Germany-based functional coatings provider AHC Group has launched ceramic coating of aluminium centering ring for turbomolecular pumps.
The pumps, which are coated according to the Kepla-Coat process, generate high and ultra-high vacuum. They are used as a sealing element to connect pumps with vacuum plants.
Ceramic coating allows aluminium sealing elements in turbomolecular pumps to transmit torques to the system that occur in the case of a rotor-stator crash.
Kepla-Coat is a plasma-chemical anodising process producing greyish-white oxide layers in an aqueous electrolyte solution under spark discharge.
With the Kepla-Coat technique, it is also possible to produce deep black, light-resistant oxide ceramic layers that are suited for a dispersion of materials to improve sliding friction.