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CHROMING
Chrome plating, often called chromium plating or hard chrome, is a technique for electroplating a thin layer of chromium on metal objects. The chromium plating process of honed tubes and chrome rods is a surface treatment process designed to improve the wear resistance, corrosion resistance and aesthetics of these components. Chrome plating provides a surface with high hardness and low coefficient of friction, which is particularly important for dynamic seals in hydraulic systems. The following are the general steps of the chromium plating process for honed tubes and piston rods:
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1. Cleaning: First, the honed tube and chrome rod need to be thoroughly cleaned to remove all oil, rust, and impurities, and their ends must be covered.
2. Degreasing: Using chemical or mechanical methods to remove grease from the surfaces of honed tubes and chrome rod components.
3. Pickling: Remove the oxide layer and other impurities from the metal surfaces of the honed tube and chrome rods through pickling.
4. Flushing: honed tubes or hydraulic cylinder rods are flushed with clean water to remove residues from the pickling process.
5. Activation: Use activator to treat the metal surfaces of the honed tube and piston rod to increase their adhesion to the chromium layer.
6. Chrome plating: The component is placed into a chromium plating bath and a layer of chromium is deposited on the surface of the component through an electrolytic process. This process requires controlling current density, temperature and time to ensure the uniformity and quality of the chromium layer on the chrome piston rod.
7. Surface finishing: After the piston rod is chromium plated, the part needs some post-processing, such as polishing, stress relief annealing or sealing, to improve its performance. The rods are finished in two stages: post-grinding and polishing. The chrome coating is reduced to the required thickness at each stage and polished to obtain a perfect surface finish.
8. Inspection: Inspect the thickness, roughness, uniformity and adhesion of the chromium plating layer of the chrome rod to ensure that it meets quality standards.
9. Packaging: Finally, the qualified honed tube and piston rod are packaged to protect their surfaces from damage during transportation and storage.
Advantages of chrome plating
The practical wear and corrosion-resistant advantages of hard chromium make it a popular application for hydraulic cylinders, among other benefits.
Chrome plating can be performed at low temperatures without affecting the base metal. It is suitable for complex and irregular geometries, including holes and borings. The adhesion is very good, which means there is little risk of delamination or peeling during use.
