Abstract: An apparatus (1) for conveying polymer particles, particularly foamed polymer particles, from a first location (L1) to a second location (L2), the apparatus (1) comprising: a pressurizing unit (2) for generating a pressurized particle conveying fluid stream, particularly comprising polymer particles in a pressurized fluid, the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream having a first pressure level; a decompressing unit (3) for decompressing the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream from the first pressure level to generate a decompressed particle conveying fluid stream having a second pressure level, wherein the decompressing unit (3) comprises: a first chamber (6) for receiving the pressurized particle conveying fluid stream and a second chamber (7) surrounding the first chamber (6), wherein the first chamber (6) is delimited by a first wall structure (6.1) and the second chamber (7) is delimited by a second wall structure (7.1); wherein the first wall structure comprises (6.

Abstract: A method to produce a hard coating onto a substrate, wherein the hard coating comprises a hydrogen-free amorphous carbon coating, wherein the amorphous carbon coating is deposited onto the substrate using a cathodic arc discharge deposition technique, wherein a bias voltage is applied to the substrate with an absolute value that is greater than 0 V, preferably greater than 10 V and less than 1000 V, and wherein the absolute value of the bias voltage is increased during the coating process to obtain a first structure and a second structure and a gradient between the first and the second structure along the coating thickness, wherein the first and the second structure comprise sp2 and sp3 carbon bonds but differ in their relative concentration, wherein at least one coating pause is applied during the coating process in order to reduce the substrate temperature during the coating pause.

Abstract: A method for the production of cellular plastic particles comprising the steps: providing a plastic material in the form of compact plastic material particles, loading of the compact plastic material particles with at least one blowing agent under the influence of pressure, expanding the plastic material particles loaded with at least one blowing agent to produce cellular plastic particles under the influence of temperature.

Abstract: A method for preparing cellular plastic particles comprising the steps: providing a plastic material in the form of pre-expanded plastic material particles, loading of the pre-expanded plastic material particles with a blowing agent under the influence of pressure, expanding the pre-expanded plastic material particles loaded with a blowing agent for the production of cellular plastic particles, in particular cellular plastic particles with lower density, under the influence of temperature, wherein the expanding of the plastic material particles loaded with blowing agent under the influence of temperature is carried out by irradiating the plastic material particles loaded with blowing agent with high-energy thermal radiation, in particular infrared radiation.

Abstract: In order to improve the etching depth and/or the etching homogeneity at a substrate, a plasma source with one or more single electrodes or one or more magnets is proposed. The magnet generates a magnetic field in the vicinity of the electrodes, which may be rear-side or front-side.

Abstract: A substrate having a multilayer coating system in the form of a surface coating, which has an outer cover layer comprising amorphous carbon, and a coating process for producing a substrate. At least a first MoaNx support layer is provided between the substrate and the cover layer, which support layer has a nitrogen content x, referred to an Mo content a, which is in the range of 25 at %?x?55 at %, with x+a=100 at %.

Abstract: Methods for producing at least a part of a sporting good, in particular a sports shoe, can include: (a) depositing a first material into a mold, and (b) vibrating the mold to modify the distribution of the first material in the mold.

Abstract: A method to produce a hard coating onto a substrate, wherein the hard coating comprises a hydrogen-free amorphous carbon coating, wherein the amorphous carbon coating is deposited onto the substrate using a cathodic arc discharge deposition technique, wherein a bias voltage is applied to the substrate with an absolute value that is greater than 0 V, preferably greater than 10 V and less than 1000 V, and wherein the absolute value of the bias voltage is increased during the coating process to obtain a first structure and a second structure and a gradient between the first and the second structure along the coating thickness, wherein the first and the second structure comprise sp2 and sp3 carbon bonds but differ in their relative concentration, wherein at least one coating pause is applied during the coating process in order to reduce the substrate temperature during the coating pause.

Abstract: In order to improve the etching depth and/or the etching homogeneity at a substrate, a plasma source with one or more single electrodes or one or more magnets is proposed. The magnet generates a magnetic field in the vicinity of the electrodes, which may be rear-side or front-side.

Abstract: In order to improve the etch depth and/or the etch homogeneity of a substrate, a plasma source with one or more evaporators and two or more electrodes according to the invention is proposed. The use of more than one electrode allows the use of different currents at the electrodes and a time-selective application of the currents, so that an improved control of the plasma generation is enabled.

