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).
Investigation into a new chromium plating process and its proposed standardisation for external car parts.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 30\6\ Scan087 | |
| Date | 14th November 1929 | |
| To-R.{Sir Henry Royce} from HY.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} To Se. [REDACTED] Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X1360 Ry4/T.14.11.29. CHROMIUM PLATING. I enclose herewith a copy of Mr. Aspley's report on his visit to the Chromo Process Syndicate's workshop. The results of his investigation are very satisfactory, and as a result it has been arranged that one of their Directors will visit us at Derby on the 15th inst. to explain their proposals and terms for the use of their process in our Works. In addition to the Chromium Plating their method of Nickel Plating gives better results than our present methods, and we propose to adopt that also. They claim to deposit a tenacious and solid coat of Nickel from .003" to .005" thick in 15 minutes. This should make a marked improvement over our present method both in quality and cost. I would like your opinion on the following suggestion regarding the way in which the standardisation of Chrome Plating should be made when we are ready with the arrangement with Chromo Process and the installation of the necessary tackle. It is suggested that only the external bright parts which are exposed to the weather be chrome finished. These would include the Radiator and Shutters, Bonnet, Lamps, Wheel Caps, Tank Fittings and other details which are polished and exposed. All other bright parts would be electro nickel plated using the heavy deposit mentioned above. This pure nickel deposit is more immune from tarnish than the nickel silver sheet which we use for close plating. As nearly all cars are now of the closed type, it is considered that the electro nickel would be sufficiently durable. Although close plated parts will stand up to cleaning and polishing almost indefinitely, they need to be cleaned and polished very often owing to the fact that tarnishing takes place rapidly on change of temperature, and particularly on becoming damp. This is no doubt due to the high percentage of copper in the alloy. On the other hand pure nickel is very resistant to staining and tarnishing, and would not require such frequent cleaning, and when this does become necessary it can be polished with comparative ease compared with the nickel silver alloy. Broadly speaking therefore, the suggestion is that on a closed car all the parts inside the body would be electro nickel plated, and all the bright parts outside would be chromium protected. contd: | ||