The vacuum coating equipment in the glass coating field is entering a period of rapid technological growth

Since 2026, vacuum coating equipment has been heating up in the glass coating field, from energy-efficient building glass to in-car display panels, from photovoltaic glass to semiconductor glass substrates. China’s vacuum coating equipment is entering an unprecedented period of growth. Industry experts say that vacuum coating equipment is known as the 'industrial mother machine' in high-end manufacturing. It can apply nanometer-thin films on glass, metal, and other substrates, effectively improving the scratch resistance of phone screens and the power generation efficiency of solar panels. With rapid technological breakthroughs, this market, long dominated by developed countries, is starting to be rewritten.

In April 2026, the 35th China International Glass Industry Technology Exhibition (China Glass 2026) was held in Shanghai. Guangdong Huicheng Vacuum Technology Co., Ltd., as a key exhibitor, showcased its full range of large-area continuous magnetron sputtering coating production lines for glass, covering core product lines such as LOW-E glass, silver/aluminum/colored mirrors, and flat-panel display glass coatings. Its continuous LOW-E glass coating line can handle ultra-long glass up to 3300×18000mm, with film thickness control accuracy within ±1%, visible light transmittance over 60%, infrared reflectivity over 85%, a shortest production cycle of just 28 seconds, a maximum annual output of 4.6 million square meters, and a pass rate of 96%. Professionals and partners from building, automotive, photovoltaic, home, and display industries had in-depth exchanges with the team on equipment processes, capacity, and customized solutions, resulting in fruitful business connections.

Previously, at the vacuum and semiconductor industry expo held in Foshan, Guangdong in November 2025, Zhenhua Vacuum's 'Large-Scale Optical Coating Production Line' also drew a lot of attention. This solution is based on their self-developed magnetron optical deposition technology, which effectively addresses common issues in coating large glass surfaces, like unevenness and poor adhesion. The production line can achieve stable mass production of super-large optical glass sized 1600mm × 630mm, with continuous coating cycles of up to 50 seconds, supporting up to 14 layers of optical film stacking.

In June 2026, Xiangtan Hongda Vacuum Technology Co., Ltd. reached a milestone breakthrough. The company's self-developed high-end vacuum coating equipment — the multi-chamber optical magnetron sputtering coater and the horizontal double-sided magnetron sputtering coater — were evaluated by an authoritative expert panel led by the China General Machinery Industry Association. The four key indicators of these machines reached international leading levels, and they have completely independent intellectual property rights. The chairman of the expert appraisal committee and chief engineer of the China Machinery Industry Federation, Sui Yongbin, suggested promoting their use widely within the industry. This marks a historic leap for China’s high-end vacuum coating equipment from 'catching up' to 'leading the way'.

These two new devices have precisely tackled two major technical challenges in the industry:

First is the cross-contamination problem in multi-layer precision coatings. Traditional multi-layer coating requires batch processing, which easily causes cross-contamination and low yield. The multi-chamber optical magnetron sputtering coater achieves integrated continuous coating in a single vacuum machine, completing multi-layer deposition in one go, greatly improving coating uniformity and product yield.

Second is the warping problem of ultra-thin, large-size substrates. When coating one side of a large, ultra-thin substrate, warping is very likely. The horizontal double-sided magnetron sputtering coater pioneered a double-sided synchronous coating process that balances stress on both sides, completely solving the warping issue, while also overcoming technical bottlenecks like coating arcing and unstable processes.