Coatings, application technologies and equipment

ELECTROLYTE-PLASMA POLISHING OF METALS AND ALLOYS

Removal of impurities, oxide films and scale. Smoothing of sharp edges, deburring

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• increased corrosion resistance
• surface roughness, (0.05–0.12)
• current density, A/cm² (0.15–0.45)
• operating voltage, V (220–340)
• electrolyte temperature,°С (70–90)
• processing time, min (0.5–10)

APPLICATION

• processing of products made from stainless and carbon steels, copper, titanium and aluminum alloys when producing medical equipment and household appliances, electronics, jewelry. It is also applicable in mechanical engineering and watchmaking industries

ELECTROCHEMICAL OXIDATION OF ALUMINUM ALLOYS

Pulsed electrochemical process of a metal surface transformation into a decorative, strong and corrosion- resistant alumina ceramic coating

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• breakdown voltage, V (over 2000)
• wear resistance, mm3 / N·m (1*10^-8)
• maximum thickness, μm (70)
• thermal conductivity of the billet, W/m·K (120)
• roughness, μm (0.05)
• hardness, GPa (to 8)

APPLICATION

• engineering products, electronic and watchmaking industries

ADVANTAGES

• high corrosion resistance, hardness and wear resistance
• good electrical insulation properties
• it is possible to use the technology for the manufacturing of printed circuit boards, lighting equipment based on SMD LED elements
• the subsequent decorative coloring of aluminum oxide is possible

DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON COATINGS FOR GERMANIUM WINDOWS AND ASPHERIC LENSES

Coatings are formed on the surface of the lenses by a combined PVD-CVD method and are designed to increase the transmission of infrared radiation in the wavelength range of 8–12 microns and protect the lens surface from unfavorable environmental factors

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• coating thickness, μm (1,08-1,25)
• coating non-uniformity is not more than  4% for the aspheric lens with ø52 mm thick and radius of curvature is 54,33 mm; for the aspheric lens with ø37 mm
• average reflection in the wavelength range of 8-12 microns does not exceed 2%
• refraction index (2,2-2,5)
• transmission of IR radiation with a single-sided coating of the lens, % (> 63)
• adhesion (scratch testing) is more than 12 H and exceeds germanium cohesion

APPLICATION

• thermal imagers, night-vision devices, infrared thermometry

ADVANTAGES

• high capacity of lenses in the average IR range of wavelengths
• accurate specification of the required refraction index, incl. gradient in thickness
• high coating uniformity
• protection of the outer side of the lens from mechanical damage and corrosive atmosphere

WEAR RESISTANT ANTIFRICTION DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON COATINGS

Diamond-like carbon wear-resistant coatings with low coefficient of friction are obtained by a combined PVD-CVD method that is specially developed for depositing thick diamond-like carbon coatings

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• coating thickness, μm (1-5)
• hardness, HV (2000-3000)
• coefficient of dry friction (0,06…0.1)
• operating temperature, °С (up to 300)

APPLICATION

• mills, drill, bearings operating in dry friction

ADVANTAGES

• reduction of dry friction and surface energy of treated parts
• prevention of the adherence of wear products
• increase of the treatment accuracy and durability

DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON COATINGS FOR THREAD FEEDERS IN PRODUCTION OF FIBERGLASS

Coatings are deposited on products made of ‘spring’ steel and aluminum alloys by a pulsed cathodic arc method in an atmosphere of acetylene with surface pretreatment by electrolytic plasma processing methods

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• hardness, HV (2000–3000)
• coefficient of non-lubricated friction (0,10-0,15)
• operating temperature, °С (up to 350)

APPLICATION

• chemical industry, production of fiberglass, carbon fiber and polymer filaments

ADVANTAGES

• 2–2.5 times increase in durability of the thread feeders
• prevents stratification of the thread
• suppression of corrosion and chemical interaction of the base material with chemicals

DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON COATINGS AND CHROMIUM NITRIDE COATINGS FOR CASTING MOULDS

Diamond-like carbon coatings and CrN coatings and the technology of their obtaining for preventing chemical and mechanical wear and adherence of plastics and non-ferrous metals on operating surface of steel casting moulds

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• coating thickness, μm (2,5-3,0)
• hardness, GPa (18-25)
• heat resistance (DLC), °С (up to 350)
• heat resistance (CrN), °С (up to 350)

APPLICATION

• casting moulds for plastics and non-ferrous metal

ADVANTAGES

• multiply increase of the number of moulds closings
• non-stick effect
• improvement of casting quality
• absence of the necessity for using special lubricants

THE TECHNOLOGY OF HYBRID ION-PLASMA STEEL SURFACE HARDENING IN A SINGLE VACUUM CYCLE

Technology of depositing superhard and at the same time brittle nanocomposite coatings on prehardened base using ion-beam nitriding in a single vacuum cycle that enables to increase the interaction of the coating-base system, prevents the deformation and cracking of the coating at mechanical treatment

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• coating thickness, μm (2,5-3,0)
• depth of the nitride layer, μm (20-30)
• hardness of the coating-base system, GPa (30-40)
• 4-7 times increase of crack resistance
• adhesion increase of the coating to the base (more than 2 times)

APPLICATION

• tools operating at impact loads and high cutting rate

ADVANTAGES

• low time for nitriding without white layer formation
• multiply increase of crack resistance and adhesion
• single vacuum cycle of nitriding and coating deposition

PROTECTIVE-DECORATIVE COATINGS

Deposition of multicomponent coatings from separated plasma flows is meant to protect products from corrosion and confer high protective and decorative properties

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• coefficient of wear resistance increase (2,5-5,0)
• corrosion resistance score (6-8)
• glitter, % (80-85)

APPLICATION

• products from metal, glass, ceramics, plastics for the watch industry, furniture and leather fittings, consumer goods

ADVANTAGES

• a wide range of colours
• replace of ecologically harmful galvanic process
• increased corrosion resistance in a few harsh chemical environments

PROTECTIVE-DECORATIVE DIAMOND LIKE CARBON COATINGS FOR WATCHES PARTS

Coatings are deposited by a combined PVD-CVD method on chromed basic part
of watches and watches parts from stainless steel

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• coating thickness, μm (0,2 – 1,5)
• hardness, HV (2000 – 3000)
• adhesion (scratch testing), Н (>30)

APPLICATION

• production of watches, artistic-decorative products, finish hardware

ADVANTAGES

• wear and corrosion resistance
• biological indifference
• a possibility of obtaining the color-grade due to interference effect

PROTECTIVE-DECORATIVE COATINGS OF REFLECTING SHEET MATERIALS

Ion-plasma nanostructured TiN coatings of reflecting sheet materials

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• grade and dimensions (mm) of series-produced sheet materials 
• AISI-304 (0,5*495*1600)
• AISI-430  (0,4*495*1600)
• thickness of TiN coating 2 µm

APPLICATION

• architecture and construction

ADVANTAGES

• a reflecting sheet stainless steel with decorative golden color coating has increased resistance to plastic deformation
• the durability of the color and gloss during operation in exposure atmospheric conditions is more than 50 years

PROTECTIVE-DECORATIVE COATINGS ON TITANIUM IMPLANTS

Improves the properties of biocompatibility, wear resistance and corrosion resistance of medical implants made from titanium alloys. Color coding of implants and fasteners simplifies the conduct of surgeries

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• coating thickness, μm (0.05–5.0)
• color range of coatings (from red to blue, gray)
• increased corrosion resistance, % (40)

APPLICATION

• implants for traumatology, spine surgery, orthopedics, dentistry

ADVANTAGES

• coatings provide the necessary biomedical and protective properties of the implant’s surface 
• characterized by the properties of biological inertness and bioactivity

