Types, features of installation and application of equipment for chrome plating

External processing of materials and structures is often performed in order to give them improved performance. In addition to the protection properties, decorative characteristics are also given. Chromium plating as a kind of metallization allows to ensure the quality of both categories, but this requires the use of special technology. In the market of chrome equipment there are many effective solutions, the choice among which depends on many factors.

How does the chrome equipment work?

Most of the plants for chrome work on the principle of atomization, that is, spraying. The working tool in this case is a pneumatic gun, coupled with a compressor. He also gives the composition of the future coating to the surface. However, this process is significantly different from the techniques of applying traditional paint coatings with more stringent requirements for the organization of the procedure. Actually, the equipment for chemical chromium plating is not only a pneumatic unit, but more a tooling that provides auxiliary functions. A special place in the technological process is occupied by means of preparing surfaces that give the black coating the necessary properties - from the optimum temperature to giving a sufficient adhesive function.

Types of equipment

Separate such equipment according to two principles - the method of application of composition and equipment, which plays an important role in the chromium process. As for the method of applying the solution, either the above mentioned spray guns or baths can be used to provide a kind of galvanization of the object. The first option is considered simplified and allows you to handle small parts. A more thorough approach involves the use of process baths. As a rule, it is a universal equipment for chrome plating and gilding of any surfaces, which is more often used in industry.

There are also combined variants in which the function of spray guns is reduced to blowing an air jet, after which the surface is immersed in a container with a prepared solution in advance. These two methods also determine the separation from the point of view of bundling. Industrial plants provide a wide range of auxiliary components of the tooling, allowing also to carry out chemical treatment, coating correction and corrosion protection.

Main characteristics

In industrial installations, the central working component is the bath. On average, the volume of such containers is about 600-700 liters. In this case, the bath is mated with a drum, the capacity of which reaches 50 liters. Such installations are important to acquire with the expectation of optimal performance, which will depend on the speed of rotation of the drum (on average - 5 rpm). As for the engine's power capacity, it rarely exceeds 3 kW.

Several other characteristics should be considered when choosing a chrome-plating equipment of a simplified type. In this case, you need to rely on the parameters of the atomizer (for example, its nozzles can have a diameter of 1.4 to 1.7 mm). Also in the kit are containers in the form of water tanks, working mixtures and reagents (from 1 to 3 liters).

From the point of view of further installation, the size of the equipment also matters. Industrial complexes form entire conveyor lines 2-3 m long and 1 m wide. By weight, they can reach 40-50 kg. Spray units in combination with tanks and auxiliary equipment take up a little space and weigh about 10-15 kg.

Installation

Installation of the equipment should be carried out only in premises with high-quality forced ventilation. It is desirable that around the units or the whole stand with the bath a free distance of the order of 1 m is preserved. Direct fixation is not always carried out. The stand can be fixed with the brackets provided, but if there is a plan to move the capacities, then there is no point. Unless the kit with a spray gun requires an obligatory fixation of the rack, on which canisters and containers with a working mixture are placed.

It is more important to take into account another aspect. The fact is that equipment for chrome parts , depending on the version, may require the connection of communication channels. They will be required for heating, drainage and disposal of waste materials.

Preparation for chrome plating

Preparatory activities consist of two types of actions - stripping and degreasing. At the first stage it is important to ensure the removal of dirt and at the same time make the surface as flat as possible. Sometimes, to perform this operation, grinding is carried out using a special machine. In the second stage, degreasing is carried out using the appropriate formulations. Often manufacturers of equipment produce such funds under their own brand. If there is no special equipment for chrome plating at hand, then for self-fulfillment of the procedure it is possible to limit oneself to gasoline or alkali pickling.

Further technical equipment is being prepared. For the atomizer, it is necessary to prepare a compressor with suitable performance characteristics. Power is usually provided from the 220 V network, but industrial installations are often connected to sockets at 380 V.

Technique for performing chromium plating operation

The operation begins with pouring the solution into a container, in which chromium will occur. A feature of this procedure, which differs from other types of galvanization, is the inclusion of electrolyte. That is, through the prepared solution, a current is passed, which gives the mixture the necessary electrical qualities. Next, you can begin to immerse the workpiece directly. This process depends on what kind of equipment is used for chrome plating. It is possible to organize the procedure in a metal container by your own hands, but it is important to take into account that the material of the technological bath can make adjustments to the formation of the chrome coating. After a few hours of immersion, the billet can remain in solution, after which it is removed and left under blowing until it reaches the optimum physical qualities.

How much is chroming?

Simplified kits with spray guns are estimated at 30-40 thousand rubles. For this money, you can get the minimum set of components required to perform this operation. The cost increases with the expansion of the equipment, in which the equipment for chromium is presented. The price of the same spraying sets can reach 100 thousand, but in this case a complete set of necessary mixtures, primers and solutions will also be provided.

Industrial installations are estimated at 300-500 thousand. Such equipment is often completed by enterprises, in the serial mode, processing products. But if you want to process only one small part, you can do without special equipment for chrome plating, ordering an operation in the same enterprise. On average, a one-time service of this kind costs 1-1.5 thousand, although much depends on the size of the procurement.

Conclusion

The need for chrome plating is for various reasons. For example, professional equipment for chrome-plating, the price of which is about 300 thousand, may be required by a construction company, a car service center or a production machine-tool plant. In this case, most likely, there will be a calculation for providing a protective layer with an anticorrosive and mechanically stable structure. At the household level, this technique is often used for decorative purposes, for example, thus covering the elements of facades, interiors, cars, as well as small accessories.