To learn more about our services contact sales at (602) 288-6190

CHROME PLATING IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA

CRC is a chrome plating shop in Phoenix, Arizona that offers both Hard and Thin Dense Chrome plating processes for Aerospace, Defense and other industries. Applicable specifications for hard and thin dense chrome plating include: QQ-C-320, BAC5709, MIL-C-20218, ASTM B456, MIL-C-23422, and AMS 2406.

Hard Chrome Plating Properties

Hard chrome, also known as industrial chrome or engineered chrome, is used to reduce friction, improve durability through abrasion tolerance and wear resistance in general, minimize galling or seizing of parts, expand chemical inertness to include a broader set of conditions (especially oxidation resistance, arguably its most famous quality), and bulking material for worn parts to restore their original dimensions. It is very hard, measuring between 65 to 69 HRC.

Hard chrome tends to be thicker than decorative chrome, with standard thicknesses in non-salvage applications ranging from 0.2 to 0.6 mm (200 to 600 µm), but it can be an order of magnitude thicker for extreme wear resistance requirements, in such cases 1 mm (1,000 µm) or thicker provides optimal results. Unfortunately, such thicknesses emphasize the limitations of the process, which are overcome by plating extra thickness and then grinding down and lapping to meet requirements or to improve the overall aesthetics of the “chromed” piece. 

Increasing plating thickness amplifies surface defects and roughness in proportional severity because hard chrome does not have a leveling effect. Pieces that are not ideally shaped in reference to electric field geometries (nearly every piece sent in for plating, except spheres and egg-shaped objects) require even thicker plating to compensate for non-uniform deposition, and much of it is wasted when grinding the piece back to desired dimensions.

Hard chromium plating is subject to different quality requirements depending on the application. For instance, the plating on hydraulic piston rods usually has post-plate bakes and is tested for corrosion resistance with a salt spray test.

To learn more about our chrome “hard & thin dense” plating services, contact sales at (602) 288‐6190 or visit our operation located at

1101 W Hilton Ave Phoenix, Arizona 85007