Evaporator Boats Application
Evaporator Boats Application & Operating Procedures
Maximizing Evaporator Boat Life
To ensure optimum boat performance and to maximize boat life, the following procedures should be followed:
- Check alignment and smooth surface of your contacts.
- Use graphite tape for uniform electrical and thermal contact.
- Use pieces of aluminium wire for first heat up to determine correct initial boat temperature.
- Adjust wire feed to the very central position on boat surface.
- Follow heat-up cycle to ensure reannealing of boats during first heat up (approx. 12-14 minutes).
- Start wire at 75% of normal feed rate and reduce power to achieve maximum wetting over length of cavity.
- Start metallizing and increase wire feed rate over the first 15 minutes of production.
- Upon completion of the coating:
- Stop the wire
- Stop power 20-30 seconds later
- Wait approx. 2 minutes to release vacuum to ensure boats have cooled to below red heat.
- Clean boats with a wire brush after every cycle.