Electroplating Repair Specialists

Electroplating Repair Specialists (ERS) service a wide range of industries in utilising the DALIC Selective Plating Process to repair printing press plates & cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, machined journals, manufacturing dies and plates, injection moulds, bearing surfaces and virtually any metal surface. ERS is based in Perth, Western Australia, however we are more than happy to travel.

-The repair shown below was completed on a stainless cylinder however it is especially effective on chrome plated surfaces. Damaged chrome is very effective at shredding seals and allowing the lubricants to leak. Once the surface of chrome plating is broken, corrosion will damage the cylinder very quickly.

Damage on the face of a stainless cylinder.

The Selective Plating begins with degreasing and activating the surface to allow the different metals to effectively bond to the parent metal. A flash coat of nickel alloy followed by the fill material of copper is plated onto the cylinder surface. The copper is plated till the lowest part of the copper is above the original surface height.

The plated copper fill is then blended till the surface of the cylinder is completely smooth.

The final step, Nickel is again applied this time as a final protective coating. The repair is just about invisible and the substrate of the stainless cylinder is protected from corrosion. The seals of the hydraulic cylinder are safe from damage from the sharp edges of the damaged area.

Below are examples of how Selective Plating can significantly reduce downtime and costs:

- Impact damage has broken through the chrome plating on a hydraulic cylinder of an excavator.

Current practice requires removal of the cylinder from the machine and the cylinder is sent away to have all surface chrome plating stripped. The damage to the cylinder is filled either by welding or other means such as metal spraying. Machining is required to return the cylinder to original specs. The cylinder is then taped up and immersed in a chrome solution bath. It is then installed back onto the excavator which has been out of action the whole time. The whole repair process usually takes days.

Selective Plating technology allows ERS to permanantly repair the damage on site and without the need for dismantling the machine at all. This means you won't have to replace seals and lubricants and your downtime is significantly reduced. Most repairs take a few hours, not days. Once the selective plating process is complete the machine is ready for use. This saves you and your company time & money.

- Your printing press cylinder or plate has an allen key or screw indentation which impacts your printing area.

Currently the quick fix is to fill the damaged area with a filler or bog. This wears down over time and can fall out during operation. Otherwise you need to remove the whole cylinder and send the cylinder or plate off for repair. This means weeks of downtime.

Selective Plating technology allows ERS to permanantly repair the damage on site and without the need for dismantling the press at all. The repair can be completed in hours and your press back in use.