Oerlikon Balzers defines the benchmark - again and again.
Various processes are used to enhance the surfaces of tools and precision components and improve their behaviour and performance.

If the properties of commonly used coating processes are compared with those of our surface treatments, the PVD and PACVD and P3e™ processes used by Oerlikon Balzers show clear advantages.
Layer thicknesses and deposition temperatures of surface treatment methods

1 Plasma spraying
2 Electrolytic and chemical deposition
3 Phosphating
4 Nitriding (white layer)
5 Boronising
6 CVD
7 PVD, PACVD
8 P3e™

PVD = Physical Vapour Deposition
PACVD = Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition

P3e™ = Pulse Enhanced Electron Emission

For these processes, the tools or components are placed in a processing chamber, which is pumped down to produce a vacuum. Only in a vacuum can coatings of just a few µm with defined compositions and specific properties be reproducibly deposited.