In a film forming method, in a state where a metal solution is sealed in a first accommodation chamber of a housing with a solid electrolyte membrane and a fluid is sealed in a second accommodation chamber of a placing table with a thin film, a substrate is placed on the placing table and the placing table and the housing are moved relative to each other to cause the substrate to be interposed between the solid electrolyte membrane and the thin film, the solid electrolyte membrane and the thin film are pressed against the substrate interposed therebetween to cause the solid electrolyte membrane and the thin film to conform to a surface and a rear surface of the substrate, thereby forming a metal film.

A film forming device for forming a metal film at a high current efficiency and a method for forming the metal film using the film forming device are provided. The film forming device to form the metal film includes an anode, a cathode, a porous membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode to be capable of contacting the cathode, a solution container defining a solution containing space between the anode and the porous membrane, and a power supply applying a voltage between the anode and the cathode. The porous membrane is composed of a polyolefin chain without an ion-exchange functional group.

A method for producing round stock (10) which is provided with at least one inscription and/or marking (16), at least the surface (12) of the round stock (10) consisting of a metallic material, in particular of chromium or steel, for example of hardened steel, chromium-plated steel or stainless steel. In order to improve this method such that disadvantages and shortcomings are avoided, the method includes the following steps: placing on the surface (12) at least one cover (20) which is adapted to the shape of the surface (12) and in particular has the inscription and/or marking (16), such that the region to be provided with the inscription and/or marking (16) is not covered by the cover (20),exposing the round stock (10) to a first electrolyte (30) together with the cover (20), material being removed from the surface (12) by said electrolyte in the region to be provided with the inscription and/or the marking (16) while producing depressions (14), andexposing the round stock (10) together with the cover (20) and the depressions (14) not covered by the cover (20) to a second electrolyte (32) by which the depressions (14) are filled to produce the inscription and/or marking (16) which differs from the surface (12) optically, in particular with respect to color. The present invention also relates to round stock (10) which is manufactured from a metallic material, with the round stock being provided with a correspondingly produced inscription and/or marking (16).

An anodising apparatus for selectively anodizing at least a portion of a surface of a component can include a conformable wicking element configured to absorb a fluid, the conformable wicking element being conformable to at least the portion of the surface of the component, wherein, upon bringing the component into contact with the conformable wicking element, the fluid completes an electric circuit between the component and a conductive element, the anodising apparatus being configured to grow an anodised layer on the portion of the surface of the component that is in contact with the conformable wicking element when an electric current is supplied to the electric circuit between the conductive element and the component.

An anodising apparatus for selectively anodizing at least a portion of a surface of a component can include a conformable wicking element configured to absorb a fluid, the conformable wicking element being conformable to at least the portion of the surface of the component, wherein, upon bringing the component into contact with the conformable wicking element, the fluid completes an electric circuit between the component and a conductive element, the anodising apparatus being configured to grow an anodised layer on the portion of the surface of the component that is in contact with the conformable wicking element when an electric current is supplied to the electric circuit between the conductive element and the component.

Convenient anodizing is provided through a pen form factor anodizing tool having a reservoir for holding anodizing fluid and an electrical cable connection communicating electrical power to a tip dispensing anodizing fluid from the reservoir at a anodizing voltage from electrical power through the electrical cable connection.

The present disclosure relates to a film-forming metal solution for use in a method in which a solid electrolyte membrane having sulfonic acid groups is disposed between an anode and a substrate serving as a cathode, the solid electrolyte membrane is brought into contact with the substrate, and a voltage is applied between the anode and the substrate to deposit a metal onto a surface of the substrate from metal ions supplied into the solid electrolyte membrane and thereby form a metal coating on the surface of the substrate, the film-forming metal solution being adapted to supply metal ions into the solid electrolyte membrane, wherein the film-forming metal solution comprises an aqueous metal solution, a solvent, and a nonionic surfactant, and the nonionic surfactant has a linear hydrophilic group having ethylene oxide units and a hydrophobic group having a cyclic structure and a maximum length of 40 or less.

The presently disclosed apparatus and method offer the capability to electroplate pure metals or alloys onto substrates, having no current collectors or being connected to the power supply by a low conductivity seed layer. Thus, the disclosed system enables pure metal or alloy deposition on various substrates, including flexible electronic circuits, wafers for IC processing, and discrete electronic devices in surface finishing applications.

The presently disclosed apparatus and method offer the capability to electroplate pure metals or alloys onto substrates, having no current collectors or being connected to the power supply by a low conductivity seed layer. Thus, the disclosed system enables pure metal or alloy deposition on various substrates, including flexible electronic circuits, wafers for IC processing, and discrete electronic devices in surface finishing applications.

A guide system for use in electro-processing a bore of a gun barrel includes a non-conductive external bore guide and a non-conductive internal bore guide. The external bore guide is an adapter that is configured to removably engage the outside of the gun barrel and includes a conduit formed therein. The conduit is disposed such that it is axially aligned with a bore of the gun barrel when the external bore guide is engaged with the gun barrel. The internal bore guide is elongated and includes an axial recess that is sized to seat an electro-processing electrode (an anode). A method for uniformly plating the bore includes moving an anode through the gun barrel at one or more rate(s) of travel to uniformly plate the bore is also disclosed. The plating is sufficiently uniform to conform to military specifications. The systems, methods, support structures, etc. described herein are particularly well-suited to plating small-bore gun barrels.