Loose Parts (MP300)
Printer FriendlyMP300 Continuous Loose Parts Plating Equipment
Technic’s MP300 offers many advantages over conventional hoist type plating systems. The MP300’s patented single piece flow automation reduces labor requirements, consumables as well as utilities costs, while providing high quality, repeatable performance. The MP300 delivers on lean manufacturing initiatives by dramatically reducing turn around time by as much as 80%.
Applications:
- Bright and Satin Nickel
- Gold
- Black Nickel
- Alkaline Zinc
- Cyanide Copper
- Bright Acid Copper
- Tin and Tin Lead Alloys
- Hexavalent Chrome
- Trivalent Chrome
- Chrome alternatives
- Co-development and testing of other chemistries
- Custom clip design accommodates automation of a variety of parts
- Significant reduction in water and waste treat costs
- Substantially reduced part-to-part thickness and surface finish variations
- Rapid payback in utilities and chemical savings
- Small footprint with minimal site preparation required
- Fully enclosed clean processing
| Criteria | MP300 | Conventional |
| Typical ventilation requirement | 1000 CFM | 10,000 CFM |
| Automatic load/unload | Available | Not Available |
| Maintenance Accessibility | Fast/Easy Access | Difficult |
| Operators/Rackers | 1 | 6-12 |
| Heating/Cooling Requirements | 10% of conventional | High |
| Cycle Time (Typical) | Less than 20 minutes | 2 Hours+ |
| Floor Space (Typical) | 30-50% | Large Footprint |
| Utility Cost | 10-20% of conventional | High |
| Plating Thickness Variation | Less than 10% | More than 95% |
| Installation to startup time (Average) | 2 weeks | 3 months |
| Facility Preparation | Minimal | Substantial |
Moving Cathode
- Enables continuous motion of parts through the plating process without the need for staging areas with large in-process inventories.
- Eliminates part-to-part current density and anode targeting variations, greatly improving part-to-part thickness uniformity
Sealed Construction
- Enables equipment to be located anywhere in the factory, improving overall flow of materials to and from the wet processing center.
High Speed Plating
- Smaller tanks provide higher plating speed with lower utilities costs, and faster turn-around times
- Enables smaller overall machine footprint
Case Study
A Technic customer studied alternatives for the future expansion of its plating operation and ultimately decided on the MP300.
Alternatives included:
- Expand existing rack line
- Purchase a new rack line
- Purchase an alternative system that would address chronic issues such as improving process yields, reducing cycle time, and reducing manufacturing cost.
After 18 months of operation the customer performed an audit of the comparative operating costs of the pre-existing rack line versus the MP300. Their summary findings indicate a significant cost savings and rapid payback realized through implementation of the MP300.
Below is a chart of the actual comparison used in this Case Study
