CN117737813A

CN117737813A - Electroplating shielding device

Info

Publication number: CN117737813A
Application number: CN202311131723.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: C·威金斯; J·皮亚西克; 约瑟夫·W·明策三世
Original assignee: Honeywell International Inc
Current assignee: Honeywell International Inc
Priority date: 2022-09-21
Filing date: 2023-09-04
Publication date: 2024-03-22
Also published as: EP4350054A2; EP4350054A3; US20240093400A1; CA3212338A1

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a plating shield, a method of manufacturing the plating shield, and a method of plating with the plating shield. The plating method includes positioning an object in a plating shield. The plating shield may include a conduit configured to receive the object and a plurality of openings that selectively extend between an inner surface and an outer surface of the conduit. The opening may be positioned between the first end and the second end of the conduit. The method may also include forming a layer on the object by transmitting fluid through the plurality of openings to at least one of a first continuous section of the object including a small portion of the object and a second continuous section of the object including a large portion of the object. The ratio of the thickness of the major portion to the minor portion after forming the layer may range from about 1:1 to about 1:18.

Description

Electroplating shielding device

Technical Field

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of electroplating, and more particularly to an electroplating shielding device and a method of manufacturing the same.

Background

The mechanical components are typically plated in a bath or chamber of plating solution. Plating large mechanical parts requires a relatively large spacing (e.g., greater than 4 inches) between the plating electrode and the large mechanical parts. Therefore, a large amount of plating solution is required to plate large mechanical parts. Furthermore, mechanical components having irregular shapes often cause thickness variations between electroplated coatings (i.e., layers coated on different areas of the mechanical component via electroplating) in different areas of the mechanical component. Such thickness variations between electroplated coatings may result in reduced wear and corrosion resistance.

Existing methods of reducing thickness variation between electroplated coatings include performing multiple rounds of electroplating operations (e.g., 2 to 3 electroplating operations) to increase the thickness of the defect areas with thinner coatings. Such methods may involve removing excess coating and/or nodules in the thicker coated areas after an initial plating operation, followed by subsequent plating. Performing these methods may require mechanical parts to be removed from the plating bath or chamber and then added back for further processing, resulting in increased production time and cost. Thus, there is a need for an efficient and cost-effective solution to electroplate mechanical components of any shape and/or size with a uniform electroplated coating thickness.

The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of these challenges. The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this patent application and are not admitted to be prior art or prior art by inclusion in this section.

Disclosure of Invention

In accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure, a plating shield, a method of manufacturing the plating shield for improving a plating process, and a method of plating with the plating shield are provided in the present disclosure.

In one embodiment, a method of electroplating a component is disclosed. The method may include positioning an object in a plating shield. The plating shield may include a conduit configured to receive the object and a plurality of openings that selectively extend between an inner surface and an outer surface of the conduit. The opening may be positioned between the first end and the second end of the conduit. The method may also include forming a layer on the object by transmitting fluid through the plurality of openings to at least one of a first continuous section of the object including a small portion of the object and a second continuous section of the object including a large portion of the object. The ratio of the thickness of the major portion to the minor portion after forming the layer may range from about 1:1 to about 1:18.

In another embodiment, a plating shield is disclosed. The plating shield may include a conduit extending from a first end to a second end. The conduit may be hollow and configured to receive an object for electroplating. The plurality of openings may selectively extend between the inner surface and the outer surface. The opening may be positioned between the first end and the second end of the conduit. The plurality of openings may be configured to transfer fluid to at least one of the first continuous section of the object and the second continuous section of the object.

In another embodiment, a method of manufacturing a plating shield is disclosed. The method may include forming a plurality of openings in a strip and forming a conduit with the strip. The conduit may be configured to receive an object for electroplating. The plurality of openings may be configured to transfer fluid to at least one of a first continuous section of the object including a small portion of the object and a second continuous section of the object including a large portion of the object at a large portion to small portion plating ratio ranging from about 1:1 to about 1:18.

