Abstract
Conventional decorative chrome plating operations are known to be environmentally and occupationally hazardous because of the use of hexavalent chromium and other toxic chemicals. An alternative ArcBright™ chrome technology has been developed to eliminate these hazards and simultaneously simplify manufacturing methods in this industry. The application method presented here uses an organic base coat and a physically vapor deposited (PVD) chrome to replace electroplated copper-nickel-chrome structure. An advanced rapid cycle, high rate PVD chrome coating method has been developed for this application to be able to increase throughput to the levels required in the automotive sector and to minimize application cost. The technology is applicable to many metals, plastics, composites and other solid materials that are not possible by conventional electroplating providing a wider choice of substrates. The PVD chrome process has been characterized and the ArcBright chrome has been qualified to automotive specifications.
