Hard Chrome Plated Roller – Hard Chrome Plating Rollers Improves Quality and Productivity
Hard chrome plating is also known as industrial chrome or engineered chrome,
separating it from the much thinner decorative chrome. Hard chrome is used
extensively throughout a number of industries where rollers are used in the
manufacturing process.
There are many reasons why hard chrome plating is the coating of choice for
process rollers in the web manufacturing industries. Chrome is cost-effective,
corrosion resistant, wear-resistant, and can be highly polished to a mirror finish.
Chrome rollers can take matte and satin finishes too allowing these rolls to impart a
unique finish on a customers product(s) in addition to altering the surface coefficient
of friction. This leads to yet another advantage of hard chrome plating: the ability to
dial-in to a particular coefficient of friction allowing customers to adjust traction
between the web and rollers – depending on their specific needs.
Chrome rollers can reduce friction between machine components and improve the
durability of the part. This means less maintenance downtime and lower expenses
whatever your industry.
Factors to Consider in Chrome Plated Rollers
- The Desired surface finish – can dictate the thickness of chrome coating on the roller surface
- Removal of hydrogen embrittlement – the chrome rolls are baked after plating to remove hydrogen embrittlement from the roller surface – this can reduce microcracking – especially with warm-up or cool-down cycles as chrome plating often has differing coefficients of thermal expansion vs. the underlying base material
- Corrosion Resistance – hard chrome plating is an effective means to mitigate corrosion and prolong the life of any surface that may be subject to environments where steels would rust, corrode, etc.
- Process temperature changes – how these affect the growth of the chrome and underlying materials resulting from the coefficient of thermal expansion
- Any other underlayment or substrate coatings – copper, nickel, zinc, etc
- Protective roll covers – to ensure rolls don’t get damaged when not in use
When these details are considered and the proper coating specifications (thickness, process, surface finish, underlayment) are selected your chrome rollers will give you optimal performance. R2R will guide you through those decisions. You can expect the longest possible lifecycle and reduce the mean time between repairs (MTBR).
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Why Hard Chrome Rollers Are Industry Standards
Many rollers including heat transfer and cooling rolls will benefit from chrome plating because chrome plated rollers can achieve a large array of finishes, including a mirror finish. Chrome is resistant to many chemicals and won’t dull the gloss on extruded materials like plastic – when required.
Chrome plating can be applied to a range of metal bases including steel, stainless steel, bronze, copper, titanium, nickel, and brass. When properly coated, Chrome will adhere to the roller base metal with little risk of flaking and cracking. If hard chrome plated rollers do suffer from general wear and tear, the chrome plating can be stripped off the roller and new chrome plating applied. The thickness of the chrome plating can be adjusted to improve the roll longevity.
Hard Chrome Plating Roller Properties
Hard chrome plating rollers have several properties that make them a popular industry choice. The beneficial chrome roller properties are listed below
- Corrosion Resistant
- Superior hardness 68-72 Rockwell C – chrome is so hard it can withstand high stress and demanding processes
- High resistance to wear
- Smooth surface aids output
- Easy to clean and sanitize
- Low friction coefficient – reducing heat and friction even where abrasive materials like paper or textiles are in the process
Chill Rollers
Heat Transfer Rollers
Rubber Transfer Rollers
Idler Rollers
Protecting Your Hard Chrome Rollers When in Storage
Protecting your chrome and other critical process rollers with protective roll covers could save you time and money. At R2R we offer custom-made roll covers to fit any roller, from chrome to rubber rollers. Roller covers protect your hard chrome plated rollers and rubber rollers from damage when in storage or out of operation. Appropriate protection will ensure that you don’t face any surprises when the time comes to replace critical spare process rollers with spare parts. A damaged roller body could hold up your production line, costing you production downtime. Many people involved in the setup and maintenance of your web processing machinery many not understand or know the immense sensitivity and precision nature of your industrial rollers – especially the chrome plated or rubber coated bodies – and these roll covers will ensure even the slightest lack of carefulness around these very expensive and important rolls will not lead to a devastating mistake and/or damage.
Your web manufacturing line is a huge investment, and the chrome and rubber rollers are at the heart of the system. Good care and maintenance will ensure that your rolls are as good as new when it’s time to put them into production. Damaged rollers will affect the quality of the machine output and reduce the process efficiency of the entire unit.
Your roller system is a production investment, so it needs protection. R2R Engineering can provide you with a choice of roller covers to protect each unit from preventable damage. Don’t allow unnecessary roller damage by using poor substitutes, ill-fitting covers, or worse, not using any protection at all. Match your chrome and rubber rollers with the right roller cover for durability and quality output. R2R Engineering can help set you up with the right protective roll covers to protect your investment in the future.
