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Chrome, Cad, Zinc or Nickel plating best for Paper Machinery

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We are a small company engineering and manufacturing narrow width (1m to 2m wide)paper and non-woven (Fiberglas mat, polythene mats) machinery. We are looking to reduce the costs of the machiney parts by plating them, rather than cladding in stainless steel or manufacturing them in solid stainless steel.

These parts consist of heavy framing, stretcher machanisms, brackets, rolls and bearing housings etc.

The environment on a paper machine can be hot (up to 170F) and very humid, where most parts are continuously wet with water/fiber at Ph levels of 5.5 to 7.5.

We have read extensively the comparisons of zinc plated, zinc, galvanised, nickel plated and cadmium but we are looking for anyone who has experience with long term corrosion resistance with plated parts on paper machines, or similar equipment.

Alan Nicol
machinery - Montreal, Quebec, Canada

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Only nickel plated is OK on paper machines.

Jacques Colmadin
- Paris

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I agree with the previous response but for parts already designed from just a mechanical point of view not taking in consideration they will be subsecuently plated, I would go for electroless, not electroplated Nickel, for it gets inside corners, entrant angles, recesses, deep holes, threads, etc. with uniform thickness. Best if you can get low phosphorus electroless nickel.

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico

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Beware of Electroless Nickel if it is under 25 microns! Rusting will start immediately for lower thicknesses.

A more durable coat than EN is to plate 20 microns of Tri-layer Nickel followed by Hard Chrome of up to 8 microns.

Khozema Vahanwala Saify Ind   Bangalore, Karnataka, India