Spa Plating’s unique coulometer helps you achieve more accurate thicknesses of plated layers.
This coulomb counter is easy to set up and read. When you use it with our online plating calculators you can judge in real time the thickness of plate you are depositing. This takes much of the guess work out of plating to specific thicknesses. It also saves you time and money as it can help avoid excessive over or under plating.
Please click on the ‘Videos’ tab to see full operating instructions.
The coulometer ships with the necessary lead and adapter to connect it to your power source.
Here’ a picture of what’s included when you buy one of our Coulometers. From left to right;
The white USB-C plug and lead connects the coulometer to the mains power source.
The blue lead plugs into the blue socket on the side of the coulometer. The copper crocodile clip at the other grips your work.
The black lead plugs into the black socket on the side of the coulometer and the other end plugs into the black socket on your rectifier.
The pack of 5 copper conductor strips allows you to hold larger items more easily while you are brush plating.
This shows how to connect your coulometer to your rectifier and how to set up for pen or brush plating.
Here is the coulometer connected up for tank plating.
Our coulometer counts up the coulombs, which relate dirctly to the thickness of electroplate.
The coulometer is really helpful for plating accurate layers of vermeil gold on silver jewellery.
If you need to see the amps flowing as well as the coulombs for trouble shooting and callibration purposes, depress the reset button and they will be displayed.
There’s a short video showing you how to do this under the Video tab above.
The Calibration Factor facility on the online calculator will give you more accurate results with subsequent plating.
You will need to use techniques such as X-ray fluorescence, microsection or weighing your work before and after plating to do this.
Click on the ‘Process Sequences’ tab to see how you calculate the ‘Calibration Factor’.
Here’s a video showing how to use our coulometer to gold pen plate to specific thicknesses;
Plug one end of the black lead into the black socket of the rectifier
and the other end into the black socket on the coulometer.
Plug the blue lead into the blue socket on the coulometer. The crocodile clip at the other end will hold your item.
Next plug one end of the red lead into the rectifier and the other end into the end of the pen.
Switch on the rectifier and coulometer.
Please also refer to Notes below
Instructions for use with tank plating
Plug one end of the black lead into the black socket on your rectifier
and the other end into the black socket on the coulometer.
Plug one end of the blue lead into the blue socket on the coulometer
and the other end into the base of your plating stand.
Note: If you’re not using one of our plating stands, connect the other end directly to the workpiece.
Plug one end of the red lead into one of the red sockets your rectifier and connect the other
to the beaker ring – anode(s).
Notes:
The main cause of error is when the circuit is shorted; for example when the metal part of the electrode is accidentally touched against the part being plated.
When using regulated power supplies, this effect can be mitagated by setting a maximum current that can flow slightly above the maximum expected amp rating for the process. This is especially of use when
brush or pen plating.
The other main cause of erros is in the estimation of surface area which can be particularly difficult especially for irregularly-shaped articles.
Should you wish to view the amps flowing during the plating process, press and hold the RESET button until the amps are displayed (1.5 seconds).
The amp display can be removed by pressing and holding the RESET button.
Operating Conditions and Deposit Data
Power input
USB-C DC 5v, 100mA
Maximum test current
5 amps DC
Maximum voltage
30 volts DC
Coulomb resolution
0.0001 coulombs (1 tenth of a millicoulomb)
Amp resolution
0.001 amp (when selected – see Notes below)
Line Regulation
Voltage : ≤0.01% +3mV / Current : ≤0.1% +3mA
Notes:
To select the optional amps display, press and hold the RESET button for 3 seconds.
Press and hold the RESET button to deselect and go back to showing only coulombs.
General guide;
Certain small items, for example Swabs, Nibs and Plating Pens can be sent by normal post within the UK
The courier option for UK deliveries is FedEx
Free UK mainland delivery available on orders over £200
International orders usually 3-5 working days.
For all price quotations for deliveries, please add your items to our shopping cart. You will be able to see the shipping costs by clicking on the ‘Calculate shipping’ button in the cart and before checking out.
Using the Calibration Factor facility on the online plating calculator
Using techniques like X-ray fluorescence or microsection you can use this in conjunction with
the Calibration Factor facility on the online calculator giving more accurate results.
You can now enter this reading into the Calibration Factor text
box on the online calculator and re-run the calculation.
The updated Coulomb Counter reading will give a truer value
for the actual plating thickness.
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