The University of Sheffield
Department of Materials Science and Engineering

RCSE Resources

The Research Centre in Surface Engineering is housed in a purpose-built laboratory which accommodates equipment and the core personnel of researchers plus support staff and research students.
Surface engineering embraces a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines (e.g. materials science, mechanical, electrical and chemical engineering, applied physics and design), and the RCSE has adopted a multidisciplinary approach which integrates work being undertaken in partner departments and laboratories in the UK and worldwide.

Equipment

The RCSE can boast the most advanced technology in the field of surface engineering and is fully equipped to handle coating, testing, evaluation and analysis.

Coating: The RCSE houses a range of state of the art deposition equipment, including direct current (DC), radio frequency (RF) and DC-pulse, plasma assisted physical vapour deposition (PVD) and chemical vapour deposition (CVD), facilities. Vaporisation techniques such as electron-beam guns, arc sources, magnetron-sputterers and resistive evaporators are all available, together with the latest derivatives, such as unbalanced magnetrons and steered arc evaporators. Various other ion-based techniques are also included, such as fast atom beam (FAB) sources for direct gas deposition. The Centre also has significant expertise in plasma electrolytic surface coating and treatment methods.


In support of the coating process development programme, the Centre houses a range of process monitoring equipment, such as optical emission spectrometers, electrostatic plasma probes and infra-red pyrometers.

Test and Evaluation: The RCSE employs the following standard equipment: scratch adhesion tester (VTT), pin on disc machine for sliding wear and friction evaluation (VAMAS Spec.), abrasive wheel (ASTM Spec.), micro-abrasion, reciprocating sliding, high frequency impact testing and Dektak surface finish measurement.

A variety of purpose-built model wear testing rigs have also been built (e.g. for ball bearing contact simulation) and the Research Centre has other testing facilities, such as for corrosion and porosity assessment by potentiodynamic and impedance spectroscopy methods.