Electrolyse AG was founded on April 12, 1965 and is based in Lucerne. Since then, we have been involved in the selective electroplating of metal surfaces. Over the years, our customer base and their requirements have grown steadily, resulting in a large and sophisticated production range.

For reasons of space, the company headquarters were moved to Root in 1974. A new production hall was built in 1978, followed by 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 were 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

The aim of electroplated coatings is to create the desired surface properties. They can specifically influence the appearance, corrosion protection, hardness, conductivity, contacting, wear protection, catalysis and solderability.

We specialize in the coating of aluminium, copper, non-ferrous metals, stainless steel and cast iron, whereby these are predominantly complex, selective coatings. Our coating processes include:

- Tampon process
- Tube production
- Rack system
- Hand electroplating
- On-site finishing

In order to provide a complete service, the following additional services are offered:

- Sandblasting
- Sanding
- Packing, transportation, logistics
- Comprehensive and expert advice

Electroplating

Electroplating is the electrochemical deposition of metallic deposits (coatings) on objects

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The deposition of metals in electroplating is based on an electrolyte through which current is passed. The electrolyte (a current-conducting liquid) consists of, among other things, metal salts of the metal to be deposited (e.g. nickel, copper or zinc). If they are not complexed, the metals are present in the electrolyte as positively charged ions (e.g. Ni2+, Cu2+ or Zn2+). The material to be coated is cathodically connected (negative pole) and is therefore also called the cathode. In order to create a closed circuit, the opposite pole (positive pole) is required, which is called the anode. 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.

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

- Optics
- Corrosion protection
- Improvement of conductivity
- Improvement of contacting
- Adhesive base for further layers
- Wear protection
- Catalysis
- Production of micro or macro structures
- Improvement of solderability

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

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

The pad process

With the pad electroplating process electrolysis system, metal can be partially applied electrolytically to almost all conductive parts without a bath. The following equipment is required for this application technique:
rectifier, anode holder, graphite anodes with absorbent pads, electrolytes.

The workpiece to which the 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 corresponding electrolyte.
The metallic deposit is created 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 using the pad have special physical properties:

- good adhesive strength no or only low pore formation
- no or only very low hydrogen brittleness
- controlled hardness and low loss of fatigue strength (for friction alloys)
Small areas of 1 cm2 to 1 m2 and more can be coated. Approx. 20 pure metals and various binary and ternary alloys can be deposited. Alloys are achieved by mixing certain electrolytes. (Alloys are not used in the finishing of SF 6 parts for the time being). The layer thickness can be varied from 1µm to several tenths of a millimeter. The layer thickness can be controlled very precisely.
The wet abrasive blasting system can be used to mechanically pre-treat metals that are difficult to electroplate. This allows metallic coatings to be applied to difficult materials, such as silicon-containing aluminum alloys, titanium, zirconium and stainless steel. 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 sufficiently pre-treated. The surface must be free of grease, oil, oxides and other separating agents. This is done chemically, electrochemically or mechanically, for example using the wet abrasive blasting process.

As every alloy, especially special alloys, reacts differently to pre-treatment, the processes must be adapted to the respective base material in order to create a good basis for the coating. Surface defects, such as pores, also have a negative effect on the coating.

Other influential factors are crystallization, so-called "precipitations", a Beilby layer and all kinds of smearing and impurities on and within the surface. These can further increase the effort required for pre-treatment.

Problems attributed to pre-treatment often occur in conjunction with process changes and process variations that take place before electroplating and affect the quality of the surface. General examples of this are:

- Change in mechanical surface treatment (example: change 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