Chrometech wheels...It's what you don't see that makes the difference.

What does it take to turn out one of the best chrome wheels in the industry? The answer is time. It begins with decades of experience working in high-end chrome plating, the extra time the wheels spend in each of the four plating baths, and the years needed to build up a craftsman's eye for quality and detail. Time is something you cannot see in a wheel...but knowing it's there brings comfort that the wheels on your car will not be subjected to faster corrosion due to road salts and other contaminants than the wheels produced by those who skip the extra steps.

 

The hidden value of a Chrometech wheel.

 
When you look at a wheel you cannot see the plating time and craftsmanship involved. A quick to corrode wheel will look just like a quality wheel right out of the box. Which is why Chrometech takes extra time and additional steps with each wheel to help protect and prolong the life of the wheel -- and ensure that the original beauty and luster remains year after year...long after the finish has dulled on wheels plated elsewhere. In fact, Chrometech plating times are approximately 30% to 40% over the industry average.

 

The story behind each step.

 
For years, the term triple-chrome plating has been a mark for top quality chrome plating. In reality, this process falls short and does not provide the correct number of plating baths to truly protect the wheel for a prolonged length of time. This is why Chrometech uses a four-plate process and a number of intermediate hand inspection and polishing steps to turn out a quality wheel. It is the time spent with each wheel that makes the difference.

It all begins when the wheel comes into the shop and is immediately inventoried to begin the tracking process. Chrometech works with raw parts from manufacturers on existing factory wheels which need to have the paint stripped prior to the plating process.

On pre-painted wheels, the paint is stripped down to the bare aluminum then polished by hand to remove any imperfections. Hand polishing allows us to get into the hard to reach areas of the wheel that might go unnoticed in the vibratory polishing that is now being used by the more automated plating companies.

After the wheel is initially polished, it enters the first nickel plating bath. It is this bath which adds a protective coating of dense molecular nickel which acts as a barrier against the road salts, contaminants and harsh conditions of the road and east coast winters.

From the first nickel plating, the wheel is inspected again and sent to the copper plating bath...a cosmetic coating which provides a deep luster to the wheel. Copper fills in the microscopic imperfections found in every wheel and smooths out the surface in preparation for the remaining plating baths. What happens here can make or break a wheel.

After copper plating, the wheel is once again hand polished to smooth out the surface and generate a deep luster and prepare it for the bright nickel plating bath -- the final stage before chrome plating.

It takes years of experience at the chrome plating stage to create that perfect wheel. A skilled operator needs years to perfect the craft...knowing just the right amount of time each wheel requires to generate an even coating. Finally, each wheel must pass a final inspection before being wrapped and shipped.

 

Quality, not quantity.

 
Chrometech limits its production to under 1000 wheels a day compared to 1500 output by the more automated chrome plating companies. Our focus is on quality and craftsmanship. We take the extra steps necessary to ensure a superior product....paying attention to detail which simply takes a little more time.

In testimony to the quality we've achieved, and the demand for our wheels, Chrometech ships wheels around the world. We can plate wheels up to 23" in diameter and 13" wide with turnaround times for custom wheels taking approximately 2 weeks. All Chrometech wheels come with a one-year warranty and guarantee of workmanship.

 

Customer-focused.

 
Although our focus is on creating a great chrome-plated wheel, we also concern ourselves with making sure that close attention is paid to your order and timing considerations. Our customer service team is available by phone to help you track your customers' wheels.