Abstract: So as to perform a vacuum surface treatment on a workpiece at a predetermined temperature, which is different from a temperature to which the surface is exposed during the vacuum surface treatment, the workpiece is conveyed in a conveyance direction along one or more than one station group including one or more than one tempering station and of a single treatment station.

Abstract: The method of providing a permeation-barrier layer system on a substrate includes establishing a permeation seal by depositing, by PVD and/or by ALD, an inorganic material layer system, thereby providing adhesion of the inorganic material layer system and crack-sealing by depositing a polymer material layer system on the substrate and the inorganic material layer system on the polymer material system.

Abstract: A layer deposition apparatus having a substrate carrier, an inorganic material layer deposition station with a PVD layer deposition chamber and an ALD layer deposition chamber as well as a polymer deposition station. A control unit controls intermittent exposure of a substrate on the substrate carrier to the deposition effect of the inorganic material layer deposition station and from the polymer deposition station.

Abstract: A heald singularizing system includes a selecting member (21) for the healds (LI) fed in the form of a stack (LS). The selecting member (21) separates the front-most heald (LI1) from the stack and makes it available for the drawing-in of the warp threads. The selecting member (21) is formed by a piston which can perform a stroke essentially transversely to the heald stack (LS), during which the heald (LI1) is displaced from the heald stack (LS) into an intermediate position (ZP). Transfer means (24) transfers the respective heald (LI1) from its intermediate position (ZP) to a transport unit (25) for taking it to its drawing-in position. All types of healds can be selected from the heald stack, and neither a special preparation of the healds nor the use of a special type of heald is necessary. The heald separation and the further removal are completely uncoupled, to permit the use of means optimally adapted to the individual functions and also to simplify considerably the rectification of faults.