Additional objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosed embodiments. The objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It will be apparent from the following embodiments that the disclosed apparatus, system and method provide the advantage of more efficient electroplating of mechanical components while being resistant to wear and corrosion due to the electroplating shield.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosed embodiments, as claimed.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments.

FIG. 1A illustrates a side cross-sectional view of an exemplary plating system, according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B shows a close-up perspective view of an exemplary cap for use in the system of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C illustrates a top plan view of the plating system of FIG. 1A in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2A illustrates an upper perspective view of aspects of the exemplary plating system of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2B illustrates a partially exploded upper perspective view of aspects of the exemplary plating system of FIG. 1A.

Fig. 3A illustrates an exemplary plating shield apparatus in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3B illustrates an exemplary plating shield apparatus in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A illustrates exemplary components processed in an exemplary plating chamber of the plating system of FIG. 1A using an exemplary plating shield in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4B illustrates an exemplary top plan cross-sectional view of a component processed in the example of fig. 4A in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5A illustrates a close-up of an upper portion of the exemplary component illustrated in fig. 4A in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5B illustrates a close-up of a middle portion of the exemplary component illustrated in fig. 4A in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5C illustrates a close-up of a lower portion of the exemplary component illustrated in fig. 4A in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a table summarizing example plating measurements according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The following embodiments describe plating shields and methods of using the plating shields to improve a plating process in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

As described above, there is a need in the art of electroplating technology to effectively and uniformly plate, for example, mechanical parts. For example, plating large mechanical components (e.g., mud motor rotors) having irregular shapes may require a spacing of at least 4 inches between the surface of the large mechanical component and one or more plating electrodes (e.g., anode electrodes). That is, a relatively large electrode spacing may be required in order to produce a suitable electroplated coating on a large mechanical component. However, such electrode spacing typically requires a large volume of electroplating solution, particularly for large mechanical components (e.g., mud motor rotors) that may extend over 30 feet. Minimizing electrode spacing in order to reduce the amount of plating solution may result in uneven plating of the coating on different areas of a large mechanical component. The following embodiments thus describe a plating shield that facilitates the application of a uniform plating coating over an object, such as a mechanical component of any shape and/or size.

According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the plating shield may include a plurality of openings on a sidewall of the plating shield. The plurality of openings may be arranged to align with a particular region of the mechanical component. For example, the plurality of openings may be aligned with a small area of the mechanical component (e.g., a concave surface of the mud motor rotor) and/or a large area of the mechanical component (e.g., a convex surface of the mud motor rotor). The size and/or shape of the opening (e.g., rectangular, but may also be other shapes, such as triangular, circular, oval, or any other polygonal shape, etc.) may vary and/or be the same throughout. For example, and without limitation, the opening may have a diameter of less than about 2 inches (e.g., less than about 1 inch, less than about 0.75 inch, or less than about 0.5 inch). The electric field applied between the mechanical component and the plating electrode may vary based on the size of each of the plurality of openings. In addition, the flow rate of the plating solution through the plurality of openings may also vary. Thus, the amount and/or thickness of the electroplated coating on the major and minor regions of the mechanical component may be controlled and/or applied as desired. Thus, by utilizing the plating shield of the present disclosure, a uniform plating coating may be achieved on machine components having any shape and/or size.

The subject matter of the present description will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. The embodiments or implementations of the invention described as "exemplary" should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or implementations, for example; rather, it is intended to reflect or indicate that the one or more embodiments are one or more "exemplary" embodiments. The subject matter may be embodied in many different forms and, thus, the contemplated or claimed subject matter is not to be construed as limited to any of the example embodiments set forth herein; the exemplary embodiments are provided for illustration only. Likewise, the subject matter that is intended to be claimed or covered is of a suitably broad scope. The subject matter may be embodied as, among other things, a method, apparatus, component, or system. Thus, embodiments may take the form of, for example, hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof (other than the software itself). The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

Throughout the specification and claims, terms take the meanings of nuances, other than those explicitly stated, that are suggested or implied by the context. Also, the phrase "in one embodiment" as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, and the phrase "in another embodiment" as used herein does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment. For example, the claimed subject matter is intended to include, in whole or in part, combinations of the exemplary embodiments.

