Martin Engels, Ron Dielis, Ton Hurkmans, Ionbond Netherlands B.V., Venlo, The Netherlands
Decorative Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coatings have been a growing market for decades and the number of applications, as well as the request for new colors, are still growing. Especially the PVD coating of plastic parts, i.e. for automotive interiors, is of high interest. The originally used Cr-plating is limited to a color range from silver to dark grey tones, which limits the designers in design options and matching interiors. The wear protection of chromium plated parts is limited and undesired scratches can easily occur.
By means of the PVD technology it is possible to improve the wear resistance of plated plastic parts and to extend the color portfolio. Multiple colors, either in the range from light silver to deep black or light gold to copper, are now available. However, the coating process of plastics comes with significant challenges, especially the thermal sensitivity and therefore limitation of the plastic substrates. Exceeding the limit of the maximum temperature leads to deformation or melting of the parts, which leads to severe damage of the plastic and/or delamination of the coating.
The presentation addresses strategies to make the PVD coating of plastic parts feasible at high volumes and high reproducibility levels. This includes the re-designing of conventional processes towards a significantly reduced temperature impact while maintaining the coating properties, especially the color. Recommendations for the pre-treatment of the plastic parts will also be addressed. Furthermore, the development and opportunities of new PVD colors for plastic products will be discussed.