Welded Components and Blasting
Our company plates welded steel components with hard chrome. One of our customers requires a matte finish, which we attain by bead blasting. The problem we have is inconsistent appearance in the welded areas of the components. Do you have any suggestions?
Q: Our company plates welded steel components with hard chrome. One of our customers requires a matte finish, which we attain by bead blasting. The problem we have is inconsistent appearance in the welded areas of the components. Do you have any suggestions? W. B.
A: Your question is a tough one! There is a difference in the hardness between the welded and non-welded areas of your parts and this gives you the inconsistent appearance. There are a few things that I can suggest that may help solve this problem:
- Try a different air pressures in the blasting process.
- Try different abrasives. Sharper abrasive sometimes give me more uniform finish. This is because the difference in hardness between the welded and the non-welded areas is not as critical for a harder abrasive.
- Try reblasting the part after the chromium plate.
Related Content
-
A Chromium Plating Overview
An overview of decorative and hard chromium electroplating processes.
-
Possibilities From Electroplating 3D Printed Plastic Parts
Adding layers of nickel or copper to 3D printed polymer can impart desired properties such as electrical conductivity, EMI shielding, abrasion resistance and improved strength — approaching and even exceeding 3D printed metal, according to RePliForm.
-
3 Tests to Ensure Parts are Clean Prior to Plating
Making sure that all of the pre-processing fluids are removed prior to plating is not as simple as it seems. Rich Held of Haviland Products outlines three tests that can help verify that your parts are clean.
