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It’s almost unbelievable that film just a few microns thick can radically change the mechanical properties of a surface. Yet, a PVD treatment achieves precisely this effect and can be fully considered nanotechnology. A physical process involving vaporisation and deposition of noble material which we in FIMA have acquired and customised by working on the substrate and elaborating innovative recipes, until a new standard for our taps was achieved: FIMA TECH PVD.
The PVD treatment can be performed on surfaces with geometric shapes, even complex ones, and on different types of materials such as metals, ceramics or polymers. The first distinctive component for FIMA TECH PVD is just a matter of substrate.
Here, we exclusively use a FIMA TECH CHROMIUM base on which the protective film is applied, to further amplify its resistance against corrosion and abrasion (the excellent features of trivalent chrome plating in FIMA are discussed Here).
The higher performance of the PVD finish depends more on the quality of the original material, the target and the process parameters than the thickness of the coating applied.
Another distinctive element of FIMA TECH PVD are the recipes developed by our technicians to obtain new and exclusive colours. This involves balancing both the noble materials used as targets, in FIMA’s case, mainly Titanium, and the gases, chosen and dosed to colour the surfaces.
The FIMA TECH PVD machine allows insertion of up to five gases simultaneously for a potentially infinite range of shades.
Three new PVD finishes have been added to the catalogue: Gold, bright and intense, Champagne, delicate and harmonious, Amber Bronze, with warm and orange shades. All are available in a polished or brushed variant.
Finally, FIMA TECH PVD is a treatment entirely performed in FIMA 2 plants. A necessary choice to make it a highly flexible and customised process, and to ensure the strict control of each procedure. As always, attention to detail characterises FIMA taps and starts with the production phases. PVD includes preparation of the material, profiled and stored in a clean room in the absence of dust, followed by processing in a vacuum chamber, with precise time and temperature parameters, lastly ending with colours control. The photon spectrum, used in FIMA for colour control, has a much more precise reading range than the perception of the human eye and enables a stabilised process while maintaining constant quality.
PVD stands for Physical Vapour Deposition and is a process in which the target material is vaporised in atomic form, binds to gases such as nitrogen and argon, and is transported through a vacuum environment until it reaches the substrate, where it condenses and adheres permanently by colouring the surface.
Choosing FIMA TECH PVD means obtaining a number of important advantages:
Among the most interesting aspects of PVD treatment is undoubtedly the ecological aspect.
Zero waste and zero emissions: everything that is vaporised is deposited on the substrate without dispersing in the atmosphere. In addition, the targets consumed are not discarded but reconditioned, so that the noble material immediately finds new uses. Processing in a vacuum chamber ensures further control of the environment and obtains a completely non-toxic product even at the end of treatment. However, FIMA TECH PVD goes even further, also from an energy point of view. The photovoltaic system serving the FIMA plants fully powers the process using sustainable and renewable sources. A positive energy balance that contributes to reducing environmental impact and fits more broadly in a circular economy already inherent to this technology. Products treated with FIMA TECH PVD have greater strength, aesthetic appeal and therefore durability over time. Extending the life cycle of the taps is a sustainable choice perfectly in line with FIMA’s GREEN philosophy.
WHAT // what is il PVD
It stands for Physical Vapour Deposition and includes a series of surface coating techniques. The FIMA TECH PVD process is an exclusive treatment that mixing gases and noble materials such as Titanium gives hardness and unique colours to the taps in the catalogue.
WHERE // where we apply PVD
FIMA TECH PVD treatment is entirely carried out in FIMA plants. For greater production flexibility and above all the strict control of every step of the process: from preparation of the substrate, with the quality and excellence of FIMA TECH CHROMIUM, to management of the noble materials chosen as targets, to conformity control of the colours obtained. A sustainable process with zero waste and emissions, perfectly in line with FIMA’s GREEN philosophy.
WHY // why choose PVD
With FIMA TECH PVD, the thin coating that is deposited on the surface increases the mechanical strength and multiplies the hardness of the product up to 10 times. A treated tap can be used for longer and maintains it aesthetic over time, leaving the shine and colour of the finish unaltered.
WHICH // which colours are achieved with PVD
The shades of colour that can be obtained with the PVD treatment are potentially endless. Slightly change the process parameters or start with different gases and noble materials to get amazing results. FIMA TECH PVD now offers 6 finishes: gold, champagne and amber bronze in polished and brushed variants. The last colour in particular is an innovative recipe, developed side by side with FIMA Design Lab.
WHO // who uses PVD
The intrinsic characteristics of the PVD process make it suitable for very different sectors, united by innovation and the search for advanced aesthetic and mechanical solutions. It ranges from the medical sector, which appreciates its strict non-toxicity in all use conditions, to the automotive sector, which uses it to develop performance, from electronics that benefits from its reliability, to the aerospace industry that chooses it for strength and durability.
HOW // how we apply PVD
We implement our own PVD surface coating process to customise it and make it even more performing and exclusive. FIMA TECH PVD is obtained only on a FIMA TECH CHROMIUM, base, trivalent sulphate chromium which we have been promoting for years as a safer solution for workers, with less impact on the environment, better product quality and durability.