The terminology used hereinafter is to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with specific embodiments of certain specific examples of the disclosure. Indeed, certain terms may even be emphasized below; however, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined in this detailed description section. The foregoing general embodiments and the following detailed embodiments are exemplary and illustrative only and are not limited to the features claimed.

In this disclosure, the term "based on" means "based at least in part on. The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term "exemplary" is used in the sense of "exemplary" rather than "ideal". The term "or" is intended to be inclusive and means any, several, or all of the listed items. The terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "contains," "containing," or other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, or article of manufacture that comprises a list of elements does not necessarily include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article of manufacture, or apparatus. Relative terms (such as "substantially" and "approximately") are used to indicate a possible variation of ±10% of the stated or understood value.

Referring now to the drawings, fig. 1A shows a side cross-sectional view of an exemplary plating system 100 including a clamp 105 from which a resilient member 108 (e.g., a spring) may extend and mechanically attach a compressible disk 111 via one or more fastening mechanisms, as discussed in more detail below in fig. 2A-2B. Fig. 1B shows a close-up perspective view of an exemplary cap 126 for securing the distal end 131 of the plating shield 116 with the system 100 of fig. 1A. The cap 126 may be formed of silicon having a hemispherical dome-shaped section 126a and a cylindrical section 126b proximal thereof. Portions 126a and 126b may be continuous with each other (e.g., integrally formed) or two separate attachment portions. Fig. 1C illustrates a top plan cross-sectional view of aspects of the system 100, while fig. 2A illustrates an upper perspective view of the system 100 and fig. 2B illustrates a partially exploded upper perspective view of the system 100.

As shown in fig. 1C, the system 100 may include a plating chamber 158, which may be an open plating chamber (or bath) or a closed plating chamber configured to receive and store the device 116 and one or more components 121 (e.g., shafts, rods, beams, cylinders, bars, etc.). Chamber 158 may contain one or more plating solutions to be positioned around device 116 and component 121. The system 100 may include one or more anode electrodes 162. While the system 100 in fig. 1C shows only one or more anode electrodes 162, it is contemplated that the system 100 may incorporate one or more cathode electrodes as needed or desired. One or more anode electrodes 162 may apply an electric current and an electric field in chamber 158 to facilitate application of an electroplated coating to component 121.

The chamber 158 may be configured to receive and store the component 121 and the device 116. The length of the chamber 158 may be greater than the member 121 and the device 116. For example, the plating chamber 158 may be greater than 20 feet to receive and store large mechanical components (e.g., rotors of positive displacement motors, screw pumps, etc.). The chamber 158 may also be of any length suitable for a variety of other applications. The chamber 158 may be configured to receive one or more plating solutions S (e.g., from a reservoir system via one or more conduits not shown in the figures) to facilitate the plating process.

Additionally, the plating chamber 158 may be connected to a controller system that may facilitate the plating process automatically or manually by providing plating solution S and current to the plating chamber 158 via pumps, actuators, electrodes, and/or valves coupled to the plating chamber 158 and the reservoir system.

The component 121 may be greater than, for example, 30 feet and, as shown in fig. 1C, may include a major area E and a minor area F. The majority region E may include one or more protruding helical lobes (or convex surfaces) extending vertically from one end of the member 121 to the opposite end. The small region F may include a spiral recess (or concave surface) extending vertically from one end of the member 121 to the opposite end. The small areas F may be arranged adjacent to and between the large areas E. In other words, the continuous helical depressions of the small region F may be disposed adjacent to and alternate between the continuous helical lobes of the large region E.

