which curves toward the strip i e forms a convex surface with respect to the strip when the strip is introduced the cantilever elements will be loaded into flat positions as shown thereby exerting a uniform pressure against the surfaces of the strip this ensures that the conductive elements will each contact an area of the strip surface rather than just a point or a line on the surface this area contact is important in the present invention where high current is desirable which might otherwise burn the strip surface if the current were not distributed over a significant area in a typical example the conductive elements each have a radius of curvature before contact in the range 50 100 cm a length of 25 30 and contact an area of the strip of approximately 200 cm 2 the basic method of the invention will now be described with further reference to fig3 which is a plan view of a portion of the apparatus illustrating the piping configuration for the plating operation as alluded to previously before the strip enters the plating cell 16 it first undergoes an acid activation in chamber 21 an acid which in this example was dilute sulfuric acid was provided in reservoir 30 and fed to sprayers 31 of fig1 by means of a pump 32 the acid was collected in drain 33 and returned to the reservoir a plating solution from reservoir 34 was transported by means of a pair of pumps 35 and 36 to the sprayers 17 and 18 respectively and into the plating cell as the strip passed therethrough the particular bath employed was primarily.