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How to achieve Matte plated finish?

August 17, 2009

I am in the automotive restyling\ restoration supply industry. The majority of my companies expertise lies in painted products, with very little experience in metal plating. For one our new products we have been asked to replicate the finish from the front grille of a new vehicle , the Toyota Venza. The surface is silver in color and has a "matte" or "satin nickel" finish. After unsuccessfully trying several paint products and techniques, I did a conductivity test, and sure enough the finish is an uncoated metal.
So I have two questions:

1. In the chrome plating process is there a variation that would create this "matte" finish?

2. Is there a process that could create this same effect in an existing chrome part?

Thank you for your time and any help you could offer.

Adam Harris
Auto aftermarket shop employee - Tucson, Arizona, USA

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August 22, 2009

Are you sure that it is not anodized aluminum?
There is a possibility that it is bright nickel and even a possibility that it is zinc with a blue chromate coating.
Chrome can be done by grit blasting the surface and then plating. It is much more difficult that it sounds.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida

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August 26, 2009

James,

Thank you for helping with my problem. Hopefully we will soon find an answer. We have been in touch with a large plating facility, I will bring up the possibility of it being anodized aluminum.

Thanks again, and I will post what we find out.

Adam Harris
- Tucson, Arizona, USA