Robotic Sputter Coater

Robotic Multi-Axis-Coater for Complex Shapes

HHV designed and developed a large size coater with a magnetron fitted on a robotic arm for deposition of uniform, conductive and transparent coatings on substrates with complex geometry like the canopy / windshield of an aircraft which is made out of polymers. The Robot with suitable Electro-mechanical hardware is suitable to work / stand vacuum as well Argon environment.

The Robot is kept in a  vacuum / Argon chamber and is fixed with Magnetron Source, which is programmed  with teaching aid to follow the contours. The unit has five-axis  robot to carry on the coating process. It has been facilitated for uniform gas flow and the robot movemens inside the vacuum chamber as per the programme and for repeatable with uniform thickness coatings.

As the magnetron cathode has to uniformly cover the total area of the complex shape of the canopy and the windshield maintained at all times a predetermined distance, a need of a robot controlled sputter coating facility has been conceptualized.

The coating scheme consists of a highly transparent, highly conductive film which is then covered with a protective over coat.