Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Is chrome plated abs feasible for this application?

2002

We have a product that needs refreshing and it as been decided to have one of its components to have a Chrome or Brushed look. This component is made of ABS, and is snapped in place. Also it could become hot (100 °C) for about 10-12 mins then cool down.

Is Chrome plating feasible in this situation?

Are there any considerations I should watch for?

This is an ODM/OEM product, so we do not own the design, but we can change the specifications as required.

The supplier is located in China, Please share any experience you might have with Plastic platers in China.

Regards,

Gerardo Mari-Roca
- Boca Raton, Florida

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2002

The only experience that I can share is that we've received and posted more than 40,000 helpful technical responses to the inquiries posted here in the last 7-1/2 years--and exactly one of those 40,000 came from China. It can't be a matter of limited computer communications because we receive a hundred spams from China daily, and our site is hacked day and night from China, 365 days a year. So either they know nothing about the subject of metal finishing (which I doubt), or they just have no intention of sharing what they know. So don't be surprised that domestic platers don't feel like sharing what they know with you, knowing it's a one-way situation :-)

Yes, I project that this item can be successfully chrome plated, although metal is not as flexible as plastic and will crack if the component is excessively flexible.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

I'd be afraid of the thermal expansion differences at the temperatures you project. The chrome layer may peel...

George Brackett III
- Utica, New York
2002