PVD & DLC Coatings
Providing Physical Vapor Deposition & Diamond-Like Carbon coatings in the Pacific Northwest - Oregon's premier coating facility serving the both USA & International Clients.
What is PVD Coating?
Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Definition: A process that takes a solid metal, vaporizes it in a vacuum, and deposits that vapor, atom by atom, onto the surface of a part.
PVD Benefits: This process forms a thin, bonded metal layer that improves the appearance, durability, an/or function of a part or product.
What is DLC Coating?
Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) Definition: A thin-film coating deposited using a PE-CVD (Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) Process.
DLC Benefits: DLC is a carbon-based thin film that can provide extreme hardness, reduced friction, and a unique appearance. Typical DLC applications include tooling components, engine parts, razors, watches and medical devices.
The PVD Process
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The coating system chamber is pumped down to a high vacuum.
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Parts are etched/cleaned by creating a high-energy argon plasma in the chamber.
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Energy is added to a metal target causing it to vaporize through a "cathodic arc" or "sputtering" process.
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A high-voltage is applied to the parts to help draw vaporized metal to the surface.
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A thin layer is deposited to improve coating adhesionm followed by one or more coating layers.
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Small amounts of nitrogen, oxygen or carbon-containing gases are added, which combine with the vaporized metal to form new compound materials with unique colors or functional characteristics.
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The coating chamber system is cooled and brought back to atmospheric pressure.
PVD & DLC Product Applications
Cutlery
From high-performance blades to precision razors, PVD & DLC provide the ultra precise coating parameters necessary to maintain sharp edges.
Kitchen Fixtures
With multiple PVD color finish options available, fixtures such as sink faucets and handles can be coated with a durable and classy finish while maintaining the desired thickness.
Automotive Parts
PVD coating provides thin-film coating that can increase the longevity of car parts such as: fuel injectors, gears, pneumatic cylinders, pistons, bearings & valves.
Parts Processing
From raw part to finished item.
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Machined parts are cleaned to remove oils and particulates.
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Parts are loaded on to carriers or "racks."
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Racks with parts are loaded into the vacuum chamber of a coating system.
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The operator initiates an automated coating process.
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Parts are unloaded and transferred to assembly or packaging.
Physical Vapor Deposition in action
Caution: Video shows PVD process and flashing visuals may affect sensitive eyes.
The PVD coating process is filmed showing how ions are vaporized onto the substrate.
This process must take place in a vacuum chamber to prevent contamination or unwanted debris in the coating.
Running test loads with your parts are essential to achieve your desired finish. This can be time consuming but is necessary for many reasons. This helps us determine how many parts we can fit into the chamber at a time, how to hang your parts on the racks correctly to get the best finish and lets us know if we must modify existing recipes for the best finish possible. Each test run can take from 90 minutes to 140 minutes for PVD and 180 to 300 minutes for DLC. For example, a test run of widgets were not blue enough. On our next test run, we would modify the recipe and add 2 minutes of blue to the next test run. Perhaps one side of the widget was vivid blue, and the other side was dull blue. We would modify how the widget is hanging on the rack and do another test run. Test runs are repeated until the desired finish is achieved. Because of the relatively short run times of PVD, many test runs of PVD can be achieved in one day. Perfecting a decorative DLC recipe can very time consuming and is not as forgiving as our PVD colors. For example, if a test run produced parts that had a “rainbow effect”, this is a signal that the coating is light, and more time should be added to the process. If you add to much time, the parts will begin to peel because the coating is too thick. Also consider the way parts are hanging on the racks. This may need to be modified also. Because of the length of DLC run times, up to 2 test runs per day are possible.
The Keys to Successful Coating
MASIC has a zirconium target with these colors available for PVD: Gold, Light Bronze, Vivid Blue, Black, Graphite • Other colors and targets are available to purchase from Vaportech • Test runs require enough parts to fill one rack for PVD, for DLC enough parts to fill 6 racks • Test runs require a significant number of working days to perfect recipe run time and hanging orientation of part on rack
Talk to a MASIC Coating Expert
Looking for more information on what these finishes can do for your parts and products? Wanting to get a quote on PDV or DLC finishes?
Click below to view our quote request form, or email info@masicindustries.com