Preventing Electroplating Tank Catastrophes

Process tanks are a necessity, providing critical service to plating and pickling operations, yet they have often been implicated in facility accidents, leaks, catastrophes and fires. Associated risks can threaten both worker safety and groundwater contamination, draining profit and a company's reputation. It is said that a prudent man learns from his experience but a wise man learns from the experience of others, and the intent of this article is to provide you, the reader, with the opportunity to become wiser without experiencing your own major loss. Rather than focus on technical or scientific issues, we will share actual experiences we have encountered over the past 40 years in the finishing industry. Although tank leaks can often be repaired, the associated lost production and loss of chemicals can be costly. In a recent survey, 67% of facilities reported having had a leak that resulted in major cost or burden, and 18% have experienced catastrophic tank failure in the past.