Ships carrying cargo across the World’s oceans are powered by marine diesel engines.

Engine components require precision coatings which impart important performance characteristics, e.g. wear and corrosion resistance, to ensure they perform reliably in extreme environments.

As such, components, e.g. piston rings, are coated using hard chrome which is deposited via electroplating.

However, process complexity makes maximising productivity and, subsequently, competitiveness in a global market challenging.

It is imperative that the overall process productivity and quality is improved to continue UK production and compete with global competitors.

We propose to develop a deeper understanding of the variables within the process that dictate the output and then, through a statistical experimental approach, identify the key variables and subsequent control levels that are paramount to improving the process productivity and quality.