Now consumers have higher and higher requirements for products. Products should not only have appearance (good-looking appearance), but also connotation (functionality) and environmental protection!

More than three products can greatly expand the market share!

Among these three elements, appearance is the most intuitive factor to attract consumers. The appearance value is closely related to the surface treatment process of products. Recently, the Hong Kong Productivity Council launched a new surface treatment process for silica gel and electroplating products, which can greatly improve the function of products!

Oxygen atoms on the surface of silica gel were modified by plasma energy, and the surface of negative silica gel was changed into positive

Dust proof treatment and environmental protection process of silica gel products

Silica gel is a kind of heat-resistant rubber, which can withstand high temperature. Compared with other materials, silica gel has biocompatibility. The products made of silica gel are quite durable and suitable for food, medical and industrial industries. However, the surface of silica gel is easy to be stained with dust. Manufacturers generally use chemical spraying to make the surface of silica gel products dustproof and smoother. However, this process not only has high cost, but also affects the ecological environment and endangers human health.

Theoretically, there are oxygen atoms on the surface of silica gel, with negative electrode and static electricity, and dust particles with positive electrode. Therefore, dust particles and electrostatic surface of silica gel can attract each other, making the surface stained with dust and difficult to clean, affecting the appearance and efficacy of the product.

In view of the problem that silica gel surface is easy to be stained with dust, the R & D team of the productivity bureau is committed to studying solutions. The results show that the use of plasma surface modification technology can improve relevant performance, and finally successfully use plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technology to optimize the surface properties of products.

Dr. Lu Weixian, senior consultant of the Department of intelligent manufacturing and materials science and technology of the Productivity Promotion Council, pointed out that due to the sound of static film, silica gel is easy to get dust. If manufacturers use traditional chemical coating methods, the effectiveness of dust-proof and lubricating coating can only last for a few months.

The new method is to modify the oxygen atom on the surface of silica gel with plasma energy, and change the surface of negative silica gel into positive. In the process, harmless organic chemicals are used, and pollution waste will not be discharged. Therefore, it is a cleaner production process. It has the characteristics of low static electricity and high dust-proof effect. It is suitable for high-end products, such as spectacle frames, watch straps, etc. it can also be used for medical equipment and sports products to make these products have better performance.

Plasma surface treatment technology is applicable to materials such as fibers, polymers and plastics. It can also be used to clean, activate and etch the surface parts of metal, plastic and ceramic materials to change the physical characteristics of the material surface.

Once a small amount of chemical gas is added and the chemical properties of the material surface are fine tuned, the function of the material surface can be improved, providing value-added functions such as hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity, easy cleaning, antifouling or adjusting the surface of electrostatic materials. This technology was awarded the certificate of excellence of Hong Kong industry and Commerce award in 2014.

The dust-proof treatment of silica gel products is an environmental protection process, which can effectively solve the problems of static electricity and easy dust on silica gel and prolong the service life of products. It is a green surface treatment process. It can be applied to all silica gel and related products.

Low cost manufacturing scheme of thick ion plating

High energy pulsed plasma magnetron sputtering (hppms) is a new magnetron sputtering system combining the two characteristics of “high energy” and “pulse”. In the plating process, the power supply plays an important role. Using “high-energy” and “pulse” discharge methods, it can emit strong energy with an output voltage of up to 1500V in a short time of less than 2 microseconds, just like lightning phenomenon.

Because a large number of ions are released in the process to eliminate the internal stress of the coating, it can be made into a thick ion coating without damaging the surface of the product or workpiece. This method can improve the ionization rate, that is, improve the adhesion of the coating on the product surface.

High energy pulsed plasma magnetron sputtering technology can surpass the traditional magnetron sputtering method and produce more than 3 high-quality products μ M thick ionic coating. Because the high-energy pulse mode is beneficial to increase the density of ions, it can not only strengthen the bonding force between the coating and the substrate, but also reduce the surface roughness. It can further enhance the wear resistance and reduce the replacement times on functional parts.

For products with strong decoration, it can maintain the appearance and be more durable. Therefore, the coating made by high-energy pulse can effectively use plasma to control the structure of the coating. Its biggest feature is that it can be deposited in smooth and dense microstructure to improve corrosion resistance and surface cleanliness; Or it can be deposited on complex geometric workpiece to achieve more uniform coating.

Enterprises only need to add HPPMS pulse machine to the existing vacuum ion plating equipment, which has low investment cost and high cost-effectiveness.

Our engineers said: “this technology can be said to be an extension of vacuum ion plating technology, which can help manufacturers develop a higher technical level market. It can help the metal processing industry, such as clocks and watches, electronic products, cutting tools and molds, expand the market, provide higher quality and efficient products and enhance competitiveness in the long run.”