A PVD system helps industries mass produce products that would have been impossible less than a century ago.

A PVD system is used to deposit thin films of material onto a substrate. Using this technique, it is possible to evaporate metals and other materials, and use some of their properties to enhance another material. We see this a lot in semiconductors, where special metals are applied to a circuit board to achieve connectivity, but the process is used in other household products as well.

PVD is a common process and industries use it to make everything from eye glass lenses to solar cells. The automotive industry uses it to coat engines, which can dramatically increase the lifespan of a car by making its moving parts less prone to abrasion. You also see PVD systems at work when you notice the reflective coating of a headlamp, or even street signs.

The biggest advantage that PVD brings to the process is the ability to evaporate materials at room temperatures. Using the car example, if a manufacturer wants to build a headlamp with reflective coating, an ion beam sputter deposition process can lower the temperature in production so the material is deposited without damaging the plastics used in the construction of the headlamp.

The process saves time and the environment. If a piece that needs to be metalized is made of plastic, companies will typically have more than one plant to do it. The first factory makes the product, and the second factory metalizes it. With PVD systems, the process is seamless and the work takes less time to produce a finish product.