Power supply for anodising?

[Zeeflyboy]

Hi guys,

I've been doing my research on anodising and while there are some guides on cobbled together systems using lead acid chargers and dimmer switches, it seems like the message is that the most important part for consistent results at home is using a good constant current power supply.

However, the amperage requirement for reasonable sized parts (around 2-3ft^2 in my case) makes it quite hard to find a reasonably priced supply and I don't seem to see many recommendations in all the various blogs/forum posts.

To that end, just wondering if anyone had come across a supply they could recommend? Using the LCD method described by caldwell, it seems they talk about 4.5amps per sq ft so really I'd be looking at a supply capable of around 20 amps

I did come across this, which might be suitable... while its not crazy expensive it's not pocket change either and I really have no idea if this is the sort of supply I need. https://www.reichelt.com/gb/en/?LANG...MaAkl2EALw_wcB


Alternatively I have a rather powerful PSU that I bought a while back to use for my RC charger, capable of 2000w and 12v or 24v output. I believe it is basically two pc power supplies combined, but of course I would need some way to turn that into a constant current system... and I'm largely an electrical dunce. would my rc charger (two 500w outputs, can do lead acid up to 24v in the options) be suitable or is the clever charge circuitry going to get in the way?

Any advice would be gratefully received!

[Zeeflyboy]

alternatively, this one is a bit cheaper...

15v should be sufficient? Allows up to 6amps/sqft according to the 720 calcs.... any thoughts on whether it is desirable to be able to do more than that?

https://www.reichelt.com/gb/en/?LANG...QaAlKfEALw_wcB

[m_c]

Something like what you've linked looks good.

Alternatively, have a search over on the EEVblog forum, as I'm sure I've read some posts on there about constant current supplies (I've not been on there for a good while, so I may be getting confused with somewhere else!).
I'm sure there's plenty constant current schematics around, but when you get to that amount of current, they have to be well designed to avoid releasing magic smoke.

[Zeeflyboy]

Thanks for that, I'll have a look over there but since you say one of those I linked is suitable I will probably go for a proper retail unit rather than try building my own.

Cheers

[Jonathan]

One of these:

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...22388c28Yvk2a1

With a suitable transformer - or batteries if you want.

Housed in a case, if you want ...

[Boyan Silyavski]

I was in that doubt before some time.

Maas HCS 3400 1-15V, 0-40A Bench Power Supply was the one i bought and i believe is a best heavy duty budget one that could cover quite big parts like alloy wheels and so on. Its well tested and serves for the purpose, German quality control , its Chinese but bit better than no name crap.

[Clive S]

I was in that doubt before some time.

Maas HCS 3400 1-15V, 0-40A Bench Power Supply was the one i bought and i believe is a best heavy duty budget one that could cover quite big parts like alloy wheels and so on. Its well tested and serves for the purpose, German quality control , its Chinese but bit better than no name crap.

The one Jonathan linked to is 0-50V yours is 0-15v but it does need an external supply

[Boyan Silyavski]

The one Jonathan linked to is 0-50V yours is 0-15v but it does need an external supply

Anodizing needs Amps not Voltage . Its perfect for the purpose, i wouldn't have recommended or bought it if it was the wrong one...

Now if he was anodizing Titanium or messing with plating, a better supply will be the 3602, which is 0-30VDc 0-30A. And yes, thats maybe the best Lab PSu to have at home for multipurpose, but its quite more expensive.

There are other cheaper possibilities:

http://www.ebay.es/itm/MLINK-KPS3030...8AAOSwgmJX1p2V

https://www.ercmarket.com/digital-la...0a-ps3020.html

https://www.ercmarket.com/maas-power...dc-0-30-a.html

[Clive S]

Anodizing needs Amps not Voltage

I don't think you can have one without the other

[Zeeflyboy]

0-15 volts is ok for up to about 6amps/square foot which is fine for the LCD method it seems, if going with 6asf that allows some fairly large pieces to be done with a 40 amp power supply.

30v would allow you to run at 12amps/sq foot, so you could get parts done more quickly but the power requirements quickly get out of hand for anything other than small to medium sized parts, but it is twice as fast.

I think 0-30v and 40 or so amps would be ideal, my largest part so far is about 2.6 sq/ft so at 12 asf would require 32 amps but I haven't seen any capable of that sort of power within a reasonable price range. The closest is that first link at 0-30v and 30 amps. I'm not doing it on a production basis so it's not a huge problem to run at 15v and 6 amps/sq ft and just accept that it'll take 2 hrs for a mil rather than 1 hour.

Jonathan - that looks interesting, I'll do some reading up and looking around at your link a bit more closer later thanks. The amps of the one you linked won't be sufficient to do the larger parts at 12 amps/sq foot but maybe I could just drop down to 6amps/sq foot for the larger pieces and it still leaves me the option to run at a higher voltage to do smaller pieces more quickly at 12 amps/sq ft.

Thanks for all the input guys!