WEAR-RESISTANT NANOCOMPOSITE COATINGS FOR METAL- AND WOODWORKING TOOLS

TiAlN:Si3N4, ZrCN:DLC coatings with ultradispersed grains of nitride ceramics in an amorphous matrix of silicon nitride or diamond-like carbon are formed by vacuum arc deposition in nitrogen and acetylene atmosphere from alloy cathodes

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• coating thickness, μm (3–5)
• grain-crystallites size, nm (8–10)
• hardness, GPa (up to 47)
• upper limit of the operating temperature (TI-Al-Si-N), °С  (780)
• operation under shock loads (Zr-C-N)

APPLICATION

• tool-making industry, metal and woodworking, wear resistance improvement of drills, mills, cutting dies, threading rolls, broaches and other metal and woodworking tools from alloy-treated steels and hard alloys

ADVANTAGES

• increase of tool durability by 1.8–3 times
• improvement of the treatment quality
• increase of the performance characteristics of the tool under high temperatures and shock loads

WEAR-RESISTANT ANTIFRICTION COATINGS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES

Diamond-like carbon coatings with high surface smoothness and low coefficient of friction, containing fluorine and silicon in specified amounts, are specially designed for plunger pairs of a high-pressure fuel pump, pistons and piston rings, lift valves and gas distribution shafts

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• thickness of coatings 
• plunger pairs (of varying degrees of hardness), μm (from 0.1) 
• piston rings (of varying degrees of hardness), μm (up to 30 microns)
• maximum operating temperature, °C (350)

APPLICATION

• mechanical engineering, manufacture of internal-combustion engines, restoration of worn-out surfaces of plunger pumps

ADVANTAGES

• reduction of friction
• increase of life cycle of an engine’s moving parts
• save of fuel and reduce of CO₂ emissions
• compliance with the standard for the manufacturing of Euro-5 engines

WEAR- AND CORROSION-RESISTANT MULTILAYER COATINGS

Deposition of multicomponent coatings (Ti, Al)N from separated plasma flows differing in increased corrosion resistance in a few harsh chemical environments and high resistance to abrasive wear

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• coefficient of wear resistance increase (2,5-5,0)
• corrosion resistance grade (6-8)

APPLICATION

• formable parts of molds and dies, piston rings, plunger pairs, rods, gas-fittings

ADVANTAGES

• simultaneous wear resistance and anticorrosion-resistant properties
• replace high alloyed steel with low alloyed steel at manufacturing critical parts

WEAR- AND CORROSION-RESISTANT MULTILAYER COATINGS

A combination of nanostructured layers based on refractory metals (Ti, Zr, Mo, Cr, etc.), their nitrides, carbides, carbonitrides, oxycarbonitrides and diamond-like carbon

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• number of coating layers (2–10)
• coating thickness, μm (5–5)
• microhardness, GPa (30…85)
• operating temperature, ° С (400–1200)
• increase in tool durability (2–5 times)

APPLICATION

• metal-forming equipment, tools for metal, wood and plastic processing

ADVANTAGES

• improves processing quality
• reduces the processing time and costs for equipment readjustment
• saves energy costs, resource saving

PLASMA-ARC WELDING OF METALLURGICAL COATINGS

Formation of wear-resistant (self-fluxing alloys of the Fe-Ni-Cr-C system, reinforced with nanodispersed carbon black) and antifriction (tin or tin-lead bronzes) coatings on mechanical engineering parts

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• coating thickness, mm (up to 5)
• capacity, kg/h (from 1 to 5)
• hardness, GPa (up to 12)
• density (up to 0,88 – 0,96 of cast material)
• coefficient of friction (0,05 – 0,2)

ELECTROCHEMICAL PROTECTIVE AND FUNCTIONAL COATINGS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SINGLE-CRYSTAL AND MULTI-CRESTAL DIAMOND TOOLS

Corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant metal and polymetallic coatings based on nickel, nickel-containing (Ni-W-C, Ni-Fe-Cr-C, etc.) dispersion-aging alloys, including high-entropy ones

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• microhardness, GPa (up to 12)
• sliding friction coefficient (0,12-0,2)

APPLICATION

• tools for treating metal, glass, superhard material and diamonds

NANOSTRUCTURED MULTIPLE-COMPONENT HARDFACING COATINGS

Deposition of multiple-component coatings using metal cathodes (Ti, Zr, Cu, Cr, Al and others) in an environment of reaction gases during separation of the plasma stream in order to produce dense nanosized high-hardness coatings with a small friction coefficient

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• coating thickness, µm. (1–4)
• microhardness, GPa (30–42)
• friction coefficient (0.1–0.4)
• thermal resistance, ºС (up to 1000)
• wear resistance increase factor (1.5–3.5)
• increase in efficiency of cutting operation, % (15–20)
• reduction in operating costs factor (1.20–1.25)

APPLICATION

• metal-cutting and wood-working tools made of high-speed steel and hard alloys, mechanical-engineering and tool- making enterprises

ADVANTAGES

• reduction in tool wear rate by 1.5–3.5 times depending on a processed material
• no need in using expensive composite cathodes
• an opportunity of equipping of a production unit with a system of plasma stream separation

CORROSION-RESISTANT AND DECORATIVE POLYMETALLIC COATINGS BASED ON ZINC AND ZINC-NICKEL ALLOY FOR PARTS AND UNITS OF MACHINES AND MECHANISMS

Development of electrochemical coatings based on zinc, zinc-nickel alloy, two-layer coatings (zinc-nickel)- zinc, gradient zinc-nickel coatings, process of their application and electrolytes for their deposition. Coating for parts

APPLICATION

• parts and units of machines and mechanisms operating in severe weather conditions and in aggressive industrial environments

ADVANTAGES

• coating microhardness is 3-6 GPa
• service life in corrosive environments up to 1000 hours

DEVELOPMENT OF PROTECTIVE OUTER LAYERS USING UNBALANCED MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

An opportunity of deposition of coatings based on metals, alloys, chemical compounds, polymer materials

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• maximum dimensions of processed items, mm (160×160×200)
• magnetron current, А (up to 4.5)
• maximum supply voltage, V (up to 700)
• shift voltage of a substrate,V (up to 1500)
• evaporation rate, µm /h (1–10)

APPLICATION

• tribological engineering, machine-building and instrument engineering, microelectronics, medicine, tooling industry

ADVANTAGES

• an opportunity of deposition of coatings at a comparatively low temperature
• good adhesion of deposited coatings
• an opportunity of work in the mode of stabilization of current or voltagee=”font-weight: 400;”>good adhesion of deposited coatings
• an opportunity of work in the mode of stabilization of current or voltage

COATING APPLYING AND SURFACE ACTIVATION OF POLYMER ROLL MATERIALS

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• processed materials- polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polyimide, etc
• deposited coatings- metals, alloys and metal- and alloy-based chemical compounds
• surface activation of polymer roll materials by low temperature plasma in argon environment
• dimensions of processed roll materials
  •   width, mm (up to 1000)
  •   roll diameter, mm (up to 400)
  •   material thickness, µm (from 20 to 300)
  •   rewind speed, m/s (from 0.001 to 10)
  •   output at single-shift work, t/month (up to 20)

APPLICATION

• printing products (packaging), holographic products (product protection and identification tool), electro-technical production (capacitors, insulation materials), energy-saving vapor barrier films for construction and agriculture, medical fabrics with silver-based disinfectant layer, fabrics with increased fire-retardant characteristics for emergency services

ADVANTAGES

• full automation of metallizing
• control of deposition parameters and the quality of coatings on a real-time basis
• good adhesion between coatings and a base material
• ecological cleanness of the process
• an opportunity of pilot-batch and small-batch production, optimization of technologies at the request of the customer