From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
The performance and durability of different chromium plating methods on car parts.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 154a\1\ scan0227 | |
| Date | 18th November 1930 | |
| V4442. To BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} From Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}3/MJ.18.11.30. CHROMIUM PLATING. ---------------- Referring to By3/G24.9.30. It will be recollected that on the first car we ran in France (18-EX) two types of Chromium plating were used. Side by side tests of these parts indicated that the bright deposit stood up much better than the heavy deposit. On this car similar parts were treated in the two different ways and the heavy deposit flaked in large pieces. We have now run a further car (23-EX) 10,000 miles and the plating has been standing since April. The parts bright deposited on this car by R.R. were the head-lamps, bonnet fasteners, hub caps, and side spot lamp. The hub pieces stand out as being remarkably good as they have retained their brightness and shew no signs of flaking though they are subjected to a lot of hammering from stones, etc. The bonnet catches have shewn no signs of flaking but have lost their brightness. One headlamp is O.K., the other headlamp and spot lamp shew slight signs of flaking. We understand from Mr. Aspley, who supervised the plating, that they had a certain amount of trouble with the lamps because they were not new and were not altogether satisfied with results obtained. However, if we can ensure that all the parts bright plated by R.R. are as good as the hub caps we think that we have a very satisfactory product. Certainly, the plating on 23-EX. gives no indication of the wholesale stripping which occurred on the heavy plating fitted to 18-EX. GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux} reports from Cricklewood that the bonnet catches on Mrs. Baring's car had stripped their plate very badly but we do not know what type was employed in this case. 23-EX. is at present available for examination in the Experimental Dept. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||