The vacuum coating system developed by NEOVAC was specially tailored to the needs of metal coil coating.
Thanks to the fully modular concept, every vacuum coating system can be adapted to meet a customer's process requirements 100%. Even subsequent conversions or extensions to an existing system are possible with this concept.
NEOVAC has a pilot plant at its technology center in which high-strength steel belts with a tensile strength of up to 1900 MPa can be coated.
Entry and exit section
The entry and exit sections can be equipped with load locks for batch operation or air locks for inline operation.
In batch operation, the entry and exit sections are flooded after coating and the coated coil is removed from the take-up mandrel of the exit sections. In the entry section, a coated coil is loaded onto the unwinding mandrel and connected to the end of the last steel strip. The entry and exit sections are then evacuated and the process can be started. In shift operation, up to 6 coils weighing up to 5 tons can be coated in this way. A batch system is ideal for pilot applications or low to medium volume production.
In inline operation, the system is integrated into a production line and used in fully continuous operation. Such systems are ideal for large production volumes.
Pre-treatment section
In the optional pre-treatment section, the pre-cleaned steel strip is subjected to plasma cleaning. In this process step, oxides are removed and the surface is activated. This prepares the surface to enable optimum adhesion.
With the appropriate configuration, it is also possible to remove residual carbon compounds. However, it is recommended to wet-chemically degrease the steel strip before coating, as this is a more economical solution.
Pre-coating section
The pre-coating section is the area in which functional intermediate layers can be applied using magnetron sputtering. Magnetron sputtering enables the application of any metals or alloys or, if necessary, ceramic layers. The simplest application is, for example, the application of an adhesion promoter to optimize the adhesive strength of the vapor-deposited layer.
NEOVAC only uses state-of-the-art rotatable magnetrons in this area, as these offer the most economical options.
Evaporation section
The evaporation section is the area in which Plasma Enhanced Evaporation technology is used. The Plasma Enhanced Evaporation process enables dense, uniform, mechanically stable and particularly well adhering coatings to be achieved with exceptionally high deposition rates. The technology also enables the deposition of mixed layers such as Zn/Mg, whereby the composition can be freely selected by the customer.
The Plasma Enhanced Evaporation process developed by NEOVAC is therefore a process that combines the best coating quality with very economical coating costs.
Post-treatment section
The surface of the coating can be refined in the optional post-treatment section. Surface modifications or additional layers can be applied to give the coating additional properties.