Coating Technologies

Nitriding, PVD Coating and Electroplating are the three major industrial surface treatment processes used to enhance the properties of materials improving wear resistance, surface hardness and corrosion resistance. 

PVD - Physical Vapor Deposition, is a technology used to deposit materials (commonly referred to as targets or coating materials) as gaseous molecules, atoms, or ions under vacuum conditions, and then deposit them onto a workpiece to form thin films with specific functionalities. The advantages of PVD technology include fast deposition rates, zero pollution, and the ability to deposit various types of films with different properties, such as metal films, oxide films, nitride films, etc. Common PVD deposition techniques include evaporation, sputtering, and arc deposition.

Nitriding is a thermochemical process that involves diffusing nitrogen into the surface of a metal to form nitrides, typically through exposure to ammonia gas or nitrogen-rich environments at elevated temperatures. Nitriding is primarily specific to ferrous metals improves surface hardness, wear resistance, fatigue strength, and corrosion resistance. It can also enhance the surface's resistance to galling and seizure.

Electroplating is an electrolytic process that deposits metallic coating onto a wide range of substrates by immersing the substrates in an electrolyte solution containing dissolved metal ions, and an electric current is passed through the solution to deposit the metal ions onto the substrate. Electroplating provides improved surface properties such as corrosion resistance, wear resistance, conductivity, and aesthetics. It can also be used for decorative purposes and to enhance solderability or adhesion.