In one embodiment, the component 121 may be placed in the plating chamber 158 and the device 116 may be placed between the component 121 and the anode electrode 162. In this embodiment, the length of the device 116 may be equal to or greater than the length of the component 121 in order to dispose or place the component 121 in a monolithic piece within the device 116. The device 116 may be arranged or positioned relative to the component 121 so as to align one or more portions (e.g., upper portion, middle portion, lower portion, etc.) of the device 116 with the small area F and/or large area E of the component 121. During the plating process, a plating solution S may flow through the openings (e.g., 143 of fig. 3A and 3B). Further, the same and/or varying electric fields may be applied to the small region F and the large region E (e.g., the electric field applied at the small region F is greater than at the large region E, or vice versa). Thus, although the small area F of the component 121 is located at a greater distance from the anode electrode 162 than the large area E, a plating coating may be deposited on both the small area F and the large area E, wherein the post-plating thickness in the small area F is greater than the post-plating thickness in the large area E, as explained in more detail in the example of fig. 6.

The dimensions of each and the density of the openings of the device 116 may vary depending on the shape, size, and/or dimensions of the component 121. Further, the size of each and the density of openings may vary based on the distance between the anode electrode 162 and the surface of different regions of the component 121 (e.g., the major region E and the minor region F). In one embodiment, the electrode spacing between anode electrode 162 and member 121 may be 1 inch or less.

As shown in fig. 2A and 2B, the resilient member 108 may be mechanically connected to the disc 111 via one or more fastening mechanisms. For example, the proximal end of the member 121 may include one or more threaded surfaces to threadably engage with corresponding fasteners (e.g., nuts) that may couple the disc 111 to the member. Any number of mechanical fastening methods are contemplated, and the example shown in fig. 2A and 2B is merely one exemplary implementation of securing the plating shield 116 and the component 121 with a plating system. The plating shield 116 may include an inner ring 116c having an opening 116d configured to receive the disk 111 (e.g., with a friction fit). One or more spokes 116a may extend outwardly from the ring 116c to an outer surface 116b of the plating shield 116. In some aspects, the spokes 116a may be thicker than the surface 116b. The plating solution may flow through the area between the spoke 116a and the surface 116b.

Fig. 3A shows a side plan view of the device 116, while fig. 3B shows a side plan view of the device 116 after an exemplary electroplating process, wherein material 153 has accumulated or otherwise accumulated around portions 147 and openings 143. In one embodiment, the device 116 may comprise a cylindrical tube and/or a catheter, which may be hollow and generally elongated. The device 116 may extend vertically from the proximal end 216 to the distal end 214. The device 116 may also include a plurality of openings 143 (e.g., holes, apertures, slots, slits, ellipses, perforations, etc.) that penetrate the sidewall of the device 116. The opening 143 may have a diameter of less than about 2 inches (e.g., less than about 1 inch, less than about 0.75 inch, or less than about 0.5 inch). In a continuous helical (or spiral) surface extending vertically between ends 216 and 214, opening 143 may optionally extend and/or be disposed on the sidewall. In one embodiment, the size of each of the openings 143 may be equal. However, the shape and size of each of the openings 143, individually or in groups, may vary based on the shape and size of one or more components or workpieces (e.g., shafts, rods, beams, cylinders, bars, etc.) being plated.

In some examples, where the component 121 is a rotor, the size of each opening may depend on the rotor diameter and the number of lobes on the rotor. For example, for a 2 inch and 4 inch diameter rotor with 5 lobes, the size of the opening 143 in the shield may be 0.5 inch. For rotors having larger diameters, the diameter of the opening may be increased. Thus, for a rotor having 5 lobes with a diameter of 8 inches, the size of the opening 143 in the shield may be between 1 inch and 2 inches. In some examples, the size of the opening 143 may vary based on the distance between the shield and the component 121 (e.g., the rotor).

