Hard Chromium Plating and Fixturing

Question:

I have recently been put in charge of our hard chromium plating operations. I am new to electroplating and want to learn more about the chromium plating process. I want to learn how to do it right as opposed to the “we have always done it this way” approach. Can you suggest some books and references I can read to learn more about the hard chromium plating process? Thanks for the advice. S.D.

Answer:

First, I must say it is refreshing to find individuals that want to learn how to do the process properly. One of the continuing problems in our industry has been what I call the “we have always done it this way syndrome.”

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There are a number of sources on the “science and art” of hard chromium plating. Some of these sources are hard to locate.

There are a number of books that discuss the process in detail. My favorite is The Handbook of Hard Chromium Plating by R.K. Guffie, 1986. The book is out-of-print, but you should be able to purchase a used copy at www.amazon.com. The author worked in the “trenches” for many years and takes a very practical approach to the plating process. Two other books that contain a lot of information are Nickel and Chromium Plating, 3rd ed. by J.K. Dennis and T. E. Such, 1993 and Chromium Plating by R. Weiner and A. Walmsley, 1980. Both of these books are available from Metal Finishing Publications, 212-633-3199.

The 2002 PRODUCTS FINISHING DIRECTORY AND TECHNOLOGY GUIDE has an article that covers hard chrome and trivalent chrome plating, with a comparison of the two. You can access this at www.pfonline.com/articles/pfd0016.html.

I am aware of two papers that discuss rack design, anode configurations, shield and baffles. Both papers, authored by E.C. Krill, appeared in Plating and Surface Finishing, 76, January 1989, 62-69 and March 1989, 38-45.

One last comment, all the books and papers in the world will not make you an expert. You still need hands-on experience.