The Chrome plated roller approx 20 meters long and 3 meters diameter was damaged by arc welding. This roller was used for drying tomato and corn pulp. The roller was heated and rolled through the pulp, the pulp was dried as the roller was rotated and then scraped off with a blade. The chrome was broken and the tomato and corn acid was eating into the steel base material.
Conventional repair.
- Remove roller from machine.
- Send roller to Europe for re-chroming as no bath for that size is available in Australasia
- Weld Grind and re-chrome
- Grind to size
- Ship to New Zealand
- Re-assemble roller
- Time approx 14 weeks
- Estimated cost Approx $100000
Selective Brush Plating Repair
- Mask area in situe
- Electroplate Copper
- Dress Back
- Cap with Nickel
- Time approx 6 hours
- Cost Approx $2000
This example shows that a considerable amount of savings in time and money can be achieved by using the brush plating method.
The repair was only small but very necessary; the steel was rusting under the chrome and lifting the chrome off the area around the damage. Brush electroplating was the best method for this repair.
The work was carried out in situe, stopping the down time of 14 weeks and no stripping down was needed as the damage was very accessible.
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