Get in touch at sales@silchrome.co.uk or visit us in Leeds

0113 263 7808

Metal Finishing Services

Bright, Shiny and Reflective Finishes

 

silchrome bright and decorative finishesbright shiny finishlevellers and brighteners

As a metal finisher, many of Silchrome’s customers want bright and reflective components. This could be because this particular component will be ‘on show’ and so an endurable, decorative finish is desirable for instance in the Chrome Plating of vintage car bumpers. In many cases a manufacturer may simply wish to highlight the quality of their work and so in protecting their part with say Silver Plating will opt for brighteners in order to obtain an aesthetic finish. Silchrome provide a range of metal finishing processes which could be used decoratively including Silver, Chrome and Tin Plating as well as Passivisation and Anodising. Regardless of the process selected, there are a number of factors that can contribute towards a bright appearance.

 

Condition of the Component

 

The most obvious factor in achieving an aesthetic finish is the condition of the component itself. As we have said before plating/coating distributes evenly on the surface of the part, meaning it will not fill in a scratch. In fact you will most probably have a shiny scratch that is even more noticeable! Components that have suffered damage through issues with corrosion or wear may need chemical/mechanical preparation in order to provide a smooth surface for metal finishing. In many cases Silchrome will need to highly polish a component in order to get the best possible results, and this can be where a large portion of the overall cost is actually found. Pre-Plating Process are vital in achieving the best finish and a component may be subject to any number of chemical and water cleaning steps.

 

Levellers and Brighteners

 

When used in conjunction Brighteners and Levellers can further ensure that an even and aesthetically pleasing finish can be achieved. A leveller essentially acts an inhibitor to stop the plating substance from forming thicker deposits in recessed areas such as corners/edges and thinner deposits on small protrusions. Brighteners essentially distribute the finishing process.During processes such as Copper Plating, large crystals will grow during the plating process which will be soft, porous and dull in appearance due to their rough topography. A brightener will be attracted to the points of the component with the highest electro-potential and in packing that area they encourage the growth of crystals. As such crystal formation will be much smaller in nature which will be brighter in appearance. Levellers and Brighteners encourage an even coating/plating that will be brighter aesthetically.

 

Post-Plate Process

 

In many cases a component may need to undergo post-plating processes which may include additional buffing, polishing, pickling, sealing or lacquering. Ensuring that a finish is not only visually appealing but will also be able to endure the environment it must operate in is key. Using Copper as our example again, this finish has become increasingly popular as a finish on homeware goods but these would quickly tarnish if not protected by a lacquer.

 

Silchrome Plating offer a wide range of metal finishing processes and have all the resources in-house to enable us to offer bright and reflective metal finishing. We are based in Leeds, West Yorkshire and are fully ISO 9001 and 14001 accredited. 

  • The official logo for the Surface Engineering Association.
  • The official logos for the ISOQAR and UKAS industry regulatory bodies.
  • The official logo for the Institute of Materials Finishing.
  • The official logos for the ISOQAR and UKAS industry regulatory bodies.