Chrome plating parts. Chrome parts in Moscow. Chrome parts in St. Petersburg

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

To make your car attractive and bright is the dream of most car owners. To do this, many resort to such a process as chrome plating of parts. This design allows you to change any specific part of the machine, such as the body, emblem or attachments. We will consider the features of this process in this article.

When required?

In industrial settings, chromium plating is used to make metal surfaces harder and more durable. In terms of car design, this procedure is needed to give it protective and decorative properties. In addition, chrome plating of parts is a guarantee that the machine will be protected from corrosion and oxidation and, in general, will be more reliable in operation. Along with vehicles, plumbing fixtures, furniture fittings, interior details and various souvenirs can be chrome-plated. However, most often the car is still chromed.

Process Features

Chromium plating of car parts is an opportunity for its significant transformation, especially if you apply, for example, airbrushing on the body. The surface after applying chromium will become shiny, bright,attracting attention, and therefore many believe that they have just bought a car in front of them. Thanks to this, in general, a simple process, it is possible to give your car an interesting look and at the same time increase its mechanical strength. It is noteworthy that until recently it was possible to create a surface exactly in the color of chrome, while today new technologies have appeared, respectively, and the color of the car can be any.

The technology of chrome plating of parts assumes that it is a specific part of the car that is being painted. For example, chrome-plating the entire car is ridiculous, since the mirror surface of the body is simply not safe for the driver. But when some parts of the car shine, it looks advantageous and interesting. Today there are several technologies for applying chromium:

1. Film.
2. Electrochemical.
3. Catalytic.

Film

The most reliable way of chrome plating is a film. It is applied simply, while the consumption is very small, and therefore this method is considered economical. Thanks to a wide range of colors, it is possible to give your car almost any look. It is also important that the film can be easily removed, while it will reliably protect the factory paint from various damages.

Electrochemical method

The most expensive method is the electrochemical method, since special equipment is required for chrome plating of parts, while the craftsmen must have special skills. To give the surfacefashionable effect, first it will be necessary to apply a rough layer of metal, for example nickel, and only then, using the electrolytic deposition method, chromium is applied directly. To make the part more wear-resistant, you will also need to chrome the top layer, however, without a metal sublayer.

Catalytic chromium plating

The third method is catalytic chromium plating, when several layers of a special liquid are applied to the surface of the part, in which there are no acids. That is, it is absolutely safe for a person to work with her. The peculiarity of the catalytic method is that it is possible to make a coating with an unusual effect. In addition, such chromium plating allows you to work even with flexible parts, which is impossible with the electrolytic method, since the coating will peel off.

As an addition

To get the effect of chrome plating, you can also process it under chrome using a special paint. The essence of the process is as follows:

1. 

   On the surface of the car, which must be pre-prepared, black paint is first applied in a thin layer.

2. After it dries, the surface is carefully polished, after which it is degreased and heated with hot air. These measures will allow the new layer of paint to "lie" well on the surface.
3. Now you can apply chrome-look paint, which contains tiny particles of aluminum.
4. The surface must dry, after which it is polished again, and then it is given a certain texture whenhelp of various tools.

Today, chrome plating of parts in Moscow is carried out in more modern ways. So, the prepared surface is first treated with a primer, for example, an HS class car varnish, which has a special pigment. Thanks to him, glare is created on the surface, and the adhesion of the composition to the metal becomes better. This lacquer is an excellent base directly for chrome coating. Chrome paint is sprayed onto the primer layer, due to which a mirror effect is created. To avoid the appearance of haze and dull spots, experts use a distiller. The final layer is a protective coating of HS class, in which special colored pigments are added - they give the surface of parts the effect of steel or gold.

Independent work

Every car enthusiast wants to make their car special not only in terms of color choice, but also in terms of design in general. At the same time, do-it-yourself chrome plating of parts is quite an affordable event, the main thing is to have the necessary materials and tools. For chrome plating, you will need to stock up:

• a good atomizer;
• heat fan or hair dryer;
• car paint - black and chrome reflective;
• polishing compound;
• alcohol-based products.

The order of work will consist of several stages. First you need to prepare the surface for applying paint - for this we clean it well from the old coating, grind it. Using a spray gun, we prime the surface with black paint, whilefirst, we protect the glass composition and parts that we are not going to paint from getting into it. Now we are waiting for the paint to dry.

Chrome plating parts with our own hands suggests that we make the parts mirrored and shiny. To do this, you will first have to polish the surface, then clean it and degrease it with products that do not contain alcohol. Using a hair dryer or a heat fan, heat up the area to be painted. We will apply chrome paint with a spray gun, while it is important to spray it well and evenly. We are waiting for complete drying indoors. Now our task is to polish our parts to a mirror finish. At this job, the chrome plating process can be considered complete.

