Hard Chrome Plating (HCP) is a surface treatment technology that is primarily used to improve the hardness, abrasion and corrosion resistance of metal parts. This process is widely used in the automotive, aerospace, and mold making industries. Below is a typical process flow of Hard Chrome Plating:
Author: Anna
Hard Chrome Plating (HCP) is a surface treatment technology that is primarily used to improve the hardness, abrasion and corrosion resistance of metal parts. This process is widely used in the automotive, aerospace, and mold making industries. Below is a typical process flow of Hard Chrome Plating:
Pretreatment stage:
Cleaning: The workpiece first needs to be thoroughly cleaned to remove oil, dust and other impurities to ensure that the surface of the workpiece is clean and free from contamination.
Activation treatment: It may include acid or alkali cleaning to remove the oxide layer and activate the surface of the workpiece, which is conducive to the bonding of subsequent plating layers.
Plating preparation:
Prepare plating solution: Adjust the components in the plating solution according to the need, mainly including chromic anhydride (CrO3), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), etc., and control the temperature and concentration.
Adjust the current density: set the appropriate current density according to the material of the workpiece and the required thickness of the plating layer.
Plating process:
Put the workpiece as cathode and pure chrome plate as anode into the plating tank.
Turn on the DC power supply and start plating. Under the action of electric field, chromium ions are dissolved into the solution from the anode and are reduced to metallic chromium deposited on the surface of the workpiece to form the plating layer.
Post-treatment stage:
Rinsing: After plating is completed, the workpiece needs to be rinsed with water to remove the residual plating solution.
Drying: Dry the workpiece, either by blowing it dry with compressed air or other drying methods.
Inspection: Check the quality of the plating layer, including thickness, hardness, appearance, etc., to ensure that it meets the technical requirements.
Packaging: Qualified workpieces are packaged to prevent damage during storage or transportation.
Quality control:
Throughout the process, plating parameters, such as temperature, current density, pH, etc., need to be strictly monitored to ensure the consistency and stability of the plated layer.
Please note that more detailed steps and stricter controls may also be involved in actual operation. In addition, since some of the chemicals used in the hard chrome plating process may be toxic, proper safety precautions need to be taken during operation, and local environmental protection laws and regulations need to be observed to deal with issues such as wastewater and exhaust gases.