Abstract: The invention relates to a physical vapor deposition coating device (1), comprising a process chamber (2) with an anode (3) and a consumable cathode (4) to be consumed by an electrical discharge for coating a substrate located within the process chamber (2). The coating device (1) further includes a first electrical energy source (5) being connected with its negative pole to said consumable cathode (4), and a second electrical energy source (6) being connected with its positive pole to said anode (3). According to the invention, a third electrical energy source (7) is provided being connected with its negative pole to a source cathode (8) which is different from the consumable cathode (4). In addition, the invention relates to a physical vapor deposition method for coating a substrate.

Abstract: Described are methods for producing at least a part of a sporting good, in particular a sports shoe. According to one aspect of the invention, the method includes the steps of: (a) depositing a first material into a mold and (b) vibrating the mold to modify the distribution of the first material in the mold.

Abstract: Disclosed is a piston ring (1) having a substrate (10) to which a wear resistant coating (20) is applied that includes at least one first element with a melting point Tm?700° C. The wear resistant coating (20) contains at least one second element with a melting point Tm>760° C. The wear resistant coating also includes droplets (30) which have a diameter (D) and which contain at least the first element, wherein at least 90% of the droplets (30) have a value 1 ?m?D?10 ?m. In the method for producing a wear resistant coating (20) using an arc evaporation technique, the target material includes at least one first element with a melting point Tm?700° C. and at least one second element with a melting point Tm>760° C., wherein the quantity of the second material contained in the target material is such that the melting point (Tm) of the target material ?1000° C.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a wear resistant coating suitable to be deposited on cutting tool inserts for chip forming metal machining. The coating comprises at least two layers with different grain size, but with essentially the same composition. The coating is deposited by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD).

Abstract: The invention relates to a coating method for depositing a layer system formed from hard material layers on a substrate, by depositing at least one contact layer including the evaporation material on the surface of the substrate only by means of a cathodic vacuum arc evaporation source. After the depositing of the contact layer, at least one intermediate layer is deposited in the form of a nano-layer intermediate layer in a hybrid phase or as a nanocomposite layer, including the evaporation material and the discharge material, by parallel operation of a cathodic vacuum arc evaporation source and of a magnetron discharge source.

Abstract: A high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering process, wherein within a process chamber by means of an electrical energy source a sequence of complex discharge pulses is produced by applying an electrical voltage between an anode and a cathode in order to ionize a sputtering gas. The complex discharge pulse is applied for a complex pulse time. The cathode has a target comprising a material to be sputtered for the coating of a substrate, and the complex discharge pulse includes an electrical high-power sputtering pulse having a negative polarity with respect to the anode and being applied for a first pulse-time, the high-power sputtering pulse being followed by an electrical low-power charge cleaning pulse having a positive polarity with respect to the anode and being applied for a second pulse-time. The ratio ?1/?2 of the first pulse-time (?1) in proportion to the second pulse-time (?2) is 0.5 at the most.

Abstract: A wear resistant coating suitable to be deposited on cutting tool inserts for chip forming metal machining, includes at least two layers with different grain size, but with essentially the same composition. The coating is deposited by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD).

Abstract: The invention relates to a protective coating, having the chemical composition CaSibBdNeOgHlMem, wherein Me is at least one metal of the group consisting of {Al, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, W, Y, Sc, La, Ce, Nd, Pm, Sm, Pr, Mg, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn}, with a+b+d+e+g+l+m=1. According to the invention, the following conditions are satisfied: 0.45?a?0.98, 0.01?b?0.40, 0.01?d?0.30, 0?e?0.35, 0?g?0.20, 0?l?0.35, 0?m?0.20. The invention relates also to a coated member having a protective coating, as well as to a method for producing a protective coating, in particular a multilayer film for a member.

Abstract: Disclosed is a piston ring (1) having a substrate (10) to which a wear resistant coating (20) is applied that includes at least one first element with a melting point Tm?700° C. The wear resistant coating (20) contains at least one second element with a melting point Tm>760° C. The wear resistant coating also includes droplets (30) which have a diameter (D) and which contain at least the first element, wherein at least 90% of the droplets (30) have a value 1 ?m?D?10 ?m. In the method for producing a wear resistant coating (20) using an arc evaporation technique, the target material includes at least one first element with a melting point Tm?700° C. and at least one second element with a melting point Tm>760° C., wherein the quantity of the second material contained in the target material is such that the melting point (Tm) of the target material ?1000° C.

Abstract: The invention relates to a coating method for depositing a layer system formed from hard material layers on a substrate, by depositing at least one contact layer including the evaporation material on the surface of the substrate only by means of a cathodic vacuum arc evaporation source. After the depositing of the contact layer, at least one intermediate layer is deposited in the form of a nano-layer intermediate layer in a hybrid phase or as a nanocomposite layer, including the evaporation material and the discharge material, by parallel operation of a cathodic vacuum arc evaporation source and of a magnetron discharge source.