PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR RETOUCHING AND/OR REPAIRING SMALL SUPERFICIAL DAMAGES OF A PRESS PLATE OR AN ENDLESS BAND USED FOR THE IMPRESSION OF A STRUCTURE INTO THE SURFACE PORTION OF PLASTIC-COATED WOODEN OR LAMINATED BOARDS

摘要

A process and device are disclosed for retouching and/or repairing small superficial damages of a large-format press plate or endless belt made of sheet metal, in particular sheet steel, having a structured metal coating and a hard chromium plating for the impression of a structure into the surface portion of plastic-coated wooden or laminated boards. Each damaged spot is framed with a mask, etched and micro-metallised by micro-electroplating. In order to make it easier and less expensive to retouch or repair such plates, a galvanic solution is applied on the framed and etched damaged spots with less than 14 mm2 surface and an electrode tip is dipped therein to carry out a micro-electroplating. The etched damaged spot may be at first provided with a thin nickel layer by micro-electroplating and then with a copper layer which may then be structured by hand, if required, and coated with a cobalt hard layer. A micro-electroplating device useful to carry out this process has a current rectifier with reversible poles, an electrode with a tip that can be dipped into the etchant or galvanic solution and a connector of opposite pole to be connected to the steel sheet.