Modelling and verification of the nickel electroforming process of a mechanical vane fit for Industry 4.0

In previous studies, the comprehensive scaling-up of nickel electroforming on a lab-scale rotating disk electrode (RDE) suggested that secondary current distribution could adequately simulate such a forming process. In this work, the use of a 3-D, time-dependent, secondary current distribution model, developed in COMSOL Multiphysics®, was examined to validate the nickel electroforming of an industrial mechanical vane, a low-tolerance part with a demanding thickness profile of great interest to the aerospace industry. A set of experiments were carried out in an industrial pilot tank with computations showing that the model can satisfactorily predict the experimental findings. In addition, these experiments revealed that the local applied current density was related to the surface appearance (shiny vs matt) of the electroform.

Simulations of the process at applied current densities $\le 5A/d{m}^2$ satisfactorily predicted the experimentally observed thickness distribution while, simulations of the process at applied current densities $\ge 5A/d{m}^2$ underpredicted the experimentally achieved thicknesses. Nevertheless, it is proposed that the model can be used for either quantitative or qualitative studies, respectively, depending on the required operating current density on a case-by-case basis. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine the microstructure of the electroforms and determine the purity of nickel (i.e., if nickel oxide is formed), with imaging suggesting that pyramid-shaped nickel particles evolve during deposition. Another interesting observation revealed a periodicity in the deposit's growth mechanism which leads to “necklace”-like deposit layers at the areas where the electroforms presented the highest thickness.