catalogue：
1. Process Introduction and Principles
2. Characteristics and Development Advantages of Electroforming
3. Production Process Flow
4. Practical Application Demonstration
The production process of nickel foil thin markers involves forming and processing through the cathode deposition phenomenon in electrochemical processes. Specifically, a conductive original mold is used as the cathode, while the metal for electroforming serves as the anode. A metal salt solution of the electroforming material is employed as the electroforming liquid. Under the action of direct current, the metal plate at the anode gradually dissolves into metal ions, continuously replenishing the electroforming liquid to maintain its concentration balance. Meanwhile, the metal ions in the salt solution lose electrons and become positively charged metal ions, gradually migrating toward the cathode’s original mold and depositing there. After a certain period, the desired thickness is achieved (the thinnest can be precisely up to 0.04mm).
Characteristics and Development Advantages of Electroforming：
Precision replication without molds Short sample development time Rapid expansion of production capacity The surface is bright silver and can be used for various rich surface effects such as wire drawing and mesh pattern Strong surface antioxidant properties Compared to other electroplating processes, the appearance is delicate and the metallic color is strong Easy to use and simple to use This process is a labor-intensive industry that requires a significant amount of manpower (bottleneck)
Application direction of electroplating process：
International large companies are choosing to use it. For example, Dell, Sony, Lenovo, Panasonic, Samsung, etc It is the most delicate molding process in the development of modern technology In recent years, electroplated products have been growing at a rate of 30% Widely used in the leather goods industry such as household appliances, computer digital products, and mobile phone cases Our nickel sheet thin label has a thickness that can be as thin as 0.04mm with precision
1、 Receive engineering drawings：
1. Based on the CDR, AI or CAD format engineering drawings provided by the customer, customized according to the process requirements such as size, color, thickness, glue, etc. The size and width of any line in the logo design in the drawing shall not be less than 0.25mm (for example, if the letter i is only 0.24mm, then the drawing needs to be changed or the size needs to be changed through communication with the customer, otherwise the size will be too small and difficult to remove during the shipping process, resulting in an increase in defective products). After determining the drawing, we will first make and send samples to the customer for confirmation. After confirmation by the customer, we will place an order for production;
2、 Cleaning steel plates：
Steel plate is the carrier used in the production of nickel labels. Steel plate can be recycled, and a steel plate can generally be electroplated multiple times. Each time it is reused, it must be cleaned and polished; Homework guidance: 1. The operator turns on the grinder switch and tightly grips the stainless steel plate with both hands to make it tightly adhere to the nylon wheel; Move the stainless steel back and forth, polish it to make it shiny and smooth, and visually inspect the surface for nickel dots, letter marks, and scratches 2. Place the polished stainless steel in clean water to prevent oxidation of the stainless steel plate; 3. Nylon wheels need to be replaced after throwing more than 300 stainless steel plates;
3、Three. Electrolytic degreasing：
1. The operator takes the polished stainless steel out of clean water and places it in an electrolytic cell for electrolytic degreasing, 2. Keep the electrolytic cell at 50 ± 5 ℃; 3. The tank fluid should be replaced every half month or so, depending on the degree of contamination and the effectiveness of oil removal; 4. After degreasing, rinse the alkaline water on the surface of the stainless steel plate with clean water, then place it in pure water and wait for baking!
