Technical Any one familiar with PVD coating process. Physical vapor deposition

similar to vacuum metalizing.

Im looking at it for a plating alternative

 

Sounds pretty wild. Hopefully this is a practical and economically viable process and could allow us to have parts plated in areas where environmental regulations and restrictions currently prohibit the traditional plating process.


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This process is widely used for coating die components to promote longevity at working areas... punches , trim steels, and sometimes form/flange steels...Companies like Ion Bond and Tiekuru are common places to get this process done.

 

now to find someone that has the equipment.

 

It's a pretty high tech process that some OEM headlight manufacturers are using for the manufacture of headlights and some other components for the auto makers.
I saw it on How it's Made.
Because of the cost of the equipment I'm thinking that it will be as expensive as regular chrome plating.

 

So let me preface this, I'm looking for bright plating thats corrosion resistant, functional. Not decorative show chrome that's mostly for form.


This has been around for decades!
It's 5x the corrosion resistant of electroplated parts.
Adds wear resistance and strength that's why it's on machine cutting tools, knives, fire arms, kitchen gadgets, and all sorts of stuff.
Used in everything, we probably touch it 10 times a day and don't know it. from Aerospace to internal watch parts, bath fixtures, door handles, food processing equipment, shelving racks, medical instruments and implants and last but not least on OEM automotive parts. (Wheels and plastics). Some of the aftermarket brake rotor manufacturers are doing their top end rotors, so the stuff is pretty damn tuff.


So far there there are a few auto type related shops that will do or redo wheels. The cost on a intricate Late model clown car shaped wheel with like 500 facets is under $200.00 and guaranteed for 5 years!!!! That is Way more area and surfaces than a '34 ford grill that costs $2000.00 to get chromed and pits in 6-12 months. Since they apply this technology and coating to full size sheets of steel down to tiny internal watch parts it should work for anything sized in between. They did an Indy car body, they can do anything we could ever throw at them. The right materials will easily handle header temps too as well as brake rotors. Run a rotor up to the chrome shop and see what they want.

Oh and it's 100% environmentally friendly.
So Why hasn't this process spilled over into the HEAVILY EPA BURDENED electro plate Chrome plating industry yet?

I don't think it would be good for huge surfaces like 50's bumpers where the area is measured in square feet and folks expect a true mirror, but anything less that that would be great.

Since it works on plastics, you can scan the part, 3D print it, chrome it and stick it on the car.

 

http://redirect.viglink.com/?format...txt=http://www.thechromeshop.com/pvd-coating/

 

From what I have read the PVD is very similar to powder coating and is a alternative to chrome plating but less expensive. HRP

 

The shops that are redoing wheels do put a powder primer down, a powder base coat down then put the genuine PVD process on with the vacuum chamber and vaporized aluminum, then they lay down the clear powder coat. So actually it's both processes, PVD and powder coating on the wheels. That's the only automotive aftermarket so far.

 

After lunch bunch

 

So this is the same process as what you get on model cars, plated plastic, etc?
Why the clear coat? Corrosion of the aluminum?

 

Here's the 3 minute segment from How it's Made on the shiny vapor coating of aluminum applied to headlights.
Applied to plastic over a painted on primer coat. Very shiny. Very pretty and did I mention shiny ?
Not sure if this same process could be used on metal parts, I just don't see the durability of it as a replacement for the usual chrome plated parts.
A clear coat would definitely be required for any surfaces that would be exposed to the environment, unlike the inside of a sealed headlight housing.

 

I don't know, but that's how the company says they re do wheels.
Ever have a late model wheel try to spit the chrome off like spitting watermelon seeds, the shit will cut you wide open like a razor knife. The powder coat must fill pits. I got a set of after market chrome plated wheels for my truck, looked great for 3 summers then spit the chrome off. Now the company that does wheels also does regular plating, but I didn't see where they do PVD on anything but wheels.

All of the 47,000 other things coated the PVD way don't don't get a clear coat or powder coated base coat. There's quite a few videos on what they do it to, the stuff is really tough.

 

I spent a good amount of time researching this technology. I was looking into getting into the
Non Hex Chroming buisness.
Check out this company - www.goodrichtechnology.com/
They have the system to do the "new" age chrome plating. The "ringer" is it was going to cost me $ 750,000.00 to get the machinery ! ! ! This is still in the back of my mind and on the back burner for now.

VR&C.

 

No, that's vacuum metalizing with a clear coat, same as on "chrome"dash parts. There was a guy in Mission that used to do it, right down by where the old race track was.

 

I think member langy talked about that process in one of his build threads maybe a "conversation" with him will get what you need.

 

Another alternative to explore is DLC coating which typically has a deep grey look. It isnt chrome looking but I guarantee you not to many people have used it on their hot rods...Ill go out to the shop and see if I can find an example... it really might be something the traditionalist would really dig since its sort of a matted finish!
But then again... here we are being selectively traditional to suit our convenience.....coincidence?

 

Here is a picture of DLC... I think its way more novel than chrome! You can see the end of the pierce punch is like Darth vader looking!

 

Another kind of cool coating we use for the same purpose id TIN (titanium Ion Nitride)

 

Great stuff, thanks

 

There are a few other coatings that may suit your needs but they are proprietary .

 

Another process to consider is brite anodizing. Anodizing is a common process used on screen door frames & much more. But, brite anodizing , which is mainly used in the aero space industry, has a very shiny finish close to chrome. Not available everywhere. Is in So Cal. Have a OT '67 Fairlane Ranchero with very thin metal tail light rings & more. Had clear factory anodizing which had failed. Can not be chrome plated or powder coated. This anodizing is much better looking than original, and is durable.

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I hesitate to chime in on this as I am not well versed in the subject but a friend of mine(sadly deceased)ran an aerospace business in Florida that specialized in not only vacuum metallizing technology(he held several patents for machines)but creating nano coatings for extending the life of metals. One of the last times we saw each other he was working with Eaton Gear about his development of nano coatings for transmission and rear axle gears that extended the service life tremendously. Him and his partner(a classmate of mine in school)sold the business several years ago but I think Phil started up another company with similar technology. I'll see if I can find out more.The original company was called A.L.D. Technologies in Rockledge Florida.

 

Is PVD the same as Futurechrome?.... Thanks