Liquid metal coating - the alternative to PVD coating
Liquid metal coating and the wet lacquer process are an imitation of PVD coating and thus an interesting and more cost-effective alternative for decorative finishes.
Liquid metal and PVD coating are processes to finish materials with an additional metallic surface. While PVD coating is mainly used in the areas of manufacturing technology and toolmaking, liquid metal coating is used for metal surfaces without excessive mechanical stress. Examples include lampshades, loudspeaker housings, spectacle frames and much more.
Liquid metal coating is a decorative surface finish and always offers an interesting and cost-effective alternative when PVD coating is not possible or necessary because of the purely optical aspects of the materials to be coated.
Both methods can be used to achieve perfect, durable and visually brilliant surfaces, each technique has its own characteristics and advantages. In the following, we will give you an overview of these methods used in the field of industrial painting and surface finishing.
What is PVD coating and what does this process offer?
The abbreviation PVD stands for Physical Vapour Deposition, translated into German it means physical vapour deposition. What does this bulky term mean?
PVD coating takes place in vacuumised automatic machines. In the vacuum chamber, the metallic coating material is put into a vapour state. The metal particles are transported to the workpiece, where they precipitate and bond with the workpiece surface. The process usually takes several hours.
PVD coating is used in a wide range of industries from the food industry and medical technology to ship restoration. In the automotive sector as well as in jewellery and eyewear production, PVD coating is mainly used for the optical and decorative enhancement of products.
As the PVD process is very time-consuming and expensive, coating with metals using the wet paint process is a more cost-effective, alternative solution, especially in these areas. We have years of experience with liquid metal coatings. We will be happy to advise you on your individual solution.
Liquid metal coating refines all suitable substrates.
This type of surface coating involves the application of a metallic layer such as copper, bronze, brass, gold, tin, zinc, aluminium, iron, stainless steel, using a wet paint process. Liquid metal coating is neither an electrochemical nor a stoving process, rather this method produces a cold bond.
All materials that are suitable for painting are suitable: Plastics, wood, steel and composite panels. Furthermore, mineral workpieces made of granite, sandstone, concrete, plaster, terracotta, fibreglass, etc. can be coated seamlessly with our painting process.
The wet paint process with paintable metals opens up a wide range of possible applications. Not only as an alternative to PVD coating in automotive interiors or exteriors, in jewellery and eyewear production, but also in architecture, interior design and living space design, for ceilings, walls, pieces of furniture and floors.
Painting with liquid metals, also known under the English term "liquid metal", comes up with an extended colour spectrum and convinces with a first-class colour quality. The liquid metal coating can be extended to include specially developed colour shades, resulting in completely new design metal surfaces of unprecedented brilliance.
This special form of industrial coating opens up a multitude of new possibilities, especially in the decorative sector, in addition to the standard properties.