The ends 216 and 214 may be "zones" that include a continuous cylindrical surface (e.g., a non-perforated zone) between the respective ends and the beginning of the opening 143. In some embodiments, the proximal end 216 and the distal end 214 of the component 121 may experience a higher plating rate than the rest of the component 121. For example, a predetermined vertical length at each end of the component 121 may result in thicker growth of the electroplated coating as compared to the rest of the component 121. Further, the device 116 may be disposed or placed within a plating chamber (e.g., plating chamber 158) in a manner that covers at least about the ends 214 and 216 of the component 121. Thus, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a uniform electroplated coating may be formed on component 121 by utilizing electroplating shielding device 116.

In one embodiment, the portion 147 of the device 116 that forms its sidewall around the opening 143 may be made of a material including, for example, a nickel-chromium alloy (e.g., ICONEL alloy, registered trademark of Special Metals Corporation (specialty metals company), mp 1390 ℃ to 1425 ℃) or any other suitable stainless steel, high nickel content high strength steel, and/or any other metal substrate having a high nickel content exceeding a melting point of about 800 ℃, a material having a linear Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) value substantially similar to ICONEL alloy. In at least one embodiment, the material used to form the sidewalls around the openings 143 may include iron alloys (e.g., iron-cobalt alloys, iron-nickel alloys, iron-tungsten alloys, iron-chromium alloys, etc.) and cobalt alloys (e.g., cobalt-chromium alloys). In some aspects, the device 116 may or may not be conformal to the component 121, and may or may not have vias for target plating. Once the shape of the part 121 has been determined, the device 116 may receive a chemical resistant coating to extend life and prevent accumulation.

As shown particularly in fig. 2A-2B at surface 116B, such a low profile lightweight construction of device 116 improves mobility and efficiency during the electroplating process, particularly for electroplating large mechanical components (e.g., greater than 20 feet in length) such as mud motor rotors. In addition, the thin sidewalls of the device 116 may displace less plating solution, promote efficient plating solution movement, and may allow for more compact electrode spacing, for example, in a relatively small enclosed plating chamber, particularly when compared to existing chrome plating methods that often require numerous start and stop cycles to ensure uniform coating growth. By using the inductive shielding of the device 116, electroplating can be targeted to specific slow growth areas without increasing the rectifying cost. At the same time, in some aspects, the device 116 acts like a shield to prevent over-distribution of high growth areas on the component 121. In one embodiment, one or more coatings may be applied to the outer surface of the device 116 to improve corrosion resistance. Such coatings may include, for example, PVC, epoxy, and fluoropolymers (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP), perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), etc.).

Fig. 4A illustrates an exemplary component 121 processed using the apparatus 116 in an exemplary plating chamber (e.g., chamber 158) of the plating system of fig. 1A. Fig. 4B shows an exemplary top plan cross-sectional view of component 121 taken at a mid-portion of component 121, which illustrates exemplary small area F and large area E. Fig. 5A shows a close-up of the upper portion 121A of the component 121 as shown in fig. 4A. Fig. 5B shows a close-up of the intermediate portion 121B of the component 121 as shown in fig. 4A. Fig. 5C shows a close-up of the lower portion 121C of the component 121 as shown in fig. 4A. Fig. 5A-5C each illustrate an exemplary post-plating aspect of the large E and small F regions of the component 121.

Fig. 6 is a data graph showing exemplary measurement results of the component 121 processed and described in fig. 3A to 5C. Conventionally, achieving a uniform electroplated coating thickness on large mechanical components having irregular shapes (e.g., mud motor rotors) has been difficult. That is, the mud motor rotor may include, for example, a large area (e.g., a high/convex area such as main area E) that may be coated with plating deposits many times thicker than a small area (e.g., a low/concave area such as small area F). Since the ratio of the difference in plating deposit thickness between the large area and the small area may vary, the difference in plating deposit thickness may cause the small area to have a plating deposit thickness that is thinner than desired, which may result in reduced wear and corrosion resistance.

