Letter 29962

How to do barrel chrome plating?  

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Hello... I want to know that is the barrel chrome plating is really possible or not.We plate small iron rivets with Ni and Cr with old methods of binding with copper wires to suspend in the bath.But barrel plating may be the easier way and save time and manpower. Is there anybody who really can do it. If yes, then can you help me to understand mechanism and procedure of barrel chrome plating? I'll be very thankful to you.

GURMEET S
plating shop - LUDHIANA, PUNJAB, INDIA

Reliable chrome plating in a barrel has been sought for decades. Some specialized machinery like high centrifugal force barrels have been sold for the purpose. Equipment manufacturers have tried multiple approaches.

The state of the art 35 years ago when I started in this industry was to carefully develop a semi-workable procedure based on using standard plating barrels with small loads, fully expecting a huge percentage of rejects, and then hand sorting to find the good ones. The state of the art today is exactly the same :-)

Search our site for "barrel chromium plating" for a little more detail but unfortunately no revelations :-)

Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

Mr Gurmeet S.

Barrel Chrome plating has been accurately described by Mr Mooney. The system remains imperfect, with a great sensitivity to small factors which as you know better are all labor oriented aspects. If you wish to finish barrel Nickel Plated components with a Chrome finish there are three possible options

1) Wire the components which you are doing then Chrome.
2) Use a Berrel Centrifuge Chrome system as described by Mr Mooney.
3) The Third alternative is interesting.

This is an alloy of Tin and another metal . The Work after plating acquires a chrome look. It is plateable in the barrel. It has been done on a number of small articles where the hardness of chrome is not a major issue and where appearance is the major factor plus ease of plating in a berrel. Timings and operations are nearly similar to running Nickel Barrel operations.. If you wish you can always connect with a provider of these chemistries.

Regards,

Asif Nurie Atlanta Global Limited New Delhi, India

Does the use of this alloy provide the stengthening that results from applying chrome to mild steel?

Reuben Logan
metal finishing - Cicero, Illinois

Hi, Reuben. Decorative chrome plating is millionths of an inch thick and contributes no strength. It is too thin to contribute hardness. Aesthetics and corrosion resistance are its "strength". Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

My customer is not specifying the reason for the chrome plating and did not allude to a decorative issue. Where can I learn more about the process mentioned by Mr. Nurie?

reuben logan
metal finishing - cicero, illinois

Hello again, Reuben. You can click the link next to Mr. Nurie's name to contact him directly on that. The major suppliers all offer their own sorts of "chrome substitute" too, whether it be trivalent chrome, cobalt, or tin based.

Obviously, no substitute can ever offer all of the properties of what it is replacing -- or it would be what it is replacing :-)

Good luck,

Ted Mooney finishing.com Brick, New Jersey