NEW-GENERATION SPUTTERING AND PLASMA POLYMERIZATION PLANT FOR REFLECTOR PRODUCTION

Derived from the working principle of high-throughput single disc CD c oating machines, a new generation of coating plants for shaped parts s uch as car head light reflectors with aluminum and a corrosion protect ion top layer has been developed. The machine processes small batches of parts at short repetition times, passing them through a load lock a nd active chambers for plasma pretreatment, sputtering and, finally, p lasma polymerization. The system offers new production opportunities c ompared with the traditional large evaporation systems. In contrast to evaporation, alloys also can be deposited. The conformity of the laye rs to even very complex part geometries - even recesses - is excellent and the handling can be automated easily. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S .A.