Horn, a manufacturer of precision cutting tools, has been having its precision tools coated by the experts at CemeCon, Inc. using the HiPIMS process (High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering) since 2004. The plan was now to expand production in Franklin and add in-house coating expertise in order to serve the US market quickly and efficiently
Combination for in-house coating
"It was clear to us that we needed the same technical capabilities as in Germany. And the training to not only integrate the coating technology into US production, but also to fully utilize its potential," says Chad King, General Manager at Horn USA. Horn invested in a turnkey coating line - consisting of two HiPIMS coating systems, substrate pre-treatment and post-treatment as well as all other necessary peripheral systems - with technology "made in Germany" and training "made in the USA".
Knowledge transfer ensures a smooth start
Operating the HiPIMS coating system is self-explanatory; the key to the success of in-house coating production lies in understanding the workflows and the entire process from start to finish. Over the years, CemeCon has optimized the processes so that they are easy to learn and understand. "We pass on our knowledge and experience during training at our coating center in Horseheads or at the customer's site. The training is identical for customers and our own employees. We know from our own experience that our training quickly and reliably provides the know-how to successfully master the coating process. And if there are still questions, we provide continuous support to our customers whenever necessary," says Eli Roberts, Technical Manager at CemeCon, Inc.