Hard chrome plating, chemical nickel, and functional galvanic coatings for wear protection of metal components.
CHROM-SCHMITT GmbH & Co. KG
Baden-Baden (Steinbach)New on Amplifa
Surface Finishing Since 1948
CHROM-SCHMITT is a family-run company founded in 1948, specializing in technical surface finishing, located in Baden-Baden-Steinbach. Its core competence is hard chrome plating of all types of metal parts to increase wear resistance, lifespan, and performance of components. In addition to hard chrome, structural chrome, drum chrome, and soft chrome, chemical nickel (nickel-phosphorus), pickling, sandblasting, as well as grinding and polishing are offered; additionally, the company uncoats and recoats components for repair purposes and performs partial coatings. Steel and aluminum parts, as well as other metals, are coated to layer thicknesses up to 1,000 µm and without heat distortion – from single parts to large series. Customers come from mechanical engineering, automotive manufacturing, aerospace, and skilled trades and other industry sectors; the company supports projects from design to coating application. With around 75 employees, the operation runs galvanizing systems, a wet-chemical laboratory, and state-of-the-art wastewater and exhaust air technology.
- Site
- Baden-Baden
- Processes
- Hard Chrome (Hard Chrome Plating), Structural Chrome, Drum Chrome, Soft Chrome, Chemical Nickel (Nickel-Phosphorus Layers), Pickling, Sandblasting, Grinding & Polishing
- Materials
- Steel, Aluminum, Copper, Brass, Chrom (Layer material, metallic chromium layers), Nickel-Phosphorus Alloy (Layer material, chemical nickel), High-strength steels (Tensile strength > 950 N/mm², with heat treatment after coating), Hard Chrome (Electrolytically deposited chromium layers)
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 9001, ISO 14001
- Founded
- 1948
- Employees
- ca. 75
- Industries
- Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Manufacturing, Aerospace, Skilled Trades and other industry sectors, Craftsmen and large companies (all industry sectors)
- 01
Consulting from design to coating application
- 02
Pre-treatment (Degreasing, Pickling, Deoxidizing, Sandblasting, Grinding)
- 03
Galvanic Coating (Hard Chrome, Chemical Nickel, etc.)
- 04
Post-treatment (Heat Treatment, Grinding, Polishing)
- 05
Material and Layer Inspection
- 06
Delivery
Materials and Processes
Hard Chrome (Electrolytically deposited chromium layers)
Functional wear protection layers on steel and aluminum parts up to 1,000 µm layer thickness.
Chemical Nickel (Nickel-Phosphorus alloy)
Even, corrosion- and wear-resistant layers on metals of all types, including complex geometries.
Aluminum
Base material for hard chrome and hard anodizing to improve the wear of high-quality parts.
Steel (including high-strength steels > 950 N/mm²)
Main base material; high-strength steels undergo heat treatment after coating to prevent hydrogen embrittlement.
Copper
Must be protected/sealed during hard chrome processes, as it dissolves in the electrolyte.
Brass
Also needs protection/sealing, as it dissolves in hard chrome electrolytes.
