KB Components started up its chrome-plating operation in 2013. The main purpose was to offer our customers full integration of chrome-plated plastic parts. The investment has been successful, and we are proud to run a modern chrome-plating department, meeting all safety and environmental legislation. In 2019, we expanded from bright nickel to satin nickel in order to meet the demands from our automotive customers.
Maximum plating size 1800×900×350 mm
Chrome-plating capacity 60,000 m2/year
Typical plating parameters:
Material that we can plate:
Line is prepared for plating:
Removes grease, fingerprints and impurities which would otherwise badly affect the adhesion.
The surface conditioner, which is prepared from special acids, transforms the
structure of the plastic surface in such a way that a strong adhesion can be obtained
between it and the chemical nickel/copper. This conditioning is an important step in
the chemical treatment of plastic for electroplating. Defects related to poor adhesion are mostly caused by surface conditioning.
The surface activator contains palladium, which attaches itself to the surface of
the plastic. The component is then immersed in an accelerator to remove a
protective film from the surface of the palladium.
The activated component is then immersed in an electroless nickel solution, which
deposits a thin layer of metal over the entire plastic substrate. This metal
layer then becomes the conductor for subsequent electroplating.