Short answer
Brush plating holds the solution in a pen tip and plates only where it touches, so parts can be plated in place with no tank, masking or bath waste. Tank plating immerses the whole part, which suits thick buildup and high-volume whole-part finishing. For spot repair, touch-up and contact restoration, brush plating is faster and cheaper.
Side by side
| Tank plating | Brush plating | |
|---|---|---|
| Area plated | Entire immersed part | Only the work area |
| Disassembly | Part removed and masked | Plate in place |
| Where | Plating line | Bench or field |
| Solution | Open bath to maintain | Sealed pen cartridge |
| Waste | Bath disposal | No bath to dispose |
| Thickness | Built to spec on the line | 1.5 to 1.8 µm standard pens, 3 to 3.6 µm heavy-duty |
| Best for | Whole parts, production finishing, thick deposits | Spot repair, touch-up, contacts, prototypes |
Where brush plating wins
- Restoring worn connector pins, edge connectors and switch contacts in place
- Re-tinning oxidized PCB pads and component leads
- Touch-up and corrosion repair on installed fasteners and fittings
- Prototype and development work where setting up a bath is not worth it
- Field repairs where the part cannot travel to a plating shop
Where tank plating wins
If you need to plate the entire part, need deposits thicker than a few microns, or are finishing thousands of parts a day, a plating line is the right tool. Brush plating pens top out at 1.5 to 1.8 µm with standard pens and 3 to 3.6 µm with heavy-duty pens.
What brush plating costs to start
A complete Micro-Metallizer kit with power supply, cables and pens starts at $400 for the Contact Repair Kit. Individual pens run $65 to $310 depending on the metal. Each pen holds 10 ml of concentrated solution and covers roughly 300 square inches. There is no bath chemistry to buy, maintain or dispose of.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between brush plating and electroplating?
Brush plating is a form of electroplating. Instead of immersing the part in a tank, the solution is held in an absorbent tip on the positive lead of a DC supply, and metal deposits only where the tip touches.
Is brush plating as good as tank plating?
For selective work like contact restoration, touch-up and re-tinning, yes. For thick deposits or plating whole parts in volume, tank plating is the better fit.
Is brush plating the same as selective plating?
Yes. Brush plating, selective plating, spot plating and pen plating all describe plating only a chosen area without a tank.
Not sure which pens your part needs?
Tell us the substrate and the finish you need. The people who build the system will tell you the sequence.