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Hard chrome plating is an electroplated surface finish that is also known as industrial hard chrome, functional chrome, or engineering chrome. When designing machine components, engineers often combine a base metal, or substrate, with a surface finish to achieve the quality, efficiency, and reliability desired in their product. Of the numerous hard coating surface finishes available, hard chrome plating continues to be one of the most popular.
Over the years, U.S. Chrome has provided chromium electroplating services for a wide assortment of applications in every industry imaginable. Examples include bearings, housings, shafts, and numerous other components in various industries. What has defined our chrome plating services is the ability to hold tight tolerances when depositing chromium plating on all metal surfaces, including aluminum and titanium as well as other metal substrates.
U.S. Chrome is one of the few companies that has large hard chrome plating tanks able to accommodate up to 20 foot length and 8 tons.
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We have been helping engineers find solutions to surface coating challenges for over 80 years.
Hard chrome plating is an electroplating process in which a layer of chromium is deposited onto the surface of an object. This layer of chromium protects and extends the life of the part by improving wear resistance, reducing the coefficient of friction, and increasing mild corrosion resistance. Using the chromium electroplating process, these coatings can be applied in a wide range of thicknesses from as low as 0.0002” to 0.020” or more.
Other than the functional advantages that chrome provides in the form of wear, friction, temperature, and corrosion resistance, hard chrome plating also has additional advantages when used by manufacturers looking for a coating solution on large scale production jobs. Hard chrome can be applied as a second layer on top of other coatings, such as electroless nickel for additional corrosion protection in harsh environments. It can be used to repair components that were mismachined or that have become worn, rather than purchasing or manufacturing as new. Another advantage to using hard chrome is that it offers a uniform aesthetic to each part with either a matte or polished chrome finish.
An advantage to having your hard chrome plating done at U.S. Chrome is our continued investment in the development of proprietary precision plating processes. Our engineering team is continuously designing and fabricating custom fixturing that allows us to provide the proper surface coverage that your specification requires. This also allows us to confidently take on jobs with unique or difficult-to-plate geometries, all while maintaining a higher quality finish. With our setup, applying a hard chrome finish is quick, easy, and efficient, making turn times faster.
We plate to many different hard chrome specifications including, but not limited to:
Learn more about the most common hard chrome plating specifications.
Aerospace Material Specification SAE AMS2406, Plating, Chromium Hard Deposit
This specification covers the requirements for electrodeposited hard chromium plate.
There are no class, appearance, or type specifications. This plating has been used typically on parts for increasing abrasion resistance, increasing tool and die life, maintaining accuracy of gauges, and reconditioning worn or undersized parts, but usage is not limited to such applications.
The current revision of AMS2406 is Rev. P (AMS2406P).
Aerospace Material Specification SAE AMS2460, Plating, Chromium
This specification covers the requirements for electrodeposited chromium plating.
Classes
Electrodeposited chromium plating shall be one of the following classes:
Appearance
Class 1 plating shall have one of the following types of lusters, as specified:
The current revision of AMS2460 is Rev. B (AMS2460B).
SAE AMS-QQ-C-320B has been superseded by SAE AMS2460.
Hard chrome plating creates a harder surface than most other industrial coatings, measuring between 65-70 HRC. Industrial applications that require extremely hard surfaces to accommodate the stress of heavy use will need hard chrome. View the physical and chemical properties of hard chrome.
The main differences between decorative chrome and hard chrome lies in the aesthetics and durability of the finishes. Decorative chrome, also referred to as show chrome, is plated in different ways depending on the desired outcome. Normally nickel and/or copper would be plated to an object; Then a thin top layer of chrome would be added. Finally, the top layer of chromium is then polished to produce its signature mirror like finish. Decorative chrome finishes are typically seen on car parts (rims, pipes, bumpers), tools, and kitchen utensils. Comparing these two finishes, one would immediately notice the ‘shine’ of decorative chrome and ‘dullness’ of hard chrome.
US Chrome does not offer decorative chrome services.
While hard chrome normally lacks this aesthetic, it substantially outperforms in durability and use. Hard chrome plating is a thick, single layer of chromium that creates a very hard surface and is more resistant to wear, corrosion and high temperatures. Hard chrome finishes are typically used in industrial applications such as hydraulics, actuator housings, and ball valves.
Hard chrome can be plated on many types of metals, but the chemistry required to do so is different depending on the substrate. This can be a difficult task to get right when plating manufactured components. U.S. Chrome is able to perform chromium electroplating on many different surfaces, including any ferrous and non-ferrous metals, including chrome plating aluminum and titanium electroplating, as well as Inconel, Brass, Copper, Steel, Nickel Alloys, Cast Iron, Bronze, and many more exotic metals.
Hard chrome is widely used in many applications spanning across every industry such as aerospace and agriculture equipment parts. Some common applications include hydraulics, valves, crankshafts, piston rods, bailing hooks, harvester rolls, actuator housings, injection molds, dies, rod cylinders and rollers.
U.S. Chrome offers hard chrome precision plating services at our Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Connecticut locations. Each location is strategically located for fast and efficient delivery to anywhere in the United States and across the globe.
We’re confident US Chrome will be your best option for your hard chrome 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.
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US Chrome has been helping engineers find solutions to surface coating challenges for more than 80 years.
