Bengaluru, April 2015: Bengaluru based Hind High Vacuum Co Pvt Ltd (HHV) has announced that it has developed DLC (Diamond like Carbon) Coatings for the Defence/Military industry. Entirely designed and developed at the Bengaluru facility of HHV, DLC coatings are used in thermal imaging applications where harsh environments may cause damage to standard AR (anti-reflections) coatings.

Thermal imaging night vision systems use infrared optical elements like Geramanium, si, Zinc sulphide and Zinc Selenide. Unfortunately these elements do not have high transmission in the required infrared wavelength regions (3-5 & 8-12 microns). To enhance the transmission AR coatings are used. But these AR coatings do not withstand aggressive environment, which is present during usage in military systems. DLC coatings are applied to the front lens of the infrared imaging system, which protects the whole lens system from abrasion and chemical attack.

"DLC coating not only acts like AR coating but also protects the whole system from environmental aggressive effects, thereby improving the overall efficiency of the system," said Mr Prasanth Sakhamuri, Managing Director, HHV. "We are proud to have indigenously developed such a sophisticated coating targeted at the Defence/Military industry."

Some of the key features of the DLC coatings are guaranteed adhesion, high optical transmission in the IR band, high hardness, resistance to wear abrasion, chemical inertness and high strength, durability and resistance to external aggressive effects.

Established in 1965 at Bangalore as a specialised enterprise to develop Indian self-reliance in high vacuum technology, HHV has now grown into a multi-location, multi-product group of companies involved in the design, development and manufacture of off-the-shelf and customized equipment and products in the fields of vacuum technology, solar photovoltaic and thin films.