Summary for cadmium plating over chrome Discussion
Cadmium plating over chrome is the key issue in this thread, and the answer given is a firm no. Mat Kyne asked whether undersized steel parts could be chrome plated to restore about 0.0015 inch, then ground back to size, and still meet a final requirement of cadmium plate per SAE AMSQQP416, Type II, Class 2. Robert H Probert replied that this would not work and said, "No way." His practical recommendation was to rebuild the dimension with sulfamate nickel instead, because cadmium can be plated on top of active nickel. The exchange is brief and one-sided, with no contrary opinion offered in the excerpt.
Q. I’m pretty sure the answer is no, but…
We have some steel parts that came in undersized by about .0015 inch. To save the parts it was suggested that we get the area chrome plated to build back up the diameter and then grind it down to the proper size. But per the drawing the final finish requires CADMIUM PLATE PER SAE AMSQQP416, TYPE II, CLASS 2. Will that work? Can Cad be applied to a chrome surface?
Mat Kyne
Shop Employee – Boerne, Texas, USA
April 25, 2019
A. No way. Build it back up with sulfamate nickel, you CAN cadmium plate on top of active nickel.
Robert H Probert
Robert H Probert Technical Services
Garner, North Carolina
April 26, 2019