Electron Beam (EB) Based Coating; a Widely Adopted Method in Several Manufacturing Processes

Electron beam (EB) based coating is commonly used in the manufacturing processes. It is used to thin coat the surfaces of materials such as automotive parts, polymers, wood, and plastic, etc. Electron beam (EB) based coating helps improve gas and moisture barrier properties, increase lamination bonds, offer lower migration, and reduce corrosion. It is extensively used in various end-use industries, such as aerospace, automotive, and electronics, to protect the surface from corrosive environments by creating thermal and chemical barriers.

Moreover, electron beam (EB) based coating is widely used in the optics industry as an anti-reflective coating to improve the efficiency of the lens to improve vision and reduce eye strain. It eliminates stray light by reducing reflections in complex systems such as telescopes and, therefore, improves image contrast. Electron beam-based coating helps to reduce reflections and stray light and is therefore preferred in many applications such as telecommunications, construction, automotive, and binoculars.

Electron beam (EB) based coating is also used in the place of conventional ink in the printing and packaging industries. It is used in both, graphic art and flexible packaging, as well as in rigid metal packaging. Furthermore, it is used by various end-use industries to protect their equipment against corrosion from salt water and other conditions. It is a coating process based on evaporation in a vacuum to produce thin films. Because of the high material utilization efficiency and high deposition rate, the electron beam evaporation is used in a wide variety of applications ranging from high performance industries where high wear and temperatures resistance are key, to durable hard coatings that protect surfaces in corrosive environments.

The demand for electron beam (EB) based coating is increasing with the increasing demand from various end-use industries, especially for the automotive industry. Automotive sales are growing at a fast pace worldwide. For instance, the United States-based automaker, Ford plans to invest US$ 11 billion in electric vehicles by 2022 and have 40 hybrid and fully electric vehicles in its model lineup.