HCLA stands for High Current Laser Arc, a coating process based on a vacuum arc discharge. The temporal and spatial control of the discharge enables its use as a linear coating source in larger production systems. This technology is particularly suitable for depositing carbon coatings. In this process, material is removed from the cathode by a pulsed vacuum arc discharge. The discharge is ignited by a laser, with its position controlled by varying the laser’s point of impact. Very high pulse currents result in a high proportion of ionized cathode material.
With a focus on total cost of ownership, the Vica900 platform enables double-sided coating in a vertical configuration. By integrating pretreatment processes such as plasma etching as well as magnetron sputtering and HCLA evaporation, the platform offers flexibility and scalability.
In its base configuration, the Vica900 Mid Volume, the system is designed for an annual production of 4.6 to 6.4 million bipolar plates and focuses on coatings for PEM fuel cell applications. It can be expanded with additional PVD process sources to enable further applications, such as double-sided precious metal coating for PEM electrolyzer components. Further upgrading the machine configuration can significantly increase throughput, allowing up to 10 million bipolar plates per year to be coated in the Vica900 High Volume version.