Sonak Surface Technologies Pvt Ltd

We have a joint venture with Anke,Germany/Austria,for Hard Chrome Plating for Work Roll / Back up Rolls, used in Steel / Aluminum mills.

Anke hard chrome plates 3000-5000 Work Rolls, annually for Voest Alpine in Linz, Austria

Anke also hard chrome plates Back up Rolls for Aluminum mills in Essen, Germany.

The advantages of Hard Chrome plating of Work Rolls are:

a) Quality of steel produced improves with hard chrome plated Work Rolls.

b) Reduction in Down Time resulting in higher production.

c) Longer operating Life of rolls during the process.

d) Reduction in requirement of inventory thereby Saving costs.

e) Ability to carry out different widths  of steel production, during the cold rolling process, as hard chrome plated Work Rolls do not allow the edge of the steel to allow dents on  the Work Roll surface.

The advantages of Hard Chrome Plating Skin Pass Mill Rolls are :

a) Skin Pass Mill rolls will retain their surface roughness value for a longer period of  time, thereby increasing the tonnage of steel rolled per grinding.

b) Greater consistency in roughness value of  steel produced.

The advantages of Hard Chrome Plating Aluminum mill Back up Rolls are  :

a) Higher tonnage of Aluminum produced per grinding of Back up Roll

b) Greater consistency in roughness of Aluminum, rolled, leading to downstream work roll operationsgetting more efficient and standardized

We  have  a  technical  collaboration  with  DMI, Holland for Hard  Chrome Plating  of  Auto  Dies.

The DMI process offers a unique technology for Hard Chrome Plating of dies used in automobile industries, which in-turn provides various advantages and result oriented benefits to the customer.

The thin hard chrome layer which gets deposited on the working surface of the tool due to the Hard Chrome Plating process has the following properties:-

1. Nonstick in nature, Low Friction, Smooth Surface Finish:- These properties results in:

a) Improved material flow in the drawing process helps in.

i) Eliminating defects (such as wrinkling, Scoring, Splitting) on the car panel

ii) Zero panel rework time, man power, consumable cost

iii) Reduce panel rejection & panel rework rates

b) Highest lubricity, hence use of lubricants reduced by 90%

c) Shorter press operation time

2.Hardness (900 VPN/ 62 HRC), Good Wear Resistance:- These properties results in:

a) Increased die tool life: More wear & tear on un-plated dies takes place which causes the panel quality to decline as the shape of the die changes. The die then must be repaired by welding & subsequent re-profiling. This results in the additional costs such as…

i) Cost of skilled welding technician

ii) Costly welding material

iii) Cost of skilled polishing technician to reshape / re-profile the die

iv) Cost of tryout & adjusting the profile on the die tool

v) Cost of loss of production

vi) Increased loss of Idle time and effort, Indirect cost of electricity & other material

b) Die geometry is maintained at all times, even after multiple chrome plating hence panel quality remains consistent.

c) Re-plating of the die tool possible once the thin hard chrome plating layer disappears after thousands of stampings process.

d) Hardness of 900VPN (62 HRC) is achieved by Hard Chrome Plating process at plating temperature of around 580 C, hence virtually no heat distortion.

e) Other competing hardening process like Flame/Laser/Induction hardening, Plasma nitriding cannot achieve hardness of more than 600 VPN, whereas Hard Chrome Plating  process achieves a hardness of 900 VPN.

f) Hard chrome plating can be applied on basic cheaper grades of Cast Iron like GG25E instead of expensive grades of casting.

Increased use of double sided zinc coated process panel material results in loose particles of zinc or other debris to embed itself into the die causing a pimple. Many such pimples on the working surface of die will greatly damage the quality of panel produced as well as the surface of the die. Hard chrome plated die prevents the loose zinc particles from embedding into the die, due to hardened & smooth working surface of the die.