Hard Chrome Plating is an electrolytic process utilizing a chromic acid based electrolyte. The part is made the cathode and, with the passage of a DC current via lead anodes, chromium metal builds on the component surface.
A wide variety of parts can be coated; it requires only the proper fixturing, a large enough bath, sufficient lifting capacity, and adequate power sources. Chrome plating is used to provide a very high degree of hardness on the surface of a metal to enhance wear resistance, reduce friction, provide anti-galling properties and in some cases, improve corrosion resistance. Chrome plating is an electrolytic process that can be applied to regular steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and other materials.
Hard chrome plating is generally used in those applications where parts will be subjected to a very high degree of wear and thus a thicker layer of chrome is required. The added thickness induces cracks and greater porosity on the chrome surface. The cracks will increase with an increase in chrome thickness. Further machining, such as grinding, polishing or honing, is necessary to improve the hard chrome plated surface.
Some of the major benefits of hard chrome plating can be listed as below:
- It is ultra-Hard
850-100Hv (65-70Rc), harder than most industrial abrasives. Unusually, it combines this hardness with a degree of toughness, so the deposit can stand up to high stress contact.
- It gives superb substrate adhesion
Greater than 10,000 psi. Before plating, substrates are subjected to rigorous cleaning, so that the surface to be coated is completely free from contaminates. But the ultimate adhesion is achieved in the plating bath itself, with an initial reverse voltage etch which removes any residual surface contamination.
- It can be applied to a wide variety of substrates;
Covering a wide range of engineering or high alloyed steels (including stainless steels and cast irons), lightweight aluminum alloys or titanium alloys, copper alloys, brasses and bronzes, as well as nickel-based alloys.
- It provides superb abrasion resistance
Even under high contact stress. It gives a very low wear rate (at least 100 times better than hardened steels or electroless nickel) with abrasive products like textiles, paper and food stuffs. With thick deposits, it gives excellent wear resistance under high stress contact against sand, coal, cement, limestone, glass fibers, etc.
With abrasion being the most common and destructive wear process found in industry, hard chrome has the potential to solve many problems in pumps, valves, bearings, etc. throughout a wide range of industries; including pharmaceutical, chemical, oil and gas, textiles, printing, food, mining, and countless others.
- It can be applied to a wide range of geometry’s
With careful attention to anode design and fixturing, chrome plating can be applied evenly to flat surfaces, to fine bores, even with large aspect ratios, to cylindrical like shafts or rollers, and to holes and close tolerance areas.
Hard Chrome improves the performance of:
- Piston rings & valves
- Tools & dies
- Printing wear roll surfaces
- Brake discs
- Auto engine, drive train and suspension parts
- Motor shafts
- Aircraft landing gears and components
- Machinery parts
- Medical devices
- Fasteners
- Commercial firearm components
- Gears
We are one of the pioneers of plating business in the middle east for the past decade or so. We have a fully equipped state of the art plating plant that provides services such as hard chrome plating, nickel plating, electro-less nickel, sulfamate nickel, copper, zinc etc.
Some of the highlights of our plating plant are:
- Dia 1500mm x 6 meters length rollers and shaft
- Both ID and OD grinding and plating facility.
- Internal Honing
- Dedicated machine shop
- Hydraulic cylinder repair
- Prompt delivery with pick up and dropping of material
- State of the art laboratory with dedicated and highly experienced technicians to give accurate reports