The manufacturer has sectioned off part of one of its factories to create a large Class 100,000 level clean room to clean its titanium valves, and prepare them for coating with a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coating.

In a clean room rated as “Class 100,000” there may not exist more than 100,000 particles larger than 0.5 microns in a cubic foot of air. The term Class 100,000 refers to a federal standard and the rules governing the upkeep of such a room are stringent, involving frequent sanitizing of walls, floor and equipment, and the donning of jumpsuits and masks by anyone entering the space.

But such a room also ensures that no dust taints the coating applications. "We learned early on that if we want our coatings to be durable and adhere well, we must observe extreme levels of cleanliness," said Mark Sommer, president of Del West Engineering.

The room boasts clean tanks and rinse tanks, managed by a fully-integrated, robotically-controlled unit. Depending on the end application, valves are coated using a double- or triple-axis of rotation, ensuring even coating across the surface of the component.

"Del West didn't undertake these investments because someone else said we should," Sommer said. "In fact, many PVD coaters don't have a controlled environment of any kind in their operations. But we insist that our coatings adhere every time, precisely as they are supposed to. And that demanded we create pristine conditions.

About Del West
Since 1973, Del West Engineering, Inc. has been delivering the best in materials research, mechanical design and precision manufacturing to customers around the globe. Today, the company is renowned for high-tech, high-quality components that power industries as diverse as race cars, watches and aerospace. With facilities in California and Switzerland, Del West has more than 150 employees worldwide. To learn more, please visit us online at www.delwestengineering.com.

Del West. Precisely.

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