Modern technology is reliant on conductive properties, which would be impossible to build without thin film evaporation. This manufacturing technique helps to apply a thin coating of circuitry on to a board, so that the circuits can pass power to the next section of the device. What follows is a brief discussion of this technology, including its applications in the real world.
Vacuum metallization
When you want to apply a metal coating to plastic, you have to use a special process known as vacuum metallization. This technique controls the temperatures so that you don’t accidentally melt the plastic down as you try to coat it with molten metal. Instead, the metal is super-heated until it breaks down into a molecular product.
The manufacturer places the metallic coating into a vacuum sealed chamber. Then heat is applied until the metal breaks down. The molecules of that super heated metal bounce off the walls of the chamber until settling onto the substrate. The result is an extremely thin film of metal that completely covers the plastic substrate.
In aircraft parts, where durability is a huge concern, there are a number of small parts that are made of plastic and then coated with metal for durability. The same technique is also used to preserve foods by drying them out.
Metallization is a fairly clean process of manufacturing. It cuts down on the emissions, and eliminates needless waste by adding to the shelf life of products with durability.
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