Sifco Applied Surface Concepts (UK) Ltd - Electroplating Technology

SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts is the Recognised Industry Leader in Selective, Electroplating Technology...

SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts, a selective brush plating company, provides practical, cost-effective solutions for surface enhancement to improve part performance and reduce manufacturing costs through corrosion protection, increased wear resistance, increased hardness, improved conductivity, anti-galling or slip. Our surface enhancement technologies and services have been utilized for over 50 years on both OEM components and on parts requiring refurbishment.
 

Brush plating is used to repair & resize localised areas on engineered components as well as to enhance select areas on OEM components. We provide job shop brush plating and anodizing services, on-site and at all of our facilities, worldwide. We also manufacture and sell SIFCO Process® brush plating solutions and equipment for in-house use.

Whether you have an occasional need for brush plating, or your operation involves large volumes of parts, SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts, one of the worlds leading plating comapnies, provides flexible alternatives for your finishing needs. We can plate your parts on-site, at your facility, or at one of our service facilities worldwide
 

Without question, high performance equipment is a necessity in the aerospace industry. Components need to be able to withstand friction, high temperatures and corrosive environments while continuing to operate at optimum levels. SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts works closely with customers to offer practical, cost-effective options for the surface enhancement of these components. The technologies offered are utilized on OEM components to enhance performance and on MRO components in need of refurbishment

Oil & Gas - Typical Applications

• Silver plating onto dynamic sealing and bearing surfaces in roller cone drill bit and seal ring production.
• Selective brush plating of copper on threaded alloy premium drill pipe, risers, tubulars, and couplings to prevent galling during make-and-break operations.
• Application of sulfamate nickel for corrosion protection in high-chloride, down-hole applications
• Repair of worn and mechanically damaged surfaces with a combination of copper and AeroNikl
• Onsite repair of offshore platform components
   

Power Generation - Typical Applications
SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts Surface Enhancement Technologies can be used in the following areas:

On-site silver or tin plating of on copper and aluminum bus connections

Typical Applications

Lower electrical contact resistance
Wear resistance
Corrosion resistance
Pre-braze coatings
Anti-galling
Surface hardness
Surface etching
Other surface enhancement

 

The SIFCO Process of selective plating can be used to plate, anodize and electro polish without using an immersion tank. Our versatile process has been successfully used in thousands of repair and OEM applications over a wide range of industries. The most common applications for the SIFCO Process are:

• RESIZING – Components that are out of dimensional tolerance due to wear or corrosion can be resized to original factory dimensions
• RESURFACING -  Our process can restore or improve surface properties such as electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, hardness and wear resistance
• REBUILDING -  Components that are damaged (dents, gouges, grooves, scratches) or mismachined can be repaired or resized.

Typical Components:-
Plate Cylinder, Ink Drums, Blanket Roll Cylinders, Super Finish Cylinders, Guide Rolls, Saddles, Housings

Typical Applications:-
Restore Surface, Improve Appearance, Resist Corrosive Atmosphere, Cut Disassembly Costs, Copperising, Defect Repair
 

This portable process can be used in the shop to repair worn bearing journals and housings on smaller generators, pumps and fans. It can be taken aboard a ship for in-place repairs of large, hard-to-move components such as propeller shafts, bearing seats, and turbine casings.

The repair of electrical generating equipment presents many areas in which the SIFCO Process of Selective Plating can be used with great success. The primary application areas are the bearing housing (end bell) and the rotor journal.

End bells, which house the bearings that support both ends of the motor shaft, experience fretting corrosion during operation. The SIFCO Process is used to plate these bores to size with copper, tin, or nickel. Machining the bores, prior to plating, is usually only necessary to reestablish concentricity.

Plating a worn bearing housing can take less time and be more efficient than alternative methods such as sleeving or thermal spray processes.

DC motors and generator slip rings can develop copper oxide films which reduce electrical conductivity and cause arcing and pitting especially during locked motor start-up. Excessive damage occurs in highly corrosive environments, such as in the bleaching areas of pulp and paper plants. Plating 2.5m (0.0001 in.) of rhodium and then 1.3m (0.00005 in.) of gold onto the refinished commutator extends brush life and maintenance intervals.

SIFCO manufacture and supply a range of selective plating solutions and equipment for the selective plating applications.