Our R&D activities are geared to presenting coating processes of high reliability and reproducibility through close coordination of materials development and the coating process. We focus mainly on the planning, development, modeling and simulation of coating processes through to realization in line with the needs of production. Taking quality assurance measures into account, the implementation of cost-efficient and resource-conserving surface engineering technologies thus becomes possible in industry and craft trades.

Holistic analysis and realization of surface engineering processes and plant

• Planning and optimization of innovative, cost-efficient coating processes and plant
• Weak-point and failure analysis coupled with the choice of suitable technologies
• Development of components for specific coating requirements
• Specific training of industrial personnel

Production development and testing of coating processes and plant

• Design of pre-treatment processes
• Conceptual design of low-loss spray-painting technologies
• Electrostatic painting of wood, plastic and other parts
• Application of powder coatings, for example on heat-sensitive components and in high-speed processes
• Production processing of nanomaterials
• Performance of radiation-hardening operations
• Verifying R&D results in the pilot plant under real production conditions

Modeling and simulation of coating processes

• Numerical and practical testing and optimization of coating processes, air streams in booths and dryers, coating depositions in spