Plating evaporative recovery tank

In combination, a plating system and an atmospheric-evaporator unit, comprising:

• a plating system having a plurality of rinse stations and a process tank wherein said rinse stations are arranged to provide a counter-flow of water and plating chemicals disposed within said stations;
• and
• an atmospheric evaporator including:
• an evaporator tank having an inlet side and exhaust side;
• a vertically arranged blower sleeve removably mounted at said inlet side of said tank;
• an outlet duct mounted over said exhaust side of said tank;
• and
• wherein said blower sleeve is formed with an inlet duct at the upper end thereof and an evaporator-support means integrally formed at the opposite lower end of said blower sleeve;
• evaporator means mounted in said blower sleeve and supported by said evaporator-support means, said evaporator means defining a wet surface area over which air and solution flow from said process tank to provide separation of water from said chemical solution;
• a mist-eliminator means positioned at the exhaust side of said evaporator tank;
• blower means mounted on said blower sleever for forcing air through said evaporator tank whereby said air transports moisture within said evaporator tank to said mist-eliminator means;
• pump means interposed between said process tank and said evaporator;
• tank means for spraying the chemical solution in said process tank over said evaporator means so as to separate water from said chemical solution as said solution passes through said evaporator means with said air provided by said blower means;
• and
• means connected to said evaporator tank to return said chemicals to said process tank,
• whereby said blower sleeve, said evaporator tank, and said outlet duct combine to define a substantially "U" shaped air flow, wherein air enters from the top of said tank by said blower means and is exhausted through the outlet duct positioned over the exhaust side of said tank.