Efficient wastewater management
Reduces wastewater disposal costs by 90%
Closed-circuit for raw material recycling
Separation and back feeding of zinc, nickel, and additives
TÜV certified sustainable technology
Increasing energy efficiency and reducing waste
- TÜV certified system
- Ensures consistently high current efficiencies and high plating rates
- Increased plating speed by 40%
- Improves rinsing criteria by generating additional pure water
- Improves product quality and productivity
- Suitable and installable for almost all existing plating lines
- Significantly improves CO2 footprint
- Reduces zinc nickel wastewater and related costs by >90%
- Reduces sludge formation by >90%
- Increases service life of plating line
- Reduces water consumption
CMA Closed-Loop System
Energy-efficient and environmentally friendly process technology for zinc nickel electroplating
The Atotech CMA Closed-Loop System represents a new era in plating technology by revolutionizing the entire alkaline zinc nickel plating process. The TÜV Rheinland certified system operates as a self-contained closed circuit, incorporating every step, from plating to rinsing, within a highly efficient framework. The Atotech CMA Closed-Loop System features advanced technologies, including the innovative Compact Membrane Anode (CMA) system, tailor-made additives, a vacuum evaporator, and a freezing unit. The system offers unparalleled advantages to the plating industry, setting new standards for efficiency, performance, and sustainability.
With the advanced CMA Closed-Loop System, water volume increase and the rinsing water is managed through an evaporation system, which extracts liquid from the plating tank. This liquid contains valuable additive chemicals, zinc, and nickel, and is expertly separated from the water during the vacuum evaporation process. The result is a stable and concentrated electrolyte that can be seamlessly reintroduced back into the plating bath without the need for additional heating or cooling stages. Meanwhile, the extracted water, now of exceptional DI water quality, is reintroduced into the rinsing cascades, guaranteeing exceptionally clean rinses and improved conductivity, ultimately leading to enhanced product quality.
By recycling metals, chemicals, and water back into the plating cycle, our CMA Closed-Loop System drastically reduces the disposal and treatment of zinc nickel wastewater by remarkable 90%, while also significantly lowering the consumption of NaOH, chemistry, and metal. As a result, not only does our system demonstrate a 32% decrease in energy consumption, but it also remarkably minimizes maintenance efforts, saving time and resources.
What inspires us
Why we developed the CMA technology
Your challenge
Wastewater disposal has been a long-standing concern for the plating industry, particularly in alkaline zinc nickel electroplating processes. Every liter of wastewater not produced represents a direct cost-saving opportunity for plating companies. Traditional processes utilizing regular anodes encounter issues with electrolyte density increases due to the presence of carbonate and organic compound breakdown products. These factors negatively impact the efficiency of the zinc nickel bath by reducing current efficiency. The compromised performance of alkaline zinc nickel baths has been a major challenge for the industry. Furthermore, the cyanide generation during anodic oxidation elevates the nickel concentration in the bath, posing environmental risks and making wastewater treatment costly and complex.
Our solution
The CMA Closed-Loop System transforms zinc nickel plating with its closed-circuit design, covering the entire process, including rinsing, in an efficient framework. Our advanced Compact Membrane Anode (CMA) technology prevents organic breakdown and slows carbonate generation. The Closed-Loop System manages water volume increase, extracting valuable chemicals through vacuum evaporation. A stable concentrated electrolyte with no need for extra heating or cooling, is easily reintroduced into the plating bath and high-quality extracted water is returned to rinsing tanks. The system optimizes the process for sustainable, quality zinc nickel plating, minimizing environmental impact.