Abstract
Electroplating, that is the art of producing solid functional coatings out of a metal containing liquid, is, and will continue to be, one of the cornerstones of modern industrial production technology. It is a proven technology to protect all sorts of metals against corrosion, wear, impact and also mixtures of these factors. Additionally, electroplated coatings look appealing if deposited in the right way and are often used with that aim in cars or trains or other vehicles, but also in a broad variety of other applications. The appealing feature of electroplating process technology is its low cost and its good relationship between processing cost and functional added value.
Modern developments and concepts for electroplating production technology are described and their potential to help to solve today's and tomorrow's challenges in manufacturing is explored. From textured sufaces to functionally filled coatings and from closed chamber and high-precision plating technology to robotic plating equipment a broad range of innovative technologies is described.