4、 Brush insulation ink：
1. The operator takes a clean mesh board and places it on the printing machine, and adjusts it properly. Set the printing position and seal the areas that do not require printing with adhesive tape; 2. Take an appropriate amount of photosensitive oil, pour it onto the screen, and mix the ink evenly for printing. 3. Take a flat stainless steel plate and place it on the printing platform. Cover it with a mesh plate and use a scraper to scrape it once on the glued mesh plate, then seal the printing position with the adhesive; During the printing process, visually inspect the steel plate for any yarn or pinholes at any time; 5. After double-sided printing, put it in the oven and bake for 45 minutes
5、Five. bake：
1. The operator places the materials to be baked into the electric oven through the material rack for baking; 2. Electric oven time 45 ± 3 minutes; 3. Keep the electric oven dry and clean;
6、 Produce film：
1. Film is the transliteration of film, used for printing and plate making. In printing, it is called film sheet, film, or film. It is used to make printing plates. In the past, printing was done by arranging lead plates, but now the film is produced after being arranged on a computer. The printed content is on the film, and then the content on the film is exposed to light on a steel plate through a sun drying machine; 2. Process: After the order is placed, we will need about half a day to layout the nickel sheets on the computer based on the confirmed CDR drawings. During the layout process, in order to ensure that the products will not fall off when taken, a precise gap of 3mm will be left between each edge of the film paper and each logo to improve the yield rate;
7、 Photosensitive development：
Sensitivity: 1. The operator first checks whether the film has any eyelets or scratches. If the eyelets or scratches are too large, they should be scrapped directly; 2. Check for black spots and dust on the exposure machine glass, and clean it thoroughly if there are any; 3. Take the film and stick it to the stainless steel. When sticking, be careful not to stick it backwards, 4. Turn on the lamp and expose for 35 seconds; The exposure is completed and transported to the development workshop through the output port. development: 1. The operator immerses the exposed stainless steel plate into the developer solution, adding 4-6 pieces each time; 2. The soaking time should not be determined according to the actual situation 3. Gently wipe the developing surface with a sponge until it is fully formed; 4. Rinse the surface with clean water and visually inspect for any impurities, scratches, or ink loss on the surface
8、 Nickel plating：
1. The operator places the developed stainless steel plate into the electroplating tank for electroplating; 2. The nickel electroplating time is set according to the specific logo size and dimensions, with a voltage of 2.75 ± 0.75V and a current of 135 ± 35A (depending on the amount of stainless steel inserted) 3. Note that the operator should not check the surface effect of the product for more than 15 seconds during the electroplating process, otherwise it will affect the bonding rate and the product is prone to delamination. It should be inspected every 30 minutes; 4. Measure the thickness of the electroplated product with a micrometer (according to customer requirements), and after it is OK, proceed with electroplating chromium with clean water;
9、 Chrome plating：
1. The operator places the electroplated product into the slot for electroplating chromium treatment; 2. The electroplating time for chromium is 100 seconds, with a current of 750 ± 150A (depending on the amount of stainless steel inserted). 3. After OK, rinse with clean water, air dry, and wait for full inspection; Chromium is a slightly blue silver white metal with a relative atomic mass of 51.99, a density of 6.98-7.21g/cm3, a melting point of 1875-1920 ℃, and a standard electrode potential of Yushi/c, -0.74V, old “/c,” -0.41V, and P+/Cr jitter -1.33V. Chromium metal is easily passivated in air, forming a very thin passivation film on the surface, thus exhibiting the properties of precious metals. The chrome plating layer has high hardness, and its hardness can vary within a wide range of 400-1200HV depending on the composition of the plating solution and process conditions. The chrome plating layer has good heat resistance. When heated below 500 ℃, its luster and hardness do not show significant changes. When the temperature is above 500 ℃, it begins to oxidize and change color, and when the temperature is above 700 ℃, the hardness begins to decrease. The friction coefficient of chrome plating is small, especially the dry friction coefficient, which is the lowest among all metals. So the chrome layer has good wear resistance. Chrome plating can make the surface of the logo brighter and also has antioxidant and anti-corrosion properties.
10、 Fuel injection：
1. The operator cleans and dries the nickel plated product, and uses an air gun to spray the color on the surface of the product according to the customer’s requirements
11. Pick up the goods：
1. The operator removes excess waste from the surface of the electroplated stainless steel, places the steel plate in the material rack, and immerses the material rack into the de ink tank; 2. Keep the temperature in the tank at 45 ℃~60 ℃ and soak for 20-25 minutes; 3. After OK, remove and rinse the ink on the surface of the steel plate with clean water; 4. The operator places the electroplated stainless steel flat on the workbench and cuts a suitable size of OPP protective film to stick on its surface; 5. Gently fold (bend) the stainless steel plate to separate the electroplated product from the stainless steel;
12、 Brushing glue：
1. The operator takes the clean mesh board and places it on the printing machine, and adjusts it properly. Seal the areas that do not require printing with adhesive tape! 2. Take an appropriate amount of 3M adhesive, pour it onto the mesh board, and use a scraper to evenly adjust the adhesive for printing. 3. Take a plate of electroplated thin label and place it flat on the printing platform. Cover it with a mesh board and use a scraper to scrape it once on the coated mesh board, then apply the glue back once (seal the printing position with the glue), and continue printing twice. 4. Take out the printed semi-finished product, place it on a drying rack, and then bake it in an oven at a temperature of 60 ± 5 ℃ for 42-45 minutes.
13. Change the film：
1. The operator lays the low viscosity PET flat on the countertop, removes the release paper from the product, and adheres the reverse side of the OPP protected product to the PET adhesive surface! 2. When pasting, it is necessary to stick it flat. If the pasting is not flat, it needs to be re pasted. 3. Cut the PET between products with a blade and place it flat on the table. 4. The operator then lays the frosted 385 protective film flat on the countertop, removes the OPP film on the surface of the product with PET replaced on the back, and pays attention to the font content not shifting. The front of the product should be in contact with the adhesive surface of the 385 protective film. 5. When pasting, it is necessary to stick it flat. If it is not neat, it needs to be re pasted, otherwise the font content will shift.
14、QC：
During the second membrane replacement, the operator also needs to gently wipe the surface of the product with a dust-free cloth to remove dust and impurities; 2. Carefully inspect the surface of the product for pinholes, pockmarks, edges, and scars, and mark them with a red pen if any are found; 3. After inspection, place the product in an electric oven for baking at a temperature of 105 ± 5 ℃ for 15 ± 3 minutes;
15、 Divided into sections：
1. The operator applies a yellow release film to the dried (visually) product and removes it from the drying rack. 2. The operator places the cutting knife on the workbench and divides the products covered with yellow release film into strips. The cutting position is to cut the middle part between one product and another.
16、 Pressure film：
1. The operator removes the release paper from the cut products and applies it to a yellow transfer paper of A4 size (before use, wipe the transfer paper clean with white electric oil), with appropriate spacing between each piece (according to requirements). 2. The operator adjusted the height of the two pressure wheels of the film machine. The looseness or tightness of the pressure wheel directly affects the film pressing effect. 3. The operator takes 10-15 products each time, places them between two pressure wheels, turns on the power of the laminating machine, and steps on the foot pedal to evenly pass the products through the pressure wheels. 4. The operator should try to tear off the surface protective film. If it is easy to tear off, it is considered OK. If it is not easy to tear off, adjust the height of the pressure roller again (reduce the height).
17、 Rubbing glue：
1. The operator tears off the frosted 385 protective film on the surface of the product, paying attention to the absence of any displacement in the font content. 2. The operator uses a dust-free cloth dipped in clean water to wipe the surface of the product to keep the glue moist. 3. The operator then uses a dust-free cloth dipped in white oil to gently wipe the surface of the product to remove any adhesive residue left on the surface! 4. The wiping effect of glue should be visually inspected.
18、laminating：
1. The operator places the electroplated label with adhesive wiped flat on the workbench; 2. According to the requirements, use a blade to cut an appropriate size of 0.08MM PE protective film, flatten it by hand, and attach the protective film to the surface of the electroplated product. When bonding, the protective film should not wrinkle to avoid font displacement! 4. The coating effect is subject to visual inspection. 5. The operator places the coated product on the workbench in reverse (with the protective film facing down and the transfer paper facing up), tears off the transfer paper by hand, and separates it from the electroplated label. 6. Pick up the protective film and apply the electroplated label tape adhesive surface to the release surface of the desired release paper (white or blue).
19、punch：
1. Align the needle of the punching machine with the product positioning hole for punching, and ensure that the hole position is accurate There must be no phenomenon of deviation; 2. Before punching, the surface of the punching machine should be wiped clean and kept tidy to avoid scratching, crushing, and contaminating the product;
20、Stamping protective film (positioning function)：
1. Before stamping, keep the stamping machine (16T) clean and clean the stamping die every 30 minutes; 2. Then place the die on the punch and adjust it. When punching, hang the locating hole on the locating pin at both ends of the die for trial punching. When punching, conduct the first article inspection and confirm that it is OK (the size is required to be measured by anime measurement) before mass production. Perform size inspection every 30 minutes and record it in the ‘Inspection Record Form’
21、Change the release film：
1. The operator places the prepared product on the workbench and tears off the excess protective film around the product; Compare the position of the pre cut products using film, isolate and label the products that are off center; 2. Cut a suitable size of low viscosity PET protective film and stick it on its surface to fix the electroplated labels separated by punching and cutting together. PET protective film should be replaced every 5-10 uses; 3. Remove the release paper on the reverse side and replace it with CPW30A release film. 4. Remove the low viscosity PET protective film on the front, pick out the defective products marked with a red pen, and replace them with good ones!
22、packaging：
1. The shipment time for nickel sheet thin labels is usually around 3 days, and to ensure smooth shipment, we will discuss the daily shipment quantity with the customer in advance after determining the drawings, and arrange the production process according to the production schedule. 2. Conduct a full inspection again and, according to customer requirements, pack the good products in bags or ship them one by one. After cutting them, pack them and send them to the customer for inspection;
