Summary for electroless nickel plating balls Discussion
Small polished steel balls can be plated without obvious peaks, valleys, or flat spots if the process is chosen carefully. In the thread, Paul Miles asks whether .156-inch carbon steel balls can receive a chrome or nickel finish without losing roundness, since the parts must not rust. Ted Mooney replies that electroless nickel plating in a barrel would be ideal and relatively easy for this application. He adds that electrolytic nickel plating would likely be less expensive and should still hold the roundness tolerance, but he would not choose it unless electroless nickel were unsuitable for some reason. The discussion points toward nickel rather than chrome as the practical rust-preventive finish, with electroless nickel presented as the safest option for preserving the balls’ geometry.
2007
Hello,
My name is Paul Miles with a gasket fabricator in Sauget Illinois. We are undertaking a new project and would like to know if carbon steel balls (.156 diameter) can be finished/ coated without leaving peaks or valleys or flat spots on the ball. We are looking for a chrome plating or nickel type finish on these as we do not want them to rust.
Thanks,
Paul Miles
– Sauget, Illinois, USA
2007
Hello Paul. I think it will be ideal and relatively easy to electroless nickel plate these balls in a barrel.
Electrolytic nickel plating would be somewhat less costly and probably would hold your roundness tolerance, but I wouldn’t do that unless electroless nickel was unsuitable for some reason. Good luck.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
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Surface coating for seal
June 25, 2017
Q. Hi, we have a 3 mm polished steel ball that seals up against a matching female surface.
These two can seal water up to 2000 psi.
But with a gas pressure of 450 psi it can/ not always, have a very slow leak.
The ball is pushed into position by a spring.
Could we coat the ball, or the seat so it had just a little improvement in the sealing area?
Appreciate any ideas / what material to coat with?
Note the ball is lifted and dropped millions of times in its life.
Thanks
Peter David
– Auckland, NI, New Zealand
A. Hi Peter, we try to fix typos, but unfortunately I’m not sure if you were trying to say that it must not leak gas at 450 psi or that you want it to (to bleed out accumulating air for example).
The balls can be electroless nickel plated in a plating barrel, which should give a nice even distribution and plenty of hardness for your endurance requirements.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
June 2017
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