Coating Plasma Treatment for Adhesion Preparation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for preparing a partial area for adhesive connection or further coating processes are inefficient, particularly in removing lubricants from spatially limited areas, which can only be achieved with great effort.
Innovation Solution
A method involving applying an emulsion or solution containing a layer-forming substance to a component, followed by heat treatment to form a coating, and then subjecting a partial area to plasma treatment to alter the coating's bonding conditions and reduce carbon content, without completely removing the coating, thereby facilitating subsequent adhesive connections or coating processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a coating is applied to a component surface, then the surface properties are improved (e.g., lubricity, hydrophobicity), but the adhesion of subsequent adhesive bonding or coating processes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies plasma treatment as a preliminary action before adhesive bonding or coating processes. This plasma treatment modifies the coating surface in advance to improve adhesion properties, allowing the coating to maintain its bulk performance while providing a plasma-treated surface that enhances subsequent bonding or coating adhesion.
Solution Approach 2:
The plasma treatment is applied selectively to specific areas of the coating rather than uniformly across the entire component. This creates local quality differences where the treated areas have improved adhesion properties while other areas maintain the original coating properties, enabling different functional zones on the same component.
2Strength
If a lubricant or coating is removed from a spatially confined area, then adhesion preparation is achieved, but the process complexity and effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical or chemical removal methods with plasma treatment. Instead of using complex mechanical scraping, drilling, or chemical etching processes to remove coating from specific areas, plasma treatment provides a simpler, more controllable method to modify the coating surface in place, reducing process complexity and equipment requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The plasma treatment changes the physical and chemical parameters of the coating surface (such as surface energy, roughness, and composition) without removing the coating material. This parameter change approach allows adhesion preparation while maintaining the coating's protective or functional properties, avoiding the need for complex removal processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method simplifies the preparation of a partial area for adhesive connections by changing the coating's hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity, improving adhesion strength and reducing environmental impact, while avoiding complex removal processes.
Implementation Method 1
At least the second partial area (22) is subsequently exposed to a plasma (4) in order to alter the bonding properties of the coating (3) and/or reduce the carbon content of the coating (3)
Implementation Method 2
The emulsion or solution can be applied to at least a first partial surface of the component by methods known per se... The component is heat-treated after the application of the emulsion or solution
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a coating method in which at least an emulsion and/or a solution containing at least one film-forming substance is applied to at least a first partial surface (21) of a component (2), and the component (2) is subsequently heat-treated, wherein at least a second partial surface (22) of the first partial surface (21) is subsequently exposed to a plasma (4), the carbon content of the coating (3) decreasing to less than approximately 80%, less than approximately 75%, less than approximately 70%, or less than approximately 60% of the initial value before the plasma treatment. The invention further relates to a workpiece and a method for its manufacture.