Importance of Gold Electroforming Techniques

Topics Covered

Overview
Solid Gold Electroforms
Electroforming Process

Overview

Electroforming of gold, traditionally used in jewellery manufacture is now being used to produce industrial components.

Solid Gold Electroforms

A new patented electroforming technology allows ABSSAC Ltd in the UK to now supply solid gold electroforms. This unique combination of properties makes gold a vital component in many medical, industrial, and electrical applications. In the application below, electroformed gold contacts were used in a circuit testing machine:

Electrodeposited products are formed by machining a precision mandrel to the shape of the desired form (or inside of the bellows) and then depositing the correct thickness of quality metal on to the mandrel. The mandrel is then dissolved away leaving the precision finished product behind. Enabling the use of gold within applications has allowed some remarkable properties of the material to be exploited.

For example, gold is the most non-reactive of all metals. It is benign in all natural and industrial environments. Gold does not react with oxygen, which means it will not oxidize or tarnish. Gold is among the most electrically conductive of all metals and is able to convey even a tiny electrical current in temperatures varying from -55° to +200° centigrade. Gold is also the most reflective and least absorptive material of infrared (or heat) energy. High purity gold reflects up to 99% of infrared rays but is it also an excellent conductor of thermal energy or heat. Lastly, Gold is ideal for invasive or implantable medical devices as it is one of the least rejected materials in the human body.

Electroforming Process

By refining the gold electroforming technique Abssac can supply extremely intricate parts with unusual shapes, thin walls, deep crevices and other design features. The electroforming process is especially crafted for tolerance-critical miniature parts and makes them suitable for both flexible bellows and rigid electroformed components.

The controlled electroforming process can also vary the wall thickness in different places on the same part for selective rigidity and flexibility allowing hollow parts with walls as thin as 0.0005' [0.012 mm] for miniature applications including electrical bellows contacts and precision instrument applications.

Source: World Gold Council

For more information on this source please visit World Gold Council