In many applications, plastic surfaces need coatings as a protection against abrasion or weathering. Leybold Optics is developing Plasma CVD processes and machinery for transparent hard coatings (THC) for polycarbonate parts. In this paper we present the current features and remaining challenges of this technique. The coatings generally show excellent adhesion. Abrasion resistance is superior to commonly used lacquers. Climate durability of the coating has been improved to pass the tests demanded by automotive specifications. Current activities are focused on improving the durability under exposure to UV radiation. Estimations show that our high-rate plasma CVD hard coating process is also economically competitive to lacquering. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.