Date: 16 September 2007
KOLZER produces a complete range of machinery, offering different types of processes: METALLIZATION, SPUTTERING, PLASMA AND PE-CVD. Never as today have producers of consumer goods used coatings to add value to their product. PVD processes enable almost unlimited production of coatings on any type of surface.
Sputtering:
"Sputtering" technology represents a real alternative to definitively substitute chrome electroplating coating onto metal and plastic which is considered to be a strong pollutant and dangerous for health.
As well as being the cleanest technology among the coating techniques, Sputtering gives a combination of advantages like no other: first of all Sputtering is a method of production which is economically efficient generating the thinnest and most uniform coating possible.
Secondly it is a dry process at low temperature and thirdly it forms an indestructible bond between film and substrate, since it binds them together at a molecular level.
In addition to having characteristics of hardness and resistance to abrasion, innovative colours can be obtained for decorative motifs applied to the surfaces of high quality consumer goods.
It offers great versatility compared to other coatings, since being a cold transfer, it can be used for the deposition of conducting or non conducting material on any type of substrate, including metals, ceramics and plastic materials which are temperature sensitive.
Concerning glass, because of its being a hard, smooth and brilliant material, is the “perfect” substrate: it doesn’t require any coating base to prepare the surface for the sputtering process.
The process:
Coating using Sputtering is one of the most flexible methods to physically deposit vapour "PVD" (Physical Vapour Deposition).
The coating material is inserted into the vacuum chamber as a cathode under the form of a metal plate. After the chamber has been emptied, the process gas is introduced (argon is usually used as it has a high atomic weight).
A high voltage is applied and the gas is introduced.
The positive argon ions go through an acceleration process on the negative cathode and then expel the atoms of the metal plate (evaporating material), which then fall onto the substrates already in the chamber and condense them.
The impact of the atoms on the evaporating material produces “Sputtering”, as a result of the acceleration given by the succeeded particle.
Unlike many other vacuum deposition techniques, there is no fusion of material, therefore all the metals and alloys can be deposited with high efficiency and high control.
Different cathodes made of different materials can be inserted in a vacuum coating system to produce multiple layer systems. It is also possible to modify the combination of the single layers by varying the combination of the reactive gases.
KOLZER projects, engineers and produces its own systems using magnetron sputtering sources of any shape and size (circular, cylindrical, rectangular) supplying a vast range of targets (evaporating material).
KOLZER, in line with the requests of the market and of its clients, projects, produces and installs from the individual plant to the complete production line. The objective and the company philosophy is to offer each Client a “made to measure” solution. In this way it vouches not only for operation of its plants, but for all the production process obtaining a product in line with Client expectations.
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