Study on Selective Electroplating for Pattern/Lighting on Plastic 2021-01-0367

For making metal touch feeling and lighting simultaneously, selective electroplating is widely applied in button, panel and etc. in interior/exterior parts of automotive. In this paper, new selective electroplating with printing are suggested as an alternative manufacturing process of two shot molding, PC (Polycarbonate) and ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene). Manufacturing process of selective electroplating with printing is as follows: For preventing to plate metal layer in area of letter or symbol, masking ink is printed on parts, button, panel, etc., with electroplatable PC+ABS. After conventional electroplating process, the part has electroplated metal layer except for the printed area. It had been studied the composition of ink and PC+ABS for obtaining skip plating and light transmittance on printed area. Main resin of ink for preventing electroplating had been chosen transparent PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), which does not react with chemicals of etching and electroless plating, so the metal layer by electroplating is not formed. And new PC+ABS is developed for reducing the yellowness and increasing light transmission. We are expecting to apply this new selective electroplating for reducing cost and improving the manufacturing process.