Informative How does electroplating actually work?

During electroplating, the metal to be coated is placed in an electroplating bath. This bath contains a chemical liquid known as an electrolyte solution. The process is based on the principle of electrolysis, in which a redox reaction is forced by means of electricity.

The metal to be coated is connected to the negative pole (cathode) of a power source, while the coating metal (e.g. copper) is connected to the positive pole (anode). Both are immersed in the electrolyte solution, and as electricity flows, the metal atoms at the anode dissolve and become positively charged.
As a result, they move toward the negative pole, where the ions take up electrons and are deposited as a solid, uniform metal layer on the surface.

The thickness of the metal layer can be controlled directly by adjusting the duration of the current application and the current strength.