adjacent areas to be masked are first cleaned with a suitable solvent. The part is then masked to isolate the area to be plated and to protect the adjacent areas from the effects of the chemical processes. Typical masking materials include aluminum and vinyl tapes, masking paints, and special fixtures.
The actual selective (brush) plating process consists of several preparatory steps in which the work area is electrochemically prepared to receive an adherent final deposit, the thickness of which is controlled by ampere-hours (Factor x Area x Thickness = Ampere Hours).
The factor is a well-established plating rate that is specific to a plating solution. It is the ampere-hours required to deposit the volume of metal equivalent to one inch thickness onto one square inch of area.
The area is the total surface area to be plated.
The thickness is the desired deposit thickness after plating
Uniform distribution of the deposit is primarily achieved by selection, proper design, and use of the plating tool as well as by proper masking for the application.
Covering the full length of an OD, ID, or flat surface with a tool makes it relatively easy to obtain a uniform thickness. When the tool does not cover the full length, problems arise. Take for example, the case of attempting to plate an OD 3 in. long with a tool that will cover 2 in. of the length. If the tool is moved as shown in Sketch #1 on top, center of Figure 1, the center 1 in. is always covered. At the ends there is less coverage time. A deposit distribution as shown at the bottom results. The alternative to this is to move the tool as shown in Sketch #2 on the left of Figure 1. An even deposit distribution is obtained, but now some time is wasted with the tool off the part. This motion, also, may not be practical if there is a shoulder at one side. The same situation applies to ID and flat surfaces. Summarizing, always try to have the tool cover the full length of OD or ID or the full length or width of a flat surface Sketch #3. The anode can further be masked along the outside perimeter with slight overlap onto the work surface to minimize the deposit build-up along the edges of the work piece.
When the tool is moved as shown top center, more plating is obtained in the center and less at the ends. When the tool is moved as shown on the lower left, a uniform deposit is obtained, but much time is wasted with the tool off the part.
Figure 1: Difficulties encountered when a plating tool does not cover the full length of an OD.
Another consideration for deposit uniformity is ensuring an even distribution of plating solution over the area being plated. For best results, the plating solution should be pumped to the work area through the plating tool – and be uniformly distributed over the work area. An uneven distribution of fresh solution over the work area will result in an uneven deposit thickness.
Here are some generalizations:
The thicker the deposit, the more difficult to plate a tight tolerance
It is easier to accurately plate on a small area than a large area
It is easier to hold tight tolerances on simple shapes with no interruptions than complex shapes or shapes with interruptions or a large percentage of high current density edge area
Mechanical movement of the part or the anode is going to produce more consistent results than hand movement
It is easier to accurately plate a low thickness on a small area than to plate high thickness on large area
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