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Plating Calculators for Electroplating | Free Online Tools by Attalos

Plating Calculators for Electroplating – Two Essential Tools for Accurate Results


Electroplating is as much science as it is craft. Whether you’re scaling up a commercial line or tinkering with a homebrew bath, knowing your time, current, thickness, and efficiency relationships is critical.


We built two Plating Calculators for Electroplating that run directly on a Wix site using Velo (client-side JavaScript):

  1. Plating Calculator — given a desired thickness, calculate current or time at a known bath efficiency.

  2. Plating Bath Efficiency Calculator — evaluate efficiency either by comparing measured thickness to target thickness, or by comparing measured weight gain to theoretical deposit (mass method).


Both calculators are designed for clarity, speed, and shop-floor usability. This post explains why we built them, how they work, and what makes them useful.


Illustration of Attalos Plating Calculator and Plating Efficiency Calculator, showing electroplating setup with beaker, electrodes, digital displays, and efficiency readings, representing online tools for accurate current density, thickness, and efficiency calculations
Attalos online plating calculators simplify electroplating by providing accurate current, thickness, and efficiency calculations for consistent results.

Why Use Plating Calculators in Electroplating?


  • Consistency: Electroplating baths drift in performance with use. Efficiency calculators tell you if you’re in spec or slipping.

  • Process planning: Time vs. current calculations let you plan production cycles precisely.

  • Accessibility: Both calculators run on a standard Wix page—no backend servers, no external tools.

  • Cross-training: New operators can understand “why” as well as “what,” reducing errors.


1. Plating Calculator: Thickness, Current, and Time Made Simple


What It Does

  • Supports Copper, Nickel, Zinc.

  • Accepts area (mm² or in²), thickness (µm or in), efficiency (%), and either current or time.

  • Computes the missing value using Faraday’s law with density and atomic weight constants.

  • Shows plain results like “0.85 A” or “45 minutes”.

  • Displays an efficiency hint box with typical ranges for your metal/bath type (90–98% for commercial copper, etc.).


Core Formula

Electroplating core formulas showing relationships between current, plating time, efficiency, thickness, and surface area, used in Attalos plating calculator.
Core electroplating formulas connect plating time, current, and efficiency—fundamental to the Attalos Plating Calculator.

Where:

  • z=2 (valence of Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺ ions)

  • F=96485 C/mol

  • ρ = density (g/cm³)

  • M = atomic weight (g/mol)


Example

  • Nickel, 1000 mm² area (10 cm²), 20 µm thickness (0.0020 cm)

  • Efficiency = 50%

  • Time = 30 minutes

  • Result: ~0.325 A required. The calculator prints: “0.33 A”.


2. Plating Efficiency Calculator: Measure Bath Performance with Ease


Two Methods


Thickness Method

  • Inputs: area, target thickness, current or time.

  • Measure actual thickness with a micrometer/gauge.

  • Efficiency = measured ÷ theoretical × 100.

  • Displays expected range (e.g. Cu commercial: 90–98%) and a red/green banner comparing your result.


Mass Method

  • Inputs: initial coupon mass, current, time.

  • Computes theoretical deposit via Faraday’s law (at 100%).

  • Adds to initial mass and displays total theoretical mass.

  • Enter measured mass, click Mass Efficiency, and get efficiency %.

  • Same percent placement rule (Metric → after, Imperial → before).


Electroplating mass-based formulas showing theoretical deposit calculation in grams and efficiency percentage based on measured versus theoretical mass
Mass-based electroplating formulas calculate theoretical metal deposit and efficiency from measured weight differences.

Example

  • Copper, 1.5 A for 1 hour

  • Theoretical deposit: ≈1.78g\approx 1.78 g≈1.78g (0.063 oz)

  • Initial coupon: 0.500 oz

  • Theoretical mass after plating: 0.563 oz

  • If measured = 0.558 oz → Efficiency ≈ 92.4%Displayed as %92.4 in Imperial mode.


Expected Efficiency Ranges

  • Copper — Commercial: 90–98% | Homebrew: 50–70%

  • Nickel — Commercial: 90–97% | Homebrew: 40–60%

  • Zinc   — Commercial: 85–95% | Homebrew: 50–70%

Color-coded banner:

  • Green = within range

  • Red = below or above range


UX Highlights

  • Grey inactive inputs instead of hiding—teaches capability without confusion.

  • Inline guidance: bold method instructions, action cues.

  • Sanitized inputs: only numbers and a single decimal allowed.

  • Reset button: clears everything in one click.

  • Status box: shows “Ready / Calculating / Done” to confirm action.


What’s Next at Attalos

These two calculators are just the beginning. Soon, we’ll release Plater’s Guides in the Attalos store:


  • Digital editions (PDFs for quick reference on your shop floor tablet).

  • Printed pocket guides (A5 format, durable, color-coded).

The first series will cover Surface Preparation, Acid Dips, Safety, Nickel Plating, and Copper Plating. Each will include quick-reference charts, preparation steps, and safety notes—designed as companions to the calculators you now have online.


Final Thoughts


Together, the Plating Calculator and Plating Bath Efficiency Calculator give electroplaters a practical toolkit: plan plating runs with confidence, then check efficiency to verify your bath’s performance. Both are transparent, free to use, and ready to deploy on your Wix site.

Keep an eye on the Attalos store for the upcoming Plater’s Guides—bringing the same clarity and rigor to print and digital reference materials.

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