Site
Baden-Baden (Steinbach)
DEHeadquarters with production plant for galvanic surface finishing
- Lot size
- Single part to large series
- Materials
- Steel, Aluminum, other metals
- Galvanizing / Hard Chrome plating systems
- Vacuum evaporation system (Wastewater treatment, since 2020)
- Wastewater treatment systems
- Exhaust air systems with various cleaning stages
- Wet-chemical laboratory
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hard Chrome (Hard Chrome Plating)Surface | Layer thicknesses up to 1,000 µm | – | – | Single part – Large series | Steel, Aluminum, Metals of all types |
| Structural ChromeSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Drum ChromeSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Soft ChromeSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Chemical Nickel (Nickel-Phosphorus Layers)Surface | Layer thicknesses up to 1,000 µm | – | – | Single part – Large series | Metals of all types |
| PicklingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| SandblastingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Grinding & PolishingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Degreasing (Pre-treatment)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Pickling (Pre-treatment)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Deoxidizing (Pre-treatment)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Heat Treatment (e.g., Hydrogen annealing after coating)Heat Treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| Coating and Recoating for Repair PurposesSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Partial Coating (Selective Coating)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Hard Anodizing (Anodizing)Surface | – | – | – | – | Aluminum |
| Galvanic Coating of Metallic Surfaces (Electrolytic Processes)Surface | – | – | – | – | Steel, Aluminum |
| Development, Planning, and Design (Consulting from development phase to finished product)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| X-ray Fluorescence Layer Thickness MeasurementTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Magnetic Induction Layer Thickness MeasurementTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Eddy Current Layer Thickness MeasurementTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Cross-sectioning Layer Thickness MeasurementTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Coulometric Layer Thickness MeasurementTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Etching and Crack DeterminationTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Hardness Testing according to VickersTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Corrosion Resistance Test (currently upon request)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Abrasion Resistance TestTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Wet-Chemical Laboratory (Analysis and monitoring of all chemicals and bath parameters used)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
11 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galvanizing / Hard Chrome plating systems (Electrolytic coating systems) | – | – | – | – | Baden-Baden-Steinbach (Vimbucher Straße 17) |
| Vacuum evaporation system (Wastewater treatment) | – | 1 | – | 2020 | Baden-Baden-Steinbach (Vimbucher Straße 17) |
| Wastewater treatment systems | – | – | – | – | Baden-Baden-Steinbach (Vimbucher Straße 17) |
| Exhaust air systems with various cleaning stages | – | – | – | – | Baden-Baden-Steinbach (Vimbucher Straße 17) |
| X-ray Fluorescence Layer Thickness Gauge | – | – | – | – | Baden-Baden-Steinbach (Vimbucher Straße 17) |
| Magnetic Induction Layer Thickness Gauge | – | – | – | – | Baden-Baden-Steinbach (Vimbucher Straße 17) |
| Eddy Current Layer Thickness Gauge | – | – | – | – | Baden-Baden-Steinbach (Vimbucher Straße 17) |
| Cross-sectioning Layer Thickness Gauge (Inspection equipment) | – | – | – | – | Baden-Baden-Steinbach (Vimbucher Straße 17) |
| Coulometric Layer Thickness Gauge | – | – | – | – | Baden-Baden-Steinbach (Vimbucher Straße 17) |
| Hardness Tester (Vickers) | – | – | – | – | Baden-Baden-Steinbach (Vimbucher Straße 17) |
| Wet-chemical Laboratory (Analysis equipment for bath parameters and chemicals) | – | 1 | – | – | Baden-Baden-Steinbach (Vimbucher Straße 17) |
Additional services
Quality and Environment
The management system is certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001 and DIN EN ISO 14001. Layers are tested for thickness using X-ray fluorescence, magnetic induction, eddy current, cross-sectioning, and coulometric methods; in addition, hardness testing according to Vickers, etching and crack determination, as well as an in-house wet-chemical laboratory for monitoring all bath parameters.
| Evidence | Baden-Baden (Steinbach) |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |
| ISO 14001 |
Company History
- 1948
Founding of Hartchrom Baden-Baden by Walter Schmitt sr., previously a galvanizer at Daimler-Benz AG.
- 1953
Move to a new building; the company name CHROM-SCHMITT is created.
- 1956
Expansion by addition, approx. 20 employees; Hartchrom is the core business.
- 1971
Move to the current plant in Steinbach.
- ca. 1980
Over 50 employees, hard anodizing as another pillar; Walter Schmitt jr. takes over management as the 2nd generation.
- 2020
Since January 2020, the company has operated a vacuum evaporation system for wastewater treatment; no process wastewater enters the public sewer network.
- aktuell
The 3rd generation (Philipp and Jochen Schmitt) continues to lead the company innovatively and sustainably.