I am looking for a chrome wheel for my car. I have found a nice wheel that is "Chrome PVD." I turns out the Chrome PVD is a powder coat chrome. They said it was as bright/shiny as real chrome but more durable. Does anyone have experience with powder coat chrome?
PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) Chrome was originally designed for the aerospace industry and has since become a highly popular finish in the automotive industry.
PVD Chrome is a powder coated process, first using a powder coating primer to protect the integrity of the part. After the powder coated process, the part enters our PVD Chamber where a mixture of metals are sputtered onto the part creating a chrome finish. The part is then coated with a high quality acrylic clear powder coat to protect the chrome finish.
Unlike traditional chrome platting, that pits and peel with normal wear and tear. PVD Chrome is a highly durable process that exceeds the life of chrome platting.
PVD Chrome plating is a 100% environmentally green process unlike tradition chrome plating. PVD wheels are 80% lighter than chrome plated wheels which leads to increased fuel economy
That just isn't possible with only changing the coating process!
there is a guy who was just on the news in the area who does this very sort of thing probably a little different than layering on a primer, chrome coloring, and clear powdercoat, but im sure the results are just as nice. he didn't go into detail while the local news was showcasing his business, but I have their site right here for anyone interested.
I powder coated my 3.4 oil pan chrome. It looks very nice and its very shiny but is not like regular chrome. I'd say it's more like polished aluminum. Of course it was one of the first things i ever coated and used cheep eBay PC but i like it.
I have powder coated several items including tuned port injection units and Holley stealth rams. To me the chrome looks more like a polished aluminum but is very durible and wont rust
there is a guy who was just on the news in the area who does this very sort of thing
I'm not questioning the ability for someone to spray a coating on a wheel that resembles chrome. I'm saying that it is impossible for the wheel to be 80% lighter if the only difference is the type of coating applied (ie. powder coated vs, chrome plated).
Originally posted by sspeedstreet: ............PVD Chrome plating is a 100% environmentally green process unlike tradition chrome plating.
When this phrase is related to ANY item, avoid it. It usually means a shitty product that is "watered down" for the hippy idiots to feel better about themselves.
True chrome plating is designed to be a very tough finish if done correctly.
[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 01-15-2014).]
If you read the way it is done, the chrome part is not powder coat. The part is powder coated with a primer, then the "chrome" is applied in a vacuum chamber like a fist surface mirror is done. Then a clear powder coat is applied to protect the delicate finish of the vacuum coated mirror layer. Larry
Being that chrome can be electrostaticaly charged, you would be able to powdercoat it. However, even powdercoat clears will dull the surface slightly, and the smooth surface won't allow the powder to "grip" the surface very well. I would think it would hold up better to chipping and peeling when compared to automotive clears.
Originally posted by Jefrysuko: I'm not questioning the ability for someone to spray a coating on a wheel that resembles chrome. I'm saying that it is impossible for the wheel to be 80% lighter if the only difference is the type of coating applied (ie. powder coated vs, chrome plated).
I think they are deceiving everyone in a sense and are actually talking about the weight of the chrome coating compared to the weight of the powder coating. Not the weight of the rim. Gas mileage will theoretically be better but so miniscule it is irrelevant.
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Originally posted by sspeedstreet: PVD wheels are 80% lighter than chrome plated wheels....
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Originally posted by Jefrysuko: ...it is impossible for the wheel to be 80% lighter if the only difference is the type of coating applied (ie. powder coated vs, chrome plated).
Some straightforward algebra shows that even if a PVD coating were absolutely weightless --- the claim that "PVD wheels are 80% lighter than chrome plated wheels" --- requires the weight of just the chrome plating itself to be four times greater than the weight of the wheel about to be chrome plated!
I'd like to see the exact wording used by the source for the comment in this thread by PFF member, sspeedstret, that "PVD wheels are 80% lighter than chrome plated wheels".
I doubt they really apply Chrome, more likely it is Aluminum or Silver or some other metal that boils at a fairly low temperature. Here is a link to how the shiny part is put on a surface. Larry
Maybe they meant the wheel weighs 80% of what a plated wheel is. Id still find that a bit much. Real chrome has a copper, nickle then chromium plating to be done right.
They do sell a spray can clear made for chrome wheels. Ive never used it though. If you want to just protect chrome wheels for winter driving, use clear Plastic-dip. It does stay on even in car washes, but it dims the chrome look. No kind of clear is completely 'clear'. Anything cleared will be different from the rest...even the 3M vinyl protector changes body part color a small amount.
Maybe they meant the wheel weighs 80% of what a plated wheel is. Id still find that a bit much. Real chrome has a copper, nickle then chromium plating to be done right.
They do sell a spray can clear made for chrome wheels. Ive never used it though. If you want to just protect chrome wheels for winter driving, use clear Plastic-dip. It does stay on even in car washes, but it dims the chrome look. No kind of clear is completely 'clear'. Anything cleared will be different from the rest...even the 3M vinyl protector changes body part color a small amount.
What they PROBABLY mean is that the plating itself is 80% ligher. So if a 20 lb wheel weights 25 lbs after chrome plating, I guess they are suggesting that with this method the wheel would weigh 20.5 lbs? (a 0.5 increase instead of a 5.0 increase)?