System and method for performing localized electroless nickel plating
AssigneeNuovo Pignone Tecnologie Srl
InventorsAlice Pranzetti, Michelangelo Bellacci, Marco Romanelli, Giovanni Pulci, Francesco Marra, Virgilio Genova, Laura Paglia
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Abstract
A system for performing electroless nickel plating on a portion of a metallic piece comprises a chamber fixedly coupled to the metallic piece during operation of the system so that the portion of the metallic piece and the chamber define a closed volume. The chamber has an inlet to supply at least a plating fluid into the volume and an outlet to discharge the plating fluid from the volume, so that the portion of the metallic piece is exposed to the plating fluid and is plated.
Claims20
A system for performing electroless nickel plating on a portion of a metallic piece, the system comprising:
- a chamber having an inlet and an outlet, the chamber having a size that is smaller than the metallic piece, the chamber defining a volume,
- wherein the chamber is configured to be fixedly coupled to the metallic piece so that the portion of the metallic piece and the chamber together define a closed volume,
- wherein the inlet and the outlet are configured to allow a first fluid to flow continuously into and out of the volume, respectively, so as to expose the metallic piece to the first fluid,
- wherein the first fluid is a plating fluid.
An apparatus for electroplating a metallic piece, the apparatus comprising:
- a chamber smaller than the metallic piece, the chamber comprising ports providing access to a volume formed inside the chamber;
- a recirculation circuit coupled to the ports;
- and
- a fixing member coupling the chamber and the metallic piece to close the volume of the chamber,
- wherein operation of the recirculation circuit transports fluid between the ports to continuously circulate fluid into and out of the volume to cause electroplating of only a portion of the metallic piece that is under the chamber and in communication with the volume.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.