by: Jay Berentis

New technology taking the place of chrome plating with the ability to chrome plate metal as well as non-metal surfaces (plastic, fiberglass, wood, virtually any surface).

Used in a wide range of industries chrome plating has become increasingly difficult in recent years. Regulations designed to protect against the safety and environmental hazards of hexavalent chrome have increased the cost of chrome plating and burdened facilities performing plating services. Conventional chrome plating has several limitations and cannot be used to chrome plate many surfaces. While industry downsizing and consolidation has led to the closure or offshore relocation of as many as half of the chrome plating shops in North America due to EPA regulations. Europe is ambivalent and Asia is largely unconcerned with regulating chrome plating pushing much of North America chrome plating over seas. The need has arisen for an alternative to chrome plating that does not have the environmental and safety issues of conventional chrome plating. Custom Coating Specialties has invested in a new and evolving technology chemical metalizing. Chemical metalizing uses a chemical process instead of an electrical process to attach metal to a substrate. One advantage is nonmetal as well as metal can be chrome plated (plastic, fiberglass, wood, virtually any surface). There is also more flexibility in the parts making for fewer failures due to flex. The added flexibility is due to the thinness of the coating. With conventional chrome plating the thickness of the different layers of metals applied does not allow for flexibility this can result in a failure of the part. The process does not use hexavalent chromium the main environmental problem of conventional chrome. It can also be tinted to achieve colors such as gold, black chrome, even red, blue or green. The only down side of this new process is that the durability is comparable to that of a high-end industrial or automotive finish. Chemical metalizing has not yet reached the level to take over all of hard chroming uses but is now a viable solution for most chroming needs. To learn more or find out if our process could work for you please contact me or visit my web site jay@chromeandpowdercoat.com or http://www.chromeandpowdercoat.com