Advantages
- Control of depositing solutions and operating conditions controls wide range metallurgical properties of the electroform
- Ability to produce properties in electrodeposited metals which are not available in the bulk metal
- Adaptable for one-off, mass and continuous production
- Very high order of dimensional accuracy (2.5μm - 0.0001 inch) limited mostly by accuracy of the mandrel itself
- Excellent resolution of fine detail
- Variety of sizes can be produced (limited by facilities available)
- For some components, no other economical/technical manufacturing technique exists
- Ability to build electroform from different strata or as composite materials
Disadvantages
- Although capital equipment cost and skill level modest in electroforming operation, overall costs can be high due to low production rates and skills required in producing mandrels
- Design limitations (eg sharp angles, deep and narrow recesses, sudden changes of section or wall thickness, etc.) can cause problems
- Imperfections in the mandrel (eg scratches, pores, nodules, etc.) will be duplicated
- Great care must be taken to control the internal stress of electrodeposit so that distortion of the electroform is avoided
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