Surface preparation requirements

Chrome plating of parts is a process consisting of several operations, which together allow you to give the car an individual look. At the same time, technological processes are performed in a certain sequence:

• First, the surface is machined (grinded or polished);
• surface should be washed with organic solvents to remove grease;
• holes are closed, those areas that will not be chrome plated are isolated.

Before coating the surface, the part is first processed depending on the cleanliness class that is specified for a particular component. The essence of machining is to remove everything from the surfacenon-metallic inclusions, cracks, deep risks, and chromium is just distinguished by its ability to remove such defects well. If there are holes on the surface, they must be covered with a material that will be resistant to chromic acid before chromium plating.

When removing impurities from the workpiece, it should be remembered that steel elements with thin walls cannot be degreased in the cathode. In such cases, it is advisable to use anodic degreasing or chemical degreasing.

Restoring parts: chrome plating to the rescue

A feature of the chromium plating process is that it can also be used, if necessary, to increase the wear resistance of parts. For example, the restoration of parts by chromium plating is carried out for those elements that are subject to mechanical wear during operation. In addition, wear-resistant chromium plating helps to restore the dimensions of worn parts, as well as correct parts that have been resized during machining. In such coatings, the thickness of chromium is a maximum of 1 mm. To achieve the maximum effect, solid materials should be chosen as the main layer. This is especially useful for those parts that will be operated under high specific load.

Plastic chrome

Plastic and any other dielectric is chrome-plated as the final layer of a multilayer decorative and protective coating. It is noteworthy, but chrome plating of plastic parts allowssignificantly increase their resistance to corrosion and at the same time make the surface stronger. Whichever method of chrome plating is chosen, it is important to properly prepare the surface of the plastic. First, it must be processed by grinding, after which etching is performed. Several methods can be used for this. So, the universal composition for etching consists of chromic anhydride, orthophosphoric and sulfuric acid. However, some types of plastics may require a special formulation. So, for etching polystyrene, a combination of chromic anhydride and sulfuric acid is necessary. And parts made of fluoroplastic should be treated with a composition of sodium and naphthalene.

After the plastic is etched, it is necessary to metallize or apply a heat-conducting layer. This can be done in two ways. The first involves the application of a graphite-containing varnish or powder that conducts current. In the second method, chemical copper is applied. To make the heat-conducting layer stronger, a coating of "pulling" copper is applied. After that, chrome plating of plastic parts is carried out.

Galvanic method: what's special?

Electroplated chromium plating of parts is widespread today, since such a coating is wear-resistant, hard, durable, resistant to chemical and thermal environments. This method of chrome plating attracts motorists and the fact that it allows you to keep the coating aesthetic for a long time. Electroplated chrome coatings are used in several applications:

1. Whenin the production of reflectors, spotlights, mirrors, since the coating has high reflective properties and is second only to silver and aluminum in these indicators.
2. If you need a coating that meets protective and decorative tasks.
3. When dimensional retrieval is needed to extend the life of the parts and return them to their original dimensions.
4. If necessary, increase the service life of parts important for mechanisms.

The thickness of the electroplated coating depends on the conditions under which the parts will be used. For example, if the worn dimensions are restored, the layer thickness will be about 500 µm. If you need to make parts more durable and wear-resistant, then the thickness of the chromium layer can be 9-60 microns.

How is chrome plating done?

The quality of the chrome coating will depend on the mode in which it was applied. During this process, oxygen is intensively released on the surface of the anode, and hydrogen is released at the cathode. In order to form a coating on the inside of the parts, it is important to install additional anodes. Moreover, they must be mounted so that they do not interfere with the release of gases.

In some cases, it is advisable to form a protective layer with a high level of heat transfer. In this option, it is best to use black chrome plating: it will allow you to create a durable and reliable coating, while maintaining its properties even with temperature changes. If you need to remove poor-quality plating, forThis is done using a chemical or electrochemical method.

Chrome plating parts in Moscow

Prices in the services of Moscow and St. Petersburg for such services vary. Most companies offer a wide range of services - from electroplating and zinc plating to anodizing and nickel plating. At the same time, not in every company the cost of coating preparation is included in the cost of chromium plating as a whole. In addition, the final price depends on how many materials and what shape and size was spent. On average, in a car service, the cost of work is from 500 rubles. up to 700 rubles for a part measuring 10 x 10 cm. In other companies, the price for processing a plot of 1 dm2 starts from 150 rubles. depending on the thickness of the coating. Additional processing (grinding, surfacing, polishing, carving) is paid separately. Some companies in St. Petersburg emphasize that they do not perform electroplating, for example, motorcycle bumpers, headlight rims or mufflers. This is explained by the fact that it is cheaper to buy the part itself than to give it an updated look. As for prices, in St. Petersburg, chrome plating is offered for an average of 15,000 rubles: that is, some specific part of the car with the material will be processed. And painting the whole car will cost approximately 200,000 rubles. In Moscow, a passenger car is covered with a film for about 30-50 thousand rubles, and covering a certain part of the interior of a car will cost, on average, 2,000 rubles for one detail.