TUCSON, AZ – February 8, 2018 – Duralar Technologies, Tucson-area developer of ultra-hard coatings and coating machines has just introduced the new Emperion™ system, for high-throughput deposition on the interior and exterior surfaces of metal parts. The equipment will debut at the SURTECH 2018 advanced surface technology conference, February 14-16 in Tokyo, Japan. (www.surtech.jp/en/)
“The Emperion features twin deposition chambers that allow virtually continuous coating and high throughput,” said Duralar CTO Tom Casserly, PhD. “While one chamber is processing, the operator can be unloading and reloading the second chamber. Also, the system’s proprietary DualArmor™ process is able to coat parts very rapidly and very evenly, both inside and out.”
Casserly explained that the Emperion employs Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) technology using Duralar’s special “hollow cathode” process called DualArmor. This creates a high-energy electron field that bathes metal parts in an extremely dense plasma and coats all surfaces — interior, exterior and complex 3D shapes — with high uniformity. This eliminates the unevenness that is typical of line-of-sight, spray-type coatings. The high-intensity plasma also coats parts more rapidly, at rates up to 0.5µm per minute, which can take hours off previous coating process times.
Complementing processing speed, an elegant operational design further streamlines the system’s throughput. Twin processing chambers optimize operator efficiency; lightweight, modular, custom-designed fixtures make for faster, easier transfer of parts into and out of the chambers; and special quick-change chamber shields dramatically reduce the need for chamber-cleaning downtime. Plus, next-generation software with intuitive operator interface controls the entire system.
Casserly pointed out that the Emperion is designed to be compact and economical. It has an 87 x 110 inch footprint, requires less electrical power than most competitive systems, and needs only a modest amount of chilled water and process gas. This makes it simpler to facilitize and easier to install. And intelligent system design enables the Emperion to deliver greater throughput with fewer operators. The Emperion’s two standard deposition chambers are vertically oriented, each 40 inches by 10 inches in diameter. Custom configurations also may be created for specific users.
The Emperion is able to apply different PECVD coatings, including Duralar’s unique ArmorLube™, which combines exceptional hardness (up to 2000 HV) with dry lubrication. This coating’s carbon content provides a natural graphitic lubricity and an extremely low coefficient of friction — less than 0.1. Which makes it well suited for many applications such as firearms and industrial machinery that require clean, dry, permanent lubrication without oils or greases. All of Duralar’s advanced hard coatings provide superior corrosion and erosion resistance. And all Duralar processes are non-toxic, inert and eco-friendly.
Duralar Technologies will be featuring the new Emperion at the SURTECH2018 Exhibition, Booth 4U-12, February 14-16, in Tokyo, Japan.
About Duralar Technologies
Duralar Technologies is a global nanotechnology company and developer of Duralar high-performance ultra-hard metal coatings and coating systems. Headquartered in Tucson, AZ, the company’s advanced coatings are enhancing product performance and replacing many previous generations of metal coatings across a range of industries, including automotive, oil & gas, firearms, aerospace, agriculture, mining, textiles, medical, consumer products and more. Duralar Technologies was founded in 2013 by Andrew Tudhope, a Silicon Valley executive and entrepreneur with extensive experience in coating technologies. In 2016, the company acquired Sub-One Systems, another hard-coatings equipment company. The same year, Duralar Technologies Japan, Inc. was established, with Asian headquarters in Yokohama and an additional technology center in Nagasaki. For further information, visit duralar.com.