If you don't possess your own Vacuum Coating technology, you'll need to hire someone else to cover your optical, chemical, medical and electronic products. But how do you choose from all of the vacuum coating companies on the web? How can you be sure that you're making the right decision before you hand over your credit card? If you're in the market for vacuum coating services, here are just a few things to consider.
1. Know What You Need
While physical vapor deposition (PVD) is one of the most popular forms of vacuuming coating, it isn't offered by all vacuum coating companies. You'll need to double-check its availability before hiring their services. If you need anything special in terms of pumps, films, coats or materials, you should look for those elements as well.
2. Consider Your Schedule
Are you under a time crunch? Make sure to ask the company if they can handle your volume of goods before you ship them out; you don't want to leave your own customers hanging because something gets delayed on the other end. Do you need to rush an order that's already been placed? Contact the company and see what they can do. They might be willing to speed things up for an additional fee.
3. Crunch Your Numbers
Vacuum coating isn't cheap, especially if you have a high volume of items or tools that need protection. Give yourself a budget before you actually shop for vacuum coating services. This will prevent you from overspending just because you fall in love with a particular brand or high-tech machine being featured on a company's website.
4. Get A Guarantee
It's a bad idea to buy anything without a guarantee, but this is especially true of vacuum coating services. Repairing or replacing a bad batch of products will be much more expensive without the company covering some of the costs, so make sure that they have a strong liability policy in place. If you don't find it mentioned on their company's website, contact them and ask directly.
These are just a few things to keep in mind as you look for vacuum coating companies. More than anything else, it's important that you don't rush your decision. This is a big choice that should be given plenty of thought and consideration, so take your time and make the correct call right off the bat.