AHC has developed a selective hard chrome plating process, called SELGA-COAT® CHROME.
Given the future restrictions on the use of hexavalent chromium according to the EU chemical regulation, REACH, further considerations had to be made to allow functional hard chrome layers to remain in the range of proven coating processes.
One solution offers the selective-galvanic plating of functional hard chrome layers. In this process, a small quantity of electrolyte necessary for plating is added only for the specified area to be treated and a resource-efficient selective layer is deposited only at this location.
As a result, follow-up grinding and polishing of the treated area is deemed unnecessary in most cases. This procedure places increased requirements on both the technological equipment and the applied electrolyte concepts.
Significantly higher plating speeds are also possible than in the conventional hard chrome process.
The increases in current density and deposition rate have a positive effect on power consumption. In addition to saving resources such as energy and chemicals, the applied technology also allows for a self-contained circulating system free of waste water.
Furthermore, it is possible to set up plating equipment connected in-line with other coating processes in a production chain – an order for the future.
For more information, please click here to view a video regarding AHC’s new facilities for selective hard chrome plating according to the SELGA-COAT® CHROME process.
These facilities have been commissioned in the Venlo site of AHC Benelux BV. Managing director Hay Hulsman explains the features of this extraordinary process.
