Innovative uses of ITO coatings
Not to blow our own trumpet (clearly we are about to…) Diamond Coatings love a bit of innovation. Our most recent innovative product is a world first and we are hoping it helps to save lives along the way…
VISIN – Heated Motorcycle Helmet Visor Insert
VISIN is a new motorcycle helmet visor insert that demists the visor in a matter of seconds and keeps it constantly clear. There is simply no other product like this in the world. This is real innovation and will help make riders enjoy a more comfortable ride with no need to raise their visors to de-mist.
Other visor demisters use a moisture prevention coating to de-mist the visor, but these will still fail if the conditions are not favourable.
Using an ITO coating within the visor insert, VISIN will clear a visor every time, regardless of the conditions. A constant voltage is passed over the visor, which provides the heat required to keep things clear.
After years of research and development and rigorous testing (even with a road test around Africa) we have only recently made this product available. The feedback and uptake from the motorcycling community has been brilliant – let’s hope it helps riders to be a little bit safer on the roads.
For some, the above is big news, but maybe we haven’t quite impressed you yet? Buckle up, the next one is a big one!
The European Space Agency Solar Orbiter Mission
We were honoured to work with the European Space Agency on the amazing project that involved the Solar Orbiter.
(now you have to be impressed!)
The Solar Orbiter has set out to explore the Sun more closely, paying attention to solar winds and the effect they have on our own planet, as well as observing the polar regions – an area that we know very little about currently.
Saying it gets a little hot up there is an understatement, the Orbiter will encounter sunlight 13 times more powerful that (than) that on Earth. Diamond Coatings were asked to assist not with cooling things down though.
There were elements on board that would not be facing the sun and as such they would reach temperatures as low as -120°C. This had the possibility of causing a potential risk for charging and eventually an electrostatic discharge that could jeopardise an electrical system on the Orbiter.
Although the conductive coating is < 1 µm, it has reduced a huge risk to the mission.
ENBIO’s CTO, Barry Twomey said “without the help of Diamond Coatings and their application of the conductive ITO coating on the SORA (Stood-Off Radiator Assembly) panels, the SolarWhite coating would not have performed as intended, putting key instruments at risk. The collaboration was facilitated by Diamond Coating’s flexibility and willingness to support us with our tight deadlines and the scrutiny that goes with such a big project”.
You can read more about the Solar Orbiter here.
These are just two innovative uses of ITO coatings from Diamond Coatings. If you have an idea that may utilise ITO and need an innovative team to assist, please get in touch with us. A member of our tech team will get back to you as soon as we can.
