2B005

Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) production equipment having all of the following: 1. A process modified for one of the following:

Pulsating CVD;

Controlled Nucleation Thermal Deposition (CNTD); or

Plasma enhanced or plasma assisted CVD; and 2. Having any of the following:

Incorporating high vacuum (equal to or less than 0.01 Pa) rotating seals; or

Incorporating in situ coating thickness control;

A liquid pool level "laser" control system which regulates precisely the ingots feed rate; or

A computer controlled rate monitor operating on the principle of photo-luminescence of the ionised atoms in the evaporant stream to control the deposition rate of a coating containing two or more elements;

Plasma spraying production equipment having any of the following:

Operating at reduced pressure controlled atmosphere (equal to or less than 10 kPa measured above and within 300 mm of the gun nozzle exit) in a vacuum chamber capable of evacuation down to 0,01 Pa prior to the spraying process; or

Incorporating in situ coating thickness control;

Sputter deposition production equipment capable of current densities of 0,1 mA/mm2 or higher at a deposition rate of 15 μm/h or more;

Cathodic arc deposition production equipment incorporating a grid of electromagnets for steering control of the arc spot on the cathode;

Ion plating production equipment capable of the in situ measurement of any of the following:

Coating thickness on the substrate and rate control; or

Optical characteristics.