Patent ID: 7914658

Claim:
A method for electroplating a rotogravure cylinder with copper out of a plating solution, the method comprising: providing an apparatus comprising a first tank adapted to receive the rotogravure cylinder and to contain the plating solution, a second tank coupled to the first tank such that plating solution may be transferred from the second tank to the first tank, and a non-dissolvable anode configured to be at least partially disposed within the plating solution; providing the plating solution comprising copper ions in the first tank; connecting the rotogravure cylinder to a current source; connecting the non-dissolvable anode to the current source; providing the non-dissolvable anode with a current of at least 1 ampere per square inch; providing the rotogravure cylinder in the first tank such that the rotogravure cylinder is at least partially disposed into the plating solution; plating copper on the rotogravure cylinder using the non-dissolvable anode in a rotogravure plating process; adding copper ions to the plating solution of the first tank during the rotogravure plating process using at least a source of copper ions not connected to an anode of the apparatus; and providing a hardener that increases the hardness of copper plated on the rotogravure cylinder.