35 ° CURRENT TOPICS [J. F. I.

In using a magnifier, provision of an adequate light supply on the object

has been a problem in the past. This problem is effectively met b y the self-
contained illumination which floods the object with direct light, according to
designers of the new instrument.

Evaporation Technique is Key to Adhesion S t u d i e s . - - E v a p o r a t i o n tech-

niques for the adhesion of electroplatings and solders to oxide-coated metals
and glass have shown great progress at the Engineer Research and Develop-
m e n t Laboratories, F o r t Belvoir, Va.
Some metals are difficult to electroplate or solder due to poor adhesion to
their natural hard tenacious oxide coatings. When these coatings are removed
new oxides are immediately formed. Metals such as aluminum, chromium
and titanium become coated with an oxide film even at room temperature in
a v a c u u m at pressures less than 10-5 mm. Hq. Hence, it is desirable to secure
adhesion to these metals b y a process which includes their oxides. Excellent
adhesion to these oxides can be obtained b y high v a c u u m evaporation tech-
niques. E v a p o r a t e d films of most metals t h a t form hard adherent oxide
coatings can be caused to adhere tenaciously to their own and to other oxides,
including glass. E v a p o r a t e d films of some other metals, particularly gold,
silver and copper show poor adhesion to oxides. However, a metal of the
latter group can be made to adhere tenaciously to a metal of the former group
by high v a c u u m evaporation techniques. T h e vapors of the two metals can
be deposited simultaneously in such a m a n n e r as to eliminate the oxide coating
which normally hinders adhesion. Thus, to coat titanium with copper, titan-
ium is first evaporated on the oxide-coated titanium. At the first evidence of
titanium deposition the evaporation of copper is begun. At the first copper
deposit the titanium source is turned off and the copper evaporation continued
until no titanium shows through the surface. T h e resulting surface can be
soldered to directly or can be built up by electroplating. This method can
be adopted to coating rolls or flat plates in a continuous coater.
Responsible for the investigations on adhesion of evaporated coatings is
Mr. Noel W. Scott, Physicist in the Engineer Research and Development
Laboratories, Radiation Branch, F o r t Belvoir, Virginia. Referring to this new
process Mr. Scott said t h a t outgrowths of the studies demonstrated t h a t
" . . . e v a p o r a t e d coatings can be used to advantage in processes for applying
heat resistant coatings to metals, transparent conducting coatings to glass,
and the manufacture of mirrors by a replica technique."

Plastic ships and airplanes are being put through tests at the David T a y l o r
Model Basin, where wind tunnel and model basin tests show t h a t they are
b e t t e r suited for experimental use than are the traditional wood or wax models.
Plastic models are lighter and stronger, allowing more space for interior
m o u n t e d test instruments. With color added to the plastic, painting of the
model is eliminated. Plastic models pick up less moisture from air and water,
retain original accurate dimensions longer. Production of a n u m b e r of identi-
cal models is simplified, and cost greatly reduced, by preparing a mold which
turns them out as needed.

Automatic plotting of digital solutions is performed by a " t e l e p l o t t e r " now

installed at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory, White Oak, Md. Among its