Accordingly, the exemplary data shown in fig. 6 relating to the machined part 121 and associated apparatus 116 is for illustrative purposes only. It should be appreciated that the shape and size of each of the openings 143 of the device 116 may vary based on the desired thickness of the electroplated deposit on different areas of one or more components or workpieces. Further, the density of openings 143 may also vary based on the desired thickness of the electroplated deposit on different areas of one or more components or workpieces. Thus, using the shields 116, 116' of fig. 3A-3B, the pre-plating major diameter E of the part 121 was measured to be about 4.101 inches, the post-plating major diameter E was measured to be about 4.105 inches, and the associated post-plating major diameter E thickness was measured to be about 0.004 inches. The pre-plating minor diameter F of the part 121 measured about 2.903 inches, the post-plating minor diameter F measured about 2.976 inches, and the associated post-plating minor diameter F measured about 0.073 inches in thickness. With the example shields 116, 116' of fig. 3A-3B, the major to minor plating ratio was about 1:18 (major: minor or 0.073 inch/0.004 inch), as compared to about 47:1 (major: minor) measured without the inductive shield 116 disclosed herein.

Thus, the advantageous improvements of the inductive shield disclosed herein improve current injection into the small diameter F of the component 121, thereby reducing additional plating processes that would otherwise be necessary, and thus saving production time and reducing contact time. Advantageously, the use of both the anode electrode 162 and the device 116 has been described previously to produce a more distributed deposition on the component 121 (including through its major and minor regions) through the use of inductive and/or bipolar currents.

In some aspects of the present disclosure, the shape, size, and configuration of each of the openings of the inductive shield device may be varied to achieve a major to minor plating ratio of about 1:1. In examples where the inductive shield apparatus of the present disclosure has been configured to achieve a major to minor plating ratio of about 1:1 such that the ratio of the thickness of the major area to the minor area is about 1:1, the plating operation may be performed in a single step.

A method of manufacturing the plating shield of the present disclosure may include forming a plurality of openings in a strip and forming a conduit with the strip. Each of the openings may be varied to achieve a desired major to minor plating ratio. For example, the opening may be designed to transfer fluid to at least one of a first continuous section of the object (e.g., a mechanical component) that includes a small portion of the object and a second continuous section of the object that includes a large portion of the object at a large portion to small portion plating ratio. The major to minor plating ratio corresponding to the achieved thickness ratio may range from about 1:1 to about 1:18.

It should be appreciated that in the foregoing description of exemplary embodiments, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Thus, the following claims are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this disclosure.

Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some features included in other embodiments but not others, combinations of features of different embodiments are also within the scope of the present disclosure and form different embodiments, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

Thus, while certain embodiments have been described, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the disclosure, and it is intended to claim all such changes or modifications as fall within the scope of the disclosure. For example, functions may be added or deleted in the block diagrams and operations may be interchanged among the functional blocks. Steps may be added or deleted in the methods described within the scope of the present disclosure.

The above-disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments, which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present disclosure is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description. While various implementations of the disclosure have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more implementations and implementations are possible within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited.

Claims

1. A method for electroplating a component, the method comprising:

positioning an object in a plating shield comprising a conduit configured to receive the object and a plurality of openings selectively extending between an inner surface and an outer surface of the conduit, the openings being positioned between a first end and a second end of the conduit; and

forming a layer on the object by transmitting fluid through the plurality of openings to at least one of a first continuous section of the object including a small portion of the object and a second continuous section of the object including a large portion of the object;

wherein the ratio of the thickness of the major portion to the minor portion after forming the layer ranges from about 1:1 to about 1:18.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings selectively extend in a spiral shape, and wherein the conduit is formed of a metal alloy.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the metal alloy is selected from one or more nickel-chromium alloys, one or more cobalt alloys, and one or more iron alloys.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the catheter is formed from one or more nickel-chromium alloys.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the catheter is formed from a material having a melting point of about 1390 ℃ to 1425 ℃.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the catheter is formed of a material having a melting point greater than about 800 ℃.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer is formed in an electroplating chamber.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is electroplated prior to positioning in the electroplating shield and forming the layer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the ratio of the thickness of the major portion to the minor portion after forming the layer is about 1:18.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer is formed substantially on the first continuous section of the object including the small portion of the object.