• Products & Services
• Deposition Systems
• Coating Service
• Special Coatings Service
• Magnetrons
• Test Equipment
• Testing Services
• ClusterBeam Source
• Technical Support & Service
• FAQs

You are in: home » Products & Services » Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Coating Service FAQs

What coating do I need?

The best coating for each particular part will be dependent on many issues. The best coating in one application may not necessarily be the best in another. We can help you with your choice of coating but we will need to know many things such as:

• What are the operating and maximum temperatures experienced by the part during service?
• What environment is the part operating in?
• Is the part lubricated during operation? What with?
• What is the substrate material and are there any temperature limitations with it?
• What is its tempering temperature of the substrate that is to be coated?
• How big is the part? Can a drawing be sent to us?
• Why is the coating needed? eg reduced friction or increased wear resistance.

How thick are the coatings?

Our coatings are typically 2-3µm thick although it is possible for us to deposit thicker or thinner coatings.

Can you mask certain areas of my parts?

We are able to mask areas but it will depend on the size, number of parts and where the parts need masking as to how we will do this. In some cases, simple masking can be achieved using a temporary mask wrapped around the part but, for other applications, customer specific masks can be designed and manufactured.

How do your coatings affect the surface finish of my part?

Our coatings typically follow the surface finish of the underlying component and therefore the surface finish of the coating will usually have the same Ra value as the uncoated part. Polished parts will result in coatings with a glossy, polished finish while shot blast parts will result in coatings that have a dull, shot blast finish.

What is the maximum size of parts you can coat?

Our production coating chambers are able to accommodate parts in a useable coating volume that has dimensions of approximately Ø500mm x 600mm. Therefore we are able to coat parts that are up to approximately 600mm in length. In some instances we can hold slightly longer parts within the coating chamber but not coat along the whole length.

How do you deposit your coatings?

We use a vacuum deposition technique known as magnetron sputtering.

What temperature do you deposit your coatings at?

We do not add any heat to our coating process but there is some by-product heating that is generated during the coating process. This temperature will vary for each particular coating although the maximum deposition temperature of any of our production coatings would be around 350°C. However, it is possible for us to reduce this heating effect and deposit on to steels with tempering temperatures below 200°C or even plastics.

What is the coating cycle time?

Coating cycle times vary from 40 minutes to 5 hours for most of our coating systems depending on the coating type and thickness. Cycle times on powders in the barrel coater can be significantly longer because of the increased surface area.

Do we need to prepare the parts before we send them to you for coating?

We need the parts to be supplied in a clean, bright and shiny condition to help ensure coating adhesion is as good as possible. Items for coating must be free of rust, oxide residues, burrs, burn marks, heat treatment scales or other surface contaminants that cannot be easily removed using our standard degreasing or cleaning processes. Contamination can lead to poor adhesion.

Is it possible to strip the coatings?

It is possible for us to strip a variety of specific coatings off selected substrates. Please contact us for more information on this service.

What is your typical turnaround time for coating parts?

Our typical turnaround time for production coatings is 3-5 working days from receipt of purchase order and parts, while it is 2-3 working weeks for special coatings. However, this can change depending on how much work we have in at the particular time that your parts arrive for coating. Shorter lead times may also be possible for a premium.

Do you have a minimum order charge?

Yes, our minimum order charge for coating work is £100 per coating type.

All enquiries should be directed to the relevant personnel:

Sales Team – Coating Services:
Tel: 01905 827550
Email: tcl@teercoatings.co.uk

Sales Team – Coating Equipment:
Tel: 01905 827550
Email: sales@teercoatings.co.uk