Advantages of Precision Parts Cleaning and Aluminum Twin Wire Arc Spray (TWAS) Coatings
Materion’s Precision Parts Cleaning service, coupled with its precious metal recovery and refining service, offers a vertically integrated solution that is unmatched in the industry. With the addition of its in-house aluminum twin arc spray (TWAS) coatings, Materion offers customers a ‘one-stop’ solution for thin film deposition materials, refining, recycling, precision parts cleaning and surface treatment.
Twin wire arc spray (TWAS), also called electric wire arc spray, is frequently used to produce coatings in the industrial semiconductor industries. The process differs from other thermal spray processes in that there are no external heat sources as in the combustion gas/flame spray processes. Heating and melting occur when two electrically opposed charged metal wires, comprising the spray material, are fed together in such a manner that a controlled arc occurs at intersection. The molten metal is atomized and propelled onto the prepared substrate by jets of compressed air or gas.
The coatings produced using TWAS particularly benefit Materion customers using PVD process tools to support such demanding markets as ; consumer electronics, defense and science, data storage, and medical. End products impacted by this technology include; hard disc drive storage, residential LED lights, automotive applications, smart phones and GPS units.
This unique coating is applied by certified TWAS operators and supports customer requirements for maximum tool uptime, improved yields, and extended part life . TWAS coating at Materion employs an automated system utilizing robotics-controlled positioning to meet stringent customer specifications for coating thickness and surface roughness uniformity. The use of TWAS coatings provides for the highest precious metal returns through Materion’s propriety recovery techniques. The ability to refine precious metals in-house is only one of the range of precious metal management solutions Materion offers to enhance our customers’ profitability.
For more information about TWAS and how Materion is integrating this process into its Precision Parts Cleaning service, visit ourwebsite or call James McMullen at 800.327.1355 or +1 716.837.1000.