Degassing,
De-embrittling
Before plating
Two methods are
used. Heat treating and shot blasting. Both may be used in
combination.
If required
the material can be heated in a large gas or electric powered
oven for a set time. This is usually only required for very hard
steels. (this is a rare requirement)
Most hard
steels are pre-treated by shot blasting the surface immediately
prior to plating.
Post plating
When an item is
chrome plated, gas is trapped in the plating. If this is not
released in a controlled manner, problems may occur when the item
is used. Such a problem can occur with a roller used in the
manufacture of plastic sheet, as the sheet is passed over the
roll, the gas escapes causing small bubbles or holes to appear in
the product.
These gases
can be removed by heat treating in an oven immediately after
removal from the plating vat.
