What is a Cone Strip Barrel and When is it used?

Posted on 2/17/2026 by Andre Kucinskas & Ed Robinson

When it comes to barrel plating, the right equipment can make all the difference in protecting your parts, improving quality, and maximizing efficiency. We recently sat down with Novo Metal Finishing Equipment experts Andre Kucinskas and Ed Robinson, who have combined 80+ years of industry experience, to discuss when a Cone Strip Plating Barrel is the better choice than a standard Production Dangler Style Plating Barrel.

Here’s what they had to say.

What Is a Cone Strip Barrel?

A Cone Strip Barrel is an adaptation of a standard production plating barrel, featuring an internal contact system instead of a cathode dangler suspended inside the cylinder.

How is a Cone Strip Barrel Constructed?

A Cone Strip Barrel is built with unique design characteristics that differentiate it from a traditional production barrel:

A cone is mounted on one end inside of the barrel.
Multiple metal contact strips (the “strip” part of the name) extend from the cone along the inside walls of the barrel.
These strips are precision‑milled into the barrel interior to maintain consistent electrical contact with the parts being plated.

Why Choose a Cone Strip Plating Barrel Over a Standard Production Barrel?

Cone Strip Barrels are ideal for delicate parts, long components, and sharp parts:

For Delicate Parts: Traditional production barrels rely on freely moving cathode danglers, which isn’t an issue for most parts, but it can be a real problem for delicate parts. Thin chains, small clips, and precious metal components are especially vulnerable to tangling, breaking, denting, or surface damage caused by contact with the dangler.

Processing Long Components: For long parts such as chains, metal cables, and extended connectors, Cone Strip Barrels offer a major advantage. Traditional danglers can easily snag on the parts, causing tangling, damage, and uneven coverage. By removing internal danglers altogether, Cone Strip Barrels eliminate that risk and ensure long or flexible parts tumble smoothly for consistently uniform plating.

Handling Sharp Parts: Parts with sharp or aggressive edges (think blades, razors, and cutting tools) can quickly damage or destroy danglers in a standard production barrel, driving up maintenance and downtime. Cone Strip Barrels avoid this issue entirely. With no internal danglers to wear out, they provide a more durable, reliable solution for plating sharp‑edged components.

What Sizes Are Available?

Versatility is a major strength of the Cone Strip design. Novo Metal Finishing has built Cone Strip Barrels as small as 10 inches in diameter, and portable options give shops even more freedom to adapt to their tank layout and workflow.

Whether you’re looking for a compact, specialty solution or a full production‑scale barrel, Cone Strip technology can be engineered around your operation.

Experience Matters

With more than 80 years of combined industry experience, Andre Kucinskas and Ed Robinson have seen firsthand how the right barrel design can dramatically improve quality, consistency, and efficiency. If your current production barrels are causing part damage, tangling issues, or unnecessary maintenance, it may be time to consider a Cone Strip Plating Barrel.

At Novo Metal Finishing Equipment, we build solutions around your parts, your tanks, and your production goals—because in plating, the details matter.