An apparatus for automatically maintaining plating current density within a predetermined range while controlling plating current to produce a desired plating thickness includes means for energizing only the number of plating cells required to maintain plating current density within the predetermined range. The total plating current required to produce the desired plating thickness is distributed among the energized plating cells. Decreases in the number of energized plating cells is made at speed values which are less by a hysteresis value than speeds at which the number of energized plating cells is increased to avoid instability due to normal speed reading variations.
