Micro welding
As a prerequisite for proper chrome plating, the part to be chrome plated must be carefully prepared – i.e. it must be metallurgically pure, without any holes, scratches or other defects in the base material. Chromium then only replicates the surface of the supplied part. We have a unique technology that is capable of repairing defects like holes or scratches on the surface of the part. Thanks to this micro welding equipment, we are able to save customers a good deal of time and money, because if such defects appear on the supplied parts during receipt, the parts have to be taken back from the customer for reprocessing and repair. Instead, we are able to repair such defects in the base material quickly and flexibly at our facility.
The customer thus saves the costs of transporting and repairing the part, and then returning it to our facility, and the time savings are also significant. The equipment is fully mobile, so we are also able to perform repairs on the customer’s premises, and even abroad. This eliminates the costly disassembly of parts or the shutdown of the assembly lines or the entire production facility. Micro welding is a process of welding out very small pores, holes and cracks, as well as larger and deeper defects. Some very small defects require the use of a microscope. When repairing a defect in the chrome layer, it is important to use a special wire with anti-corrosion properties. NOVEX uses material 1.4430, which contains 18.5% Cr and 12.5% Ni, and other metals with similar properties to chromium, and the repair therefore will not compromise the functionality of the part as a whole. Subsequent to welding, it is necessary to clean the weld manually using diamond files. If the welds are large, it is desirable to use, e.g. an abrasive-band grinding machine. If the defect is deeper, it is necessary to use larger electrodes and a larger diameter build-up wire. The welding equipment makes it possible to switch to welding mode with an Argon gas shield – very easily using a foot switch, making it possible to produce classic weld, bead-on-plate type deposits. This, however, creates a spatial weld deposit that requires a more demanding machining process, but with the use of, for example, an abrasive-band grinding machine, the entire repair process will be significantly faster and easier.
