Pino Aliprandini’s Orbit 1 machine is arguably the first desktop electroplater to be fully controlled by a mobile app. The machine will be made available through a crowdfunding campaign in November.

Pino Aliprandini is chalking up a number of firsts with its revolutionary electroplating machine, Orbit 1, which it previewed at the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair 2017.

Controlled by a mobile app through a Bluetooth connection, the desktop electroplater does non-cyanide processing for pure gold, the three colours of karat gold, and silver. The app can control several machines at the same time, and since the parameters are all incorporated in the app, data can be saved for future use.

According to Pino Aliprandini (HK) Ltd Managing Director Sam Chong, Orbit 1 is the first electroplating machine to be fully controlled by a mobile app. “The machine only has an on/off switch and an emergency switch. Everything else including controls and functions is found in the app,” he explained.

Equipped with an automatic replenishing and maintenance function, Orbit 1 can take up to 5 litres of solution, said Chong. Weighing just 15 kilos, the machine’s compact design allows for easy placement on work stations.

“We also highly recommend pairing the machine with 3D printing. Prototypes can be made by 3D printing and then electroplated right away in Orbit 1. Manufacturers can save time, money and effort by skipping the casting process. They can present their clients with prototypes faster and more efficiently,” Chong noted.

It took two years to develop the Orbit 1 machine, Chong disclosed. He added that the mobile app technology will eventually be extended to the company’s electroforming machines.

In arguably another industry first, Pino Aliprandini is running a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign in November to generate orders and fund production of the machine. Chong said Orbit 1 will be available at a promotional price of around US$2,000 on Kickstarter, with deliveries scheduled for two to three months after the campaign ends.

“We are targeting around 100 orders through Kickstarter. Once the campaign is over, Orbit 1 will cost around US$3,000 per unit,” he remarked.