1.What is PVD coating?
Physical Vapor Deposition, or PVD, is a term used to describe a family of thin-film coating processes which are applied under vacuum conditions (10^-2 to 10^-4 Torr). These processes involve the generation of positively charged ions of various metals. These metal ions react with gas ions that are introduced into the chamber in order to create various compositions. The parts to be coated are given a negative bias in order to attract the positively charged ions. The result is a very strong mechanical bond between the coating and the tool. The main categories of PVD processing are vacuum evaporation, sputter deposition, and ion plating.
　We had been dedicated to the Ion plating over 15 years. The business of our company now is mainly including two parts:
　　1.Manufacturing and selling our STN series PVD Ion Coating Equipment
　　2.Provide PVD Ion Coating Services (coatings e.g. TiN, ZrN, TiC, TiO, TiCN, TiAlN)
　　3.By using a reactive gas in the plasma, films of compound materials can be deposited. Ion plating can 　　provide dense coating at relatively high gas pressure where gas scattering can enhance surface coverage. Ion plating is used to deposit hard coatings of compound materials, adherent metal coatings, optical coatings with high densities, and conformal coatings on complex surfaces.

2.Why should I use PVD coatings?
In some cases surface modification processes can be used to modify the substrate surface prior to depositing a film or coating. For example a steel surface can be hardened by plasma nitriding (ion nitriding) prior to the deposition of a hard coating by a PVD process. Regardless of the tooling application, the primary reason for using PVD coating is very simple: to lower your cost-per-part. Out customers consistently experience longer tool life while also being able to operate at increased speeds and feeds. The savings calculation becomes very easy: reduced down-time for PM and/or tool changes + increased production rates = signification and tangible savings for your company.

3.What can I do with PVD coatings?
At present, the application of PVD Ion Coating Technology is mainly divided into two kinds: Decorative Coating and Functional Coating (Tool Coating).
　Decorative Coating: make PVD Coatings mainly on all kinds of metal products, e.g. watch case/belt, lock hardware, kitchen and shower equipment hardware, lightings hardware, tableware etc. The durability and scratch resistance is far superior to other conventional coating methods. The PVD coatings create an attractive, modern surface in a comprehensive range of colors, and can be color-matched to existing metallic surfaces.
　Functional Coating (Tool Coating): mainly make PVD coatings (mainly TiN, CrN, TiC, TiCN, TiAlN etc.) on all kinds of hardware tools (e.g. screwdriver, pliers etc.), cutting tools (e.g. lathe tool, milling cutter, drills etc.) and different kinds of moulds.
　The above coatings have high hardness and low coefficient of friction. They all can endure high temperature, abrasion and corrosion. The coatings not only make the products looked better, but also well increase the life time of those tools and moulds by 5~40 times. Meanwhile, the cutting speed and the fineness are also increased.

4.What is the rate of the PVD process?
PVD coating technology is an environmental surface processing method, which can really make up the coatings of nanometer class. Typical PVD process rates are 1-10 nanometers per second.

5.What kind of film can I get with PVD process?
It can make some kinds of single metal film (e.g. Al, Ti, Zr, Cr, etc.), nitride film (e.g. TiN, ZrN, CrN, TiAlN etc.), carbide film (e.g. TiC, TiCN etc.) and oxidation film (e.g. TiO etc.).

6. What materials are suitable for PVD process?
High Speed Steels, carbides, and a wide variety of tool steels are among the most commonly coated materials for the PVD process. And as for the decorating coating, stainless steel, zinc alloy with chrome plating, copper with chrome plating are suitable for PVD coating process.

7.What is the average thickness of PVD coating?
For decorating coatings, the average thickness of our PVD coating is 0.3-2 microns. And for tool coatings, the average thickness of our coating is 2-5 microns.

8.As for the decorative coatings, what color can I get?
At present, the colors of the PVD coatings are mainly as follows: deep gold color, light gold color, brown, bronze-colored, grey, black, iridescence etc. Through controlling of the parameters of coating process, we can control the colors of the PVD coatings. After the PVD process, we can use the special equipment to measure the accuracy of the color, quantifying the colors to make sure whether the colors can meet the requirements.

9.What is the process temperature for PVD coating?
The process temperatures for PVD coating can range from 90?-400? depending upon the particular coating being deposited.

10.How do PVD coatings improve tool life and performance?
In order to augment their performance in specific applications, there are two main properties that are fundamental to our coatings: high hardness and lubricity.
　The average relative micro-hardness of our PVD coatings would be over 2000HV. When this hardness is compared to 690-800HV of tool steel, 800-910HV of HSS, or 1130-1550HV of carbide, you can get a clearer picture of the comparative hardness of our coatings. This higher hardness gives cutting tools, forming tools, and wear components much greater protection against abrasive wear.
　As for lubricity, the coefficient of friction of our coatings can be significantly lower than un-coated tool substrates. For forming tools, this low coefficient of friction means that tools work with less force due to reduced resistance. In cutting applications, reduced friction means less heat is generated during the machining process, thereby slowing the breakdown of the cutting edge. In slide wear applications, the coatings greatly reduce the tendency of materials to adhere: this reduces friction and allows for more unrestricted movement.

11.What are similarities and differences between PVD coating and traditional chemical plating?
The similarities are that they both belong to the range of surface treatment. They all coat one material onto another material (substrate) through certain method. The differences are that the adherence of PVD coating is stronger, and the PVD coating is much harder. The PVD coating also has better wear resistance, better corrosion resistance and better chemical stability. Besides, PVD coating process will not produce poisonous substances or contaminations.
　However, at present, PVD coating cannot replace the traditional chemical plating, because PVD coating can be done directly only at the surface of the stainless steel, but need to do traditional chemical plating before PVD process for material of the Zinc alloy?Cuprum?Iron, and so on. The application of the PVD coating is for the slap-up hardware, but the traditional chemical plating is for inferior hardware.

12.Compare to CVD, what is the advantage of PVD?
A potential area for concern with CVD coating is the 1040? process temperature. This characteristic can limit CVD coating in some applications.
　The PVD coating process has been successful in a wider range of substrates and applications. This success is largely due to its lower process temperature (90?-400?) and average coating thicknesses of 1-3microns. These characteristics, among others, make PVD coatings ideal for HSS and carbide cutting tools (no excessive coating build-up on cutting edges) as well as parts with tight tolerances such as plastic injection molding components and fine blanking tools. In addition, the lower process temperatures mean zero distortion will be observed on most materials, as long as proper draw temperatures are maintained.

13.What is the specialty and superiority of PVD coating (Ion coating) technology?
Compared with vacuum evaporation coating and vacuum sputtering coating, the PVD Ion coating has the following superiority:
　The adherency between coating and product surface is stronger, the coating has better abrasion resistance and longer lifetime.
　The turn around property of ion is better, because it can coat the products which have complicated shapes.
　The deposition rate of the coating is rapider, the productivity is higher.
　The kinds of coatings have more widely application.
　The PVD coatings have better chemical stability and safety (had been certificated by FDA, can?t be implanted into people?s body).

14.Are you able to remove the PVD coating?
We have de-coating processes which are available for removing all of our PVD coatings. These processes remove only the coating layers while not affecting a majority of products substrates.

15.What kind of coating system can you manufacture?
The PVD coating system we manufactured is suitable for the decorating coating such as ZrN, TiN, CrN. The system is also good for tool coating. The running time of the tool coating process is far longer than the decorating coating.

16.What is the advantage of your coating system?
The STN series PVD coating machine, which was manufactured by Zhongshan Southern PVD Co., Ltd from the year 1998, has mature technology, convenient operation, simply maintenance, low running cost, high production without pollution.
　We have abundant technicians and engineers who are in possession of profuse manufacturing and maintenance experiences. Depending on our excellent PVD coating equipment, perfect coating technology and after service, our PVD Ion Coating Equipments have been sold to many countries and areas.

17. Can you explain the characteristic of coating system?
The chambers of our machines have different sizes: the diameter of the chamber can be from 400 mm to 1800 mm, while the height of the chamber can be from 500 mm to 3500 mm. And as for different sizes, the pumping system has some difference from each other.

18.What is the PVD coating equipment mainly composed of?
The PVD coating equipment is mainly composed of vacuum chamber, pumping systems, water-cool system, power system, controlling system.

19.About the vacuum chamber and the pumping system, which is more important to PVD coating system?
Both are important, to a great extent, the stability and the operating life of the PVD coating system are determined by them. The materials quality, the thickness, water-cool manner, jointing manner of the chamber, and gas tightness, deflation rate of the chamber?s material, have a great effect on quality of the coating. The pumping speed?s stability of the pumping system, the pumping capability at different vacuum degree, and the pumping system?s failure rate also have a great effect on coating system?s capability and consecutive operation capability. So both the vacuum chamber and the pumping system are important to the PVD coating system.

20.Is it easy to operate the PVD coating equipment?
Since the Southern PVD Co., Ltd was at work on the PVD coating industry in 1991, there are about more than fifteen years history so far. We are in possession of abundant experience of the PVD coating equipment?s design and manufacture, our PVD coating equipment is mature and credibility, and has high automatization on operation, control. So it is much easier to operate. The person who has a high school degree or technical secondary school degree trained by our company for one month, he can master the skills of the PVD coating equipment normally. The skills are how to use the PVD coating equipment and something easy maintenance. Each machine needs one technician.

21.Are there many PVD coating equipment manufacturers in china mainland?
Because the PVD coating system is the equipment with complicated, high technology, it includes lots of advanced technology, such as vacuum technology, ion plasma technology, bias power technology, PLC control technology. There are few companies as Southern PVD Co., Ltd can design and manufacture the PVD coating equipment, not to mention we have abundant experience in designing, manufacturing, using, maintaining PVD coating equipment and dealing with PVD coating service.

22.Whether all the PVD equipment manufacturers can supply the perfect personnel train and after service?
Most of the PVD equipment manufacturers are engaged in PVD equipment manufacturing with shorter time. They only manufacture machine but not use themselves, so they fall short of the experience in using and maintaining, also it is difficult for them to supply the perfect personnel train and after service.

23.Why there are so many differences at PVD equipment quality by different factory?
PVD coating equipment is a complex system included many part, each part using the inferior unit will affect the operation stability, failure rate, operation life of the whole system. So, there are many differences in coating capability and operation life amount the different manufactures? coating equipment.

24.As the famous PVD coating equipment manufacturer in china, the Southern-PVD Co., Ltd recommends what characters an excellent PVD equipment should have.
The Southern PVD Co., Ltd that bases on many years of experience in using, designing and manufacturing, produces the PVD coating equipment with credibility quality, steady capability, high efficiency, easy to operation and maintenance. Plus, the perfect personnel train and after service make our company obtain high repute by customers. Southern-PVD Co., Ltd always believes that the stability, credibility, high efficiency are necessary characters for the excellence PVD coating equipment.
  Our company will work all out to make progress in designing and manufacturing the PVD coating equipment, so as to supply better products and service.