EU directives for hexavalent chromium use have become a concrete opportunity for Beretta, leading the company to develop its research towards a sustainable innovation, like its Life20 Cromozero project.
DLC coating should be uniformly applied along the entire length and across the entire diameter. When the length to diameter ratio of the barrel is high (L/Ø >> 10), the deposition with vacuum deposition technologies is extremely complex. For this reason, partners with great experience and know-how in surface treatments have been involved in the Life20 Cromozero project. Among them is Duralar Italia, a company with a headquarter in Gardone Valtrompia, nearby Beretta.
Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta and Duralar Italia are respectively the coordinating beneficiary and the associated beneficiary of the Life20 Cromozero project.
The total funding is € 3.2 million (€ 1.76 million in grants). It is a three-year project, from September 1st 2021 to August 31st 2024.
The project aims to:
These objectives are achieved through the replacement of the chromium layer for the internal coating of the barrels with DLC (Diamond Like Carbon), obtained with PECVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) technology.