PVD Coating on AMPCOLOY® Alloys

PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating is applied at temperatures exceeding 300°C, which makes it incompatible with AMPCOLOY® 83, whose solution annealing temperature is 315°C. Applying PVD to AMPCOLOY® 83 would risk compromising its mechanical properties and is therefore not recommended.

PVD has been applied to AMPCOLOY® 940, but field experience remains limited. A potential concern is that a very hard coating layer applied over a relatively soft base material may be prone to cracking under load.

For solution-annealed and age-hardened copper alloys, a low-temperature coating process is generally more appropriate. DCD (Dynamic Compound Deposition) is the preferred alternative, particularly for beryllium copper alloys. DCD delivers comparable surface benefits to PVD but is processed at 40–50°C, eliminating any risk of thermal impact on the base material properties.

The choice between coating types should also consider component geometry. Electroless chemical coatings produce a perfectly uniform layer, making them well suited to complex geometries with deep grooves or internal features. Electrolytic and PVD coatings are less uniform in such cases.