Today, chrome plating is a common practice for many industrial concerns. This has not always been the case. Compared to other forms of deposition or electroplating, chrome plating is a new arrival. Chrome plating shops are an addition to other methods of coating and protecting substrate metals. Such services and methods did not originate until the early years of the 20th century.
Chrome Plating: The Formative Years
Chrome plating or deposition originates with George J. Sargent (1885-1965). Although he never applied it industrially, he did earn his PhD degree based on the work he did from 1911 to 1914. The publication of his paper in 1920, attracted the eye of two Americans Colin J. Fink and Charles H. Eldridge who, in 1924, created a commercial process at Columbia University. With the help of wealthy financiers, they set up the first chrome plating business. They called their company The Chemical Treatment Company. It set up shop on Center Street, New York.
However, the two American were not alone. A former colleague who had worked with both Fink and Eldridge, named Schwartz, published his own paper in 1923. He joined forces with several others and, with substantial backing, set up his own company. This was The Chromium Products Corporation. It was located in Jersey City, NJ.
These two chrome plating shops vied for customers. They advertised about the benefits of chrome plating as being durable, non-tarnishing, bright and very aesthetically attractive. The popularity of the process continued to grow after 1925. They put it to use first in jewelry production. It was popular for the art deco designs common to the late 1920s and 1930s. First wedding bands then earrings became popular for women all across the United States.
After the War
Following World War II, the use of chrome plating spread in the United States. The capability to resist erosion, as well as its attractive appearance and inexpensive cost, resulted in other uses. In the 1950s and 1960s, chrome plating became a part of the automobile industry. It also developed into common application as a component in the production of furniture and appliances. On the less glamorous side, chrome plating helped to produce boiler pipes and, interestingly enough, the plates for printing money.
Chrome Plating Shops Today
Today, chromium plating is still favored by many industries. For metal finishing, chrome continues to withstand the onslaught by other shiny metals. Its superior capabilities to provide a protective durable plating that is very attractive provides the essential reasons why chrome plating shops continue to thrive in the America economy.