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Wear Couple: Hardcoat vs. Chrome Plate

Can anyone relay any experience or informed opinions as to whether or not a steel part sliding against a hardcoated aluminum part should be chrome plated? The application is non-lubricated. Any good alternatives out there which have been tested or proven in service? Thanks.

John Ullman
1998

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Not enough information for a good answer. Things like load, cycles per min, base metal alloy and heat treat are a few of the needed items.

There is a teflon coating for anodizing/hardcoat that will help.

There are spray Teflons.

UHMW tape can be used in some applications and is nearly as slippery as teflon and no where near the cold creep problem.

Lubrication of any kind, not necessarily oil or grease will help some.

Teflon impregnated electroless nickel in a viable option in many cases. It can go on steel or aluminum and there are several job shops in the US that can do it, altho it is a small % of the shops that do chrome or EN.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
1998

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Steel against hardcoat should be a pretty good couple, and the anodized coating can even be teflon impregnated. But the coefficient of friction of steel against chrome plate will be significantly lower. If you need the ultimate, chrome plating is probably best; but it could be an extra and unneeded expense for most applications.

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

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Appreciated sirs:

I need information completes on the process of the galvanoplasty, desire to have contact with who could supply me that information. I will remain very grateful.

Camilo Tovar
Green Process - Bogot·-Colombia
1998