FAQs

General

  1. Why Teikuro?

    2. We are not just a surface treatment company. We have many years of experience in the die and hard coatings business. Our experts in coatings, die repair and polishing as well as our excellent sales support staff combine their talents to exceed the expectations of you, the customer.

Chrome

  1. What makes chrome such a good surface treatment?

    2. Chrome plating makes an excellent hard coating for a number of reasons. First of all chrome is a very hard metal, approx. 68-72 Rockwell. This allows it to stand up in tough environments. Secondly, chrome is very lubricious. Its has a very low coefficient of friction. Thirdly, chrome can be applied at a variety of thicknesses, depending on the application. This could be as thin as 0.0005.”

  2. How is chrome plating applied?

    3. Chrome is applied using a process called electroplating. Electroplating is a process in which you take a solution that contains a dissolved metal (chromic acid) and by means of electricity, force the metal out of the solution onto a collecting surface.

  3. I’ve heard chrome is hazardous to my health. Is that true?

    4. There are different types of chrome. Let’s discuss the differences. Hexavalent chrome, yes, is widely believed to be hazardous to your health. Hex chrome is used in the plating process but it is not what is deposited on your parts/tools. This is chrome metal. Chrome metal is inert and is completely safe. The only concerns regarding it would possibly be either grinding or welding on it.

  4. What your typical turn-a-round time?

    5. 48 hours is our preferred minimum turn-a-round time. Depending on the circumstances and complexity of the job we may be able to turn it in less than 48 hours. But generally speaking, 48 hours is a good rule of thumb.

  5. Can you remove my existing coating?

    6. Yes, we certainly can. We have a variety of removal methods that will safely remove your existing coating without damaging the substrate material.

  6. How thick/thin can you apply chrome?

    7. Standard thickness would be 0.001” – 0.002.” Thickness can vary widely but here a few ground rules. If we’re talking thin the rule of thumb would be 0.0005.” Leaning toward the thicker side is a little more complicated. The thicker you go the more likely porosity is and the more difficult the plating job is. Generally speaking, we might plate up to 0.005.” But this is just an estimate, if you have a need for thick chrome we would be more than happy to discuss your application with you.

  7. What certifications do you have?

    8. Our hard chrome plating process has 3 certifications. 2 quality and 1 environmental. Our quality certifications are AS9100 and ISO9001. Environmentally we are ISO14001 certified. We are very proud of these certifications and work hard to maintain them.

TRD

  1. Why consider TRD over other coatings, such as chrome?

    2. It all depends on your application. Chrome plating is an excellent choice but if you are running thicker material, high strength steel or stainless steel, you will want to consider TRD. TRD stands up better in extremely severe environments that require very high wear resistance.

  2. Are there any differences between TRD and other TD processes?

    3. They are exactly the same process. The TD process stands for Toyota Diffusion Process. This is the “brand name.” TRD stands for Thermo-Reactive Diffusion & Deposition. This is the scientific name.

  3. What are the advantages of the TRD process?

    4. The TRD process is a patented technology developed at Toyota Central Research and Development Labs in Japan. The TRD process makes it possible to more easily obtain a “pure carbide layer.”

  4. How hard is the carbide layer?

    5. The vanadium carbide layer is measured at approximately 3,200-3,800 Vickers. Very, very hard. Well in excess of 100 on the Rockwell C scale.

  5. Can you remove previous coatings before applying TRD?

    6. Yes we can. As with our hard chrome product, we have a variety of removal methods that will safely remove your existing coating without damaging the substrate material.

  6. What is the maximum size piece that can be processed with TRD?

    7. Our only size limitation is the actual size of the TRD furnace itself, which is 26” x 60.” Your piece(s) must be within this dimensions in order to be TRD’d.

  7. How much polishing must I do before I send pieces for TRD processing?

    8. All we ask is that you finish to a 320 grit on the working surfaces. Teikuro will see to it the rest of the polishing is taken care of, up to 1 micron or less finish.

DLC-Si

  1. DLC-Si FAQ’s coming soon

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