Author name: Jon Woo

PVD vs electroplating on real parts: wear life, thickness control, colour range and environmental compliance, with 2025 test data from our Jiangsu coating lab.

PVD finish colour options and how long they last: hardness by film stack, fade and wear thresholds, plus which colours hold up on high-touch production parts.

PVD coating durability tested at 1,000 degrees: hardness and wear rate for TiAlCrN and ta-C DLC against electroplated nickel, with failure thresholds explained.

Diamond-like carbon PVD at 3,000 HV and low friction against steel: how ta-C compares with electroplated nickel and paint on hardness, heat and wear.

Every major PVD coating type compared: TiAlCrN at 2,900 HV for wear, ta-C DLC at low friction, and which film suits your substrate and service temperature.

PVD wear resistance with real test data: up to 3,500 HV versus 700 for electroplated nickel, wear rate at temperature, and what that means for part life.

Hybrid PVD/CVD deposition combines both processes: 5 nm to 10 micron range, faster deposition than pure CVD, and film properties neither method reaches alone.

Cathodic arc deposition from spark to surface: 0.1 to 5 micron films at 3,000 HV, how it compares with magnetron sputtering, and where the hardness is worth it.