With the chromium plating process, many companies in the processing industry as well as craft and production companies combine a process that involves a high expenditure of material, time and – above all – costs. This – outdated – view contains the mental equality of chromium and electroplating.
To put it quite clearly: This idea is outdated and therefore simply wrong!
We spoke with the founder and company owner of Verchromen24, Uli Kuitkowski, and we were told what new sensational ways Verchromen24 is going to chrome workpieces of high quality, fast and cheap.
Mr. Kuitkowski, what makes your company “Verchromen24” different and what makes it so easy, good and cheap for the customers to trust the concept of “Verchromen24”?
To put it in a sentence: We have replaced the existing electrolysis and electroplating processes with chemical chromium plating. Chromium plating is a form of surface treatment. The electrolysis plays an important role in chromium plating. Galvanizing follows a similar path. Electrolysis is a process in which different constituents of metal are separated and made conductive by current. Electroplating also makes use of the electrochemical separation of metallic objects with the aim of making them conductive as well. However, both processes depend on the base material to be processed, and are also material- and time-intensive.
This means that chromium plating is capable of chromium plating non-metallic objects?
Exactly. Here we have taken new, surprisingly simple paths. This is because the difficult and complicated electrolysis – and thus ultimately expensive for the customer – is replaced by the process of chemical chromium plating. In chemical chromium plating, it is no longer important whether an object is conductive or not, as is absolutely necessary in electrolysis or electroplating. For this reason, the chromium plating is no longer limited to metal as base material. Therefore, we can also coat wood, plastic, stone or whatever material with chrome. We have even managed to chrome glass and hard rubber. We use the chemical chromium plating process for this purpose.
How exactly do you do that – what happens with chemical chromium plating?
The chemical chromium plating is carried out in three steps: First, the workpieces are cleaned. As with many other works, thorough and good preparation of the workpieces to be chromed is the A and O. All impurities are removed conscientiously and thoroughly, since otherwise the end result does not have the desired mirror-smooth surface. Second, the material is treated in the kiln. In this case, a primer is first applied which is dried in the oven at high temperatures. Finally, the metallization takes place. For this purpose, the piece to be chromed is coated with a thin layer of gold or chromium
as the customer wishes. I used to be annoyed that chromium plating is so difficult and has been fiddling for a long time for a more effective solution. Now this solution is there – the times of high costs and difficult production of chromium plating are finally a thing of the past.
Tell us a few things about yourself and your company.
You’re welcome. I have been working in the field of electroplating and metallization for several decades. In the last 10 years I have been working intensively on the field of finishing surfaces. I have specialized in developing and distributing chromium plating systems for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as the chromium components that go with them. In addition, I attach great importance to our trained personnel presenting the products at the customer’s premises and continuing to be looked after by our professionals even after the customer’s purchase.
We operate a network of suppliers, employees and producers in Italy, Germany and Spain. In this way, we – and ultimately our customer – benefit from the prevailing conditions throughout Europe. Our range of services with our devices for small and large companies covers all requirements. Even for companies that produce only small quantities or want to outsource their area, we provide our own partner network as an intermediary.
Mr. Kuitkowski, if you had three wishes, what would they be?
(Laughs) I hope you mean professionally…….The knowledge of chemical chromium plating is still far too rare for me. I therefore hope that a lot more companies will know about our solution. Secondly, I would like to see many customers get to know our range of services and thirdly – but last but not least – I will fulfill my heart’s desire and will appear with our knowledge at the world’s industrial fairs to make chemical chromium plating popular.
Mr. Kuitkowski, thank you for the interview.