Case Study

This time, we would like to introduce an example where our compound molecular pump (turbo molecular pump) was selected for the CatArc^® 3036 PVD coating system by Vergason Technology, Inc., based in New York, USA.

Metal products and components cannot last long in their bare form, which is why surface treatment becomes necessary. There are various methods for surface treatment, such as painting, plating, thermal spraying, heat treatment, and vacuum film coating (vapor deposition). Among these methods, vacuum film coating (vapor deposition) requires a high vacuum environment and improves hardness and wear resistance.

Vacuum film coating (vapor deposition) methods can be broadly divided into two groups: Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). PVD is a deposition method where solid materials are vaporized by heat or plasma and the vapor condenses on the surface to form a coating. Depending on how the solid material is vaporized, it can be further categorized into thermal evaporation, ion plating, and sputtering methods. On the other hand, CVD uses chemical reactions where a precursor gas containing the elements for the film is decomposed by some form of energy to form the coating. By the type of energy that causes the decomposition, CVD can be subdivided into thermal CVD, plasma-enhanced CVD, and photo-assisted CVD.

Osaka Vacuum's compound molecular pumps (turbo molecular pumps) are widely used by many equipment manufacturers in Japan and abroad for thermal evaporation, ion plating, and sputtering. One of these manufacturers is Vergason Technology, which has been recognized as a supplier of high-performance PVD hard coatings in the USA for over 30 years.

[PVD Coating System CatArc^® 3036 by Vergason Technology, Inc]

Vergason Technology’s PVD coating system the CatArc^® 3036 is a low-cost, high-quality, cathodic arc deposition system capable of large throughputs within a small, ergonomic footprint. This system has many options for source and bias power supplies, gauging, and thermal monitoring and feedback. It incorporates six heaters, up to four mass flow controllers, and an Arc Enhanced Glow Discharge (AEGD) etch that effectively prepares substrates for tribological and other film compositions. This etch is comparable to many RF etching designs but is simpler and more robust. This etch is ideally suited for industrial coating applications. The CatArc^® 3036 comes standard with four Vergason IGBT switched arc sources for a high deposition rate and flexibility of process materials. Its compact design is neatly skid mounted and fits easily through most double-door room entrances.

The CatArc^® 3036 PVD Coating system is ideal for coating applications in automotive, decorative, medical, machinery and cutting tools, sports equipment, and many other specialized fields. Our high-throughput, lightweight, inverted mounting compound molecular pump, TGkine3800M-B has been chosen for this system.

[Schematic diagram of PVD Coating System CatArc^® 3036]

The vacuum environment required for an application differs among the industrial field. To create the optimal vacuum environment tailored to the customer's needs, various vacuum systems (exhaust units, vacuum pump sets, vacuum equipment) are necessary. Osaka Vacuum provides a wide lineup of vacuum products to meet those needs. In addition, with over 70 years of accumulated technical expertise, experience, and achievements since our founding, we offer not only individual products such as vacuum pumps and vacuum components for high to low-vacuum applications but also integrated vacuum systems. Please feel free to contact us.

CONTACT

You can send an email inquiry from the following address.

https://www.osakavacuum.co.jp/en/contact/input.php