Carbon (DLC) Coatings & the DLC Coating Process

VT-Diamond DLC coatings feature low friction, excellent wear resistance, and a dark gray to near-black color. The unique VaporTech plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process can coat complex geometries.

Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PE-CVD), available in all VaporTech® systems, creates our popular VT- DLC (or a-C:H).  VT-Series coaters bond this coating to the surface using a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) metal adhesion layer of Zirconium (Zr), Titanium (Ti), or Chromium (Cr).   DLC coatings combine low friction and high hardness for applications requiring easy release or low sliding wear, like engine components, medical devices, dies, molds and firearms.  Moreover, these DLC coating processes create a rich, neutral black color that enhances product appearance and value.

Types of diamond-like carbon coatings available using VaporTech coating equipment

 DLC (a-C:H DLC)

DLC (a-C:H DLC) is an amorphous carbon coating with very low friction, high hardness, resistance to sliding wear, biocompatibility, and an attractive appearance. It is commonly used for automotive components, medical devices, dies, molds, firearms, cutting tools, sporting goods, and other durable consumer goods. This coating is typically a graphite to black color.

W-DLC (a-C:H:W DLC)

W-DLC (a-C:H:W DLC) is a tungsten-doped amorphous carbon coating. With similar wear resistance to the DLC coating described above, W-DLC  offers lower internal stresses, improved adhesion, and more toughness than undoped members of the DLC family. . These a-C:H:W coatings are ideal for applications such as gears, bearings, punches, dies, and molds. They come in shades of gray.