×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

PVD coatings different color each batch!

PVD coatings different color each batch!

PVD coatings different color each batch!

(OP)
Hi there, I have PVD coating done by a company in Ontario that boasts full process control for repeatable thickness and properties, yet every time I get a batch of parts done by them the color is slightly different.  What could cause this variation?  ZrN coatings are sometimes a rich lemon yellow (what I want) and other times pale silvery/gold (not good).  Is there something I can suggest to them to get more consistency?  I need both wear resistance and color quality.  Thanks for any help.
 

RE: PVD coatings different color each batch!

there is a problem of process repetability. The point is that the temperature into the batch must vary from one batch to another one. Do you know if they have a strict procedure to arrange workpieces into the batch? Are they always reparted into the same configuration? Is there always the same quantity of pieces into the batch?

all conditions should always be the same.

What kind of batch are they using?

RE: PVD coatings different color each batch!

(OP)
Okay, so does this mean that chamber temperature is the main factor in color repeatability?  I was told variations in surface appearance are due to eddies in the gas flow or variation in current density from different loads in the chamber.  Is this correct, and what role does temperature play?

Thanks for trying to help me understand this process more fully.  A few years into the research and development of my product and I still don't fully understand the variables.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources