380V Automatic Rotary Vertical Plating Line Plastic ABS Plating Machine

Automatic Rotary Vertical ABS Plating Machine Plating Equipment

Plastic Electroplating

ABS and PP are commonly used plastics for electroplating, with ABS being one of the most widely used materials. ABS consists of acrylonitrile (A), butadiene (B), and styrene (S). During chemical roughening, the butadiene component is selectively dissolved to form a micro-rough surface, improving the adhesion of subsequent conductive and metal coatings.

For plastic electroplating, electroplating-grade ABS is recommended. Materials with approximately 15%–25% butadiene content, such as ABS 300# from Japan, are commonly selected. Non-electroplating-grade ABS may require tighter control of the roughening process to achieve reliable coating adhesion.

ABS Electroplating Process Flow

Degreasing → Water Washing → Acid Cleaning → Chemical Roughening → Recovery → Water Washing → Reduction → Water Washing → Pre-Dipping → Colloidal Palladium → Activation → Recovery → Water Washing → Copper Displacement → Recovery → Water Washing → Copper Plating → Recovery → Water Washing → Activation → Water Washing → Nickel Plating → Recovery → Water Washing → Activation → Water Washing → Chrome Plating → Recovery → Water Washing → Reduction → Water Washing → Pure Water Rinsing → Drying

Equipment Features

1. Main Frame: A3 structural steel with an external epoxy coating for corrosion protection. The frame color can be customized.

2. Structure: The line consists of fixed plates, support columns, walkways, flat wire, and horizontal adjustment bolts, providing a rigid and accessible structure.

3. Transporter: The transmission system integrates horizontal travel and vertical lifting mechanisms for automatic workpiece transfer between process tanks.

4. Drive System: Imported geared brake motors are used for horizontal and lifting movement. The positioning system provides controlled deceleration and accurate stopping.

5. Speed Control: PLC and frequency converters regulate horizontal and vertical movement at low, medium, and high speeds. This helps reduce transporter swing during starting and stopping while maintaining smooth and accurate positioning.

6. Safety: Emergency stop buttons and safety devices are installed throughout the line for rapid shutdown during abnormal conditions.

7. Lifting Mechanism: The jig lifting system uses a geared brake motor, coupling, and high-strength acid-resistant, aging-resistant belt for stable vertical movement.

Main Control Configuration

• PLC: Mitsubishi Electric, Japan

• Frequency Inverter: Mitsubishi Electric, Japan

• Touchscreen: Kunlun Tongtai

• Proximity & Photoelectric Sensors: Omron, Japan

• Contactors & Thermal Relays: Omron, Japan

• Control Cabinet: Organized wiring, clear component identification, English operation labels, and protective construction suitable for the plating environment.

• Operating Modes: Automatic and manual control modes are available. Automatic operation can manage parameters such as tank residence time, transporter position, and lifting speed.

• Program Functions: Power-failure memory and interruption recovery functions help simplify handling of unexpected stoppages.

• Safety Protection: Multiple emergency stop devices are incorporated throughout the system to improve operational safety.

Specifications
1. This kind of plating line is suitable for the production of a single but large output of electroplating.
2. The operation is simple and the output is big, the fastest cycle time can reach 30 second /Rack.
3.Good quality and cheap price.

Applications

• ABS automotive components
• Automotive interior and exterior plastic parts
• Decorative ABS components
• Electrical and electronic plastic housings
• Appliance plastic components
• Bathroom and sanitary plastic parts
• Decorative plastic fittings
• Other electroplating-grade ABS components

ABS Plating Engineering Experience

This automatic rotary vertical plating line is engineered for plastic ABS electroplating applications, with the process layout and transport system configured according to the characteristics of plastic substrates.

Our engineering team has experience in designing automatic plating systems covering pretreatment, chemical plating, electroplating, rinsing, drying and material transfer. The line can be configured according to product geometry, plating process, production capacity, tank layout and automation requirements.

For ABS plastic plating, key engineering considerations include stable workpiece positioning, uniform chemical treatment, controlled plating parameters, efficient rinsing and reliable automatic transfer between process tanks.

Quality Control

Each automatic ABS plating line is inspected and tested before shipment to verify mechanical, electrical and automation performance.

Our quality control process includes:

• Main frame and plating tank structure inspection

• Horizontal and vertical transporter movement testing

• PLC and inverter function testing

• Sensor and positioning accuracy checks

• Automatic and manual operation testing

• Emergency stop and safety function testing

• Control cabinet wiring and component labeling inspection

• Programmed residence time and movement sequence testing

• Trial operation of the complete transport system

• Final inspection against the approved technical configuration

The equipment is released for shipment after the main mechanical, electrical and control functions have been verified.

ABS Plastic Plating Project Case

Manufacturer Credentials

Manufacturer: Dongguan Greatwell Environment Technology Co., Ltd.

Greatwell specializes in electroplating equipment and surface treatment systems, providing engineering services covering equipment design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning and after-sales support.

The company serves industrial customers requiring customized plating and surface-treatment solutions. Its engineering team supports equipment selection, process-line layout, automation configuration and production-line integration according to individual project requirements.

Core capabilities include:

• Electroplating line design and manufacturing

• Automatic and semi-automatic plating systems

• Plastic ABS plating solutions

• Anodizing and surface-treatment equipment

• PLC-based process automation

• Plating auxiliary equipment and chemical-resistant components

• Equipment installation and commissioning

• Technical support and after-sales service

FAQ

1. What plastics can be electroplated with this machine?
The system is primarily designed for electroplating-grade ABS plastic and can be configured according to the material and required plating process.

2. What is the typical ABS plating process?
A typical process includes cleaning, roughening, activation, chemical copper, copper plating, nickel plating, chrome plating, rinsing and drying. The actual process can be customized according to the required coating system.

3. Why is the roughening process important for ABS plating?
Roughening creates a suitable surface structure for subsequent activation and metal coating, helping improve the adhesion between the plastic substrate and the deposited coating.

4. Can the ABS plating line be customized?
Yes. Tank arrangement, transport configuration, process sequence, loading capacity and control functions can be customized according to the production requirements.

5. Is the line fully automatic?
Yes. The rotary vertical transport system can be controlled automatically through PLC programming, while manual operation can be used for commissioning and maintenance.