Certottica: development of non-iridescent coatings

The aim is to lower costs and encourage the use of eco-compatible technologies Identifying an industrially-convenient solution that incorporates vapor technologies for making decorative coatings that will meet the aesthetical and chemical/mechanical strength standards for glasses frames and many other items.   This is the purpose of the project presented by Certottica in the Italy-Austria 2007-2013 Interreg IV Program, IV call, in partnership with PhysTech, a research and development company and University of Innsbruck spin-off based in the Tyrol, which operates in the field of vapor and thin film technologies with particular reference to PVD.   In Europe, some hybrid plants have already been made and the project partners aim to evaluate the best solutions that will guarantee increased know-how in the area of decorative coatings: these technologies are of strategic interest for companies in the accessories, costume jewelry and eyewear sectors and also where decorative and protective treatments are applied to surfaces.   The idea for the project sprang from the need to lower costs and encourage the use of eco-compatible technologies. The PVD process for metal film and the Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition process for protective layers would be carried out by a single system, without any intermediate handling of the item. The companies that profit from this combined technology could introduce eco-friendly processes, develop new products and, as a consequence, be able to meet a demand that is increasingly associated with superior quality.