Tool for Thin Film Application Debuts
TQC has made tool for thin film application of coatings, lacquers and other materials on sample specimens or flat substrates, the company says.
The new Heated Perforated Vacuum Bed table, available through the Paul N. Gardner Company (Gardco), can be used to create smooth and consistent thin films on substrates such as opacity test charts, sample panels and foils, according to the company.
The vacuum table is made of hard aluminium and anodized in hardcoat flat black to provide a durable and inert surface. The surface of the vacuum table is perforated with a grid of small holes that hold the test specimen in position for proper drawdown when attached to a vacuum pump or line, the company says.
It also has a built-in heating mat that allows the temperature of the table to be elevated up to 100 degrees Celsius above ambient temperature. The heating device creates an even distribution of the temperature over the vacuum plate, according to the company. Temperature is set and controlled through a digital temperature controller.
Films are applied manually using a variety of applicators, such as block-applicators; baker-applicators; bar-coaters and wire wound rods; Bird-applicator; Quadruple applicators; Biddle duplex applicators; System Wasag; Casting knife; and Micrometric film applicators, TQC says.
More information: www.tqc.eu.
