PVD thin film functional coatings / Metal Hardware PVD vacuum plating / PVD hard coatings
Hard coatings, formed by reactive Physical Vapor Deposition ( PVD) processes, based on plasma technology,are becoming widely used in the tool industries.
In order to get the most hard, tense, wear-and corrosion-resistant coating, the substrate temperature should be as high as possible, and concurrent bombardment by energetic atomic-sized particles ( Ion-plating ) during the reactive deposition should be used. For example, in coating hardened steel drills, the substrate is heated to 450 or so before deposition is started. This pre-heating can be done by ion bombardment, which also sputter cleans the surface, or by using other heating sources in the deposition chamber.
During the process of PVD hard coating for tools, it does not change the physical dimensions of the part significantly.
The plasma gas used for reactive deposition is a mixture of argon, nitrogen and ethyne. The composition of the coatings is varied by varying the gas mixture.
The most common vaporization sources for the ion plating of hard coatings are unbalanced-magnetron- -sputtering sources, and cathodic-arc-vaporization sources. Bombardment during deposition is commonly achieved by applying a negative bias (-200 to -300 volts ) to the substrate and accelerating positive ions to the surface from a plasma. A high ratio of bombarding ions to depositing atoms is important for densifying the depositing material. In the unbalanced-magnetron-sputtering source, few of the sputtered atoms are ionized; but in the cathodic arc sources, a high percentage of the vaporized atoms are ionized. Because these “ film ions ” have a higher mass than do the gas ions, they are better able to sputter surfaces and densify films by “ atomic peening.”
Industrial tool coatings are typically 1.5 to 4 microns in thickness.
General Reference: Education Guides to Vacuum Coating Processing, written by Donald M. Mattox, 2009 by Society of Vacuum Coater.
Applications:
Hard coatings are becoming widely used in the decorative coating and industrial tools (HSS or HSC
materials). The coatings are more resistance to wear and corrosion, to fulfill the tools functions more reliably and for a longer life time, 2-3 times longer than without coating in general.
Cutting Tools: ( Suggested Coatings: AlTiN/TiAlN, TiCN and TiN)
Sawing, milling, CNC insert ( hard turning using), drilling, hobbing and gear cutter etc.
Punching & Forming ( Suggested Coatings: CrN, TiCN and TiN)
Metal Stamping
Moulding ( Plastic Injection Mold) -- ( Suggested Coatings: TiCN and TiN )
Die Casting
Precision Components
Others, like: machine tools, texitile machine, re-coating, re-sharpening applications etc.
Vakia-HTC series hard coating equipmen description:
1. HTC equipment systems consists of: vacuum chamber, vacuum pumps, arc sources, spindle & jack, jigs structure, heating & cooling, water & gas( distribution), electrical control & operation systems etc.
2. Application: industrial functional coatings for hard tools.
3.Coating Films: TiN, TiC, CrN, AlTiN etc.
4.Coating Advantages: high hardness and wear-resistance and corrosion,increased tool life time & improved workpiece quality. "
Technical Advantages
1. Strong background of R&D support, focus on details of manufacturing.
2. Large steered cathodic arc sources to reduce droplets during depostion.
3. Accurate heating control system, the deviation is ±5, when the substrate surface is up to 550.
4. Advanced high density plasma pretreatment.
Please contact us today, Vakia Vacuum Coating is honored to be your your business partner.
