The intersection of design, manufacturing, and surface engineering

This chapter begins with a broad look at a few areas of manufacturing needs and then focuses on categories of surface engineering technology that have broad applicability or that by their nature demonstrate how research and development is leading to advances toward an ideal surface treatment. It discusses three essential issues when considering the way surface engineering process or system is developed to meet design needs: critical design knowledge, critical system components, and the critical actions, which describe how the system reacts or protects the substrate. Some of the elements corresponding to these different issues are presented. The chapter describes traditional and emerging surface engineering technologies, including chromate conversion coatings, interaction of chromates with aluminum, phosphate treatments, composite paint coatings, self-healing coatings, thermal spray methods, ion beam treatment of surfaces and ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), pulsed laser deposition, and functionalized nanostructured coatings development.