ANODE BASKETS & BAGS

The majority of electroplating processes today, utilize some type of metallic anode. These anodes serve two purposes, first of all to act as the supply source for the metallic ions needed for plating, and second to assist in distributing the current being drawn by the plating bath.

Anodes come in various shapes and sizes. Chips, buttons, slabs, and spheres of varying diameter are utilized. Sizes range from 2" in diameter down to very small chips or pellets. These anodes must be submerged in the process bath so that they can be solubilized, and the resulting metallic ions then be deposited on to the part surface.

Anode baskets allow for these anodes to be placed into the plating bath. These baskets can be manufactured of a variety of materials, of which steel, and titanium are the most common. Anode baskets can also be produced in a variety of geometries depending on the part design, process bath being utilized, and the design of the plating tank. The most common geometries used are round and rectangular. Each anode basket must have the appropriate open area which allows for efficient current transfer and dissolution of the anodes.

In order to provide the necessary open area, expanded mesh, perforated sheet or wire material is used for construction. The hook design can be a double knife edge (DKE) or a diamond (square) hook depending on the per basket amperage requirement.