Engineering Partnerships That Outperform
Grinding, honing, and polishing are processes used to improve the form, fit, and function of precision made components. When a machined component is plated, it is normally ground to achieve a desired finish per its blueprint. Grinding has many uses such as the removal of substrate imperfections, creating or maintaining machined angle or taper, and achieving high level flatness and RA surface finish.
In early 2025, U.S. Chrome acquired a local grinding company, relocating their equipment into a new facility at our Connecticut plant, and retaining their entire staff. Bringing over 80 years of knowledge and expertise in grinding, U.S. Chrome is now offering in-house grinding services to all our customers.
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We have been helping engineers find solutions to surface coating challenges for over 80 years.
Grinding is among one of the last steps in the manufacturing process. Utilizing an abrasive rotating wheel, the grinding process removes unwanted materials from a part to create a smooth surface finish that is within the sizing requirements of the blueprint. The process involves custom tooling, and fixturing, to hold parts in place on a grinding machine, while an abrasive rotating wheel removes unwanted material, burrs, or sharp edges.
Most manufactured parts require grinding to achieve a finalized part. Many specifications call for precision finishes and tight tolerances that plating or machining cannot achieve. When a part is machined, grinding can be used to remove material that may have been leftover, metal burrs, and sharp edges. When a part is plated, the plating may be built up past the specified size then ground back into size for a better overall finish.
Offering in-house grinding services eliminates the middleman. Very few electroplating companies offer in-house grinding. This means that parts need to be shipped around to other companies, increasing costs and lead times. Having plating and grinding together lessens the burden on customers as they know everything is controlled through one partner.
When working with outside grinding companies, if there is a problem during the grinding stage, it then must be shipped back to the plater to be stripped and replated. This, again, increases the cost of these services and the shipping.
U.S. Chrome offers grinding services at our Connecticut location. Our other facilities have decade long partnerships with established grinding companies near their location.
We’re confident US Chrome will be your best option for your electroless nickel plating applications because of our engineering approach, exceptional customer service, and regional locations. Contact us with your questions or coating challenges.
We’ll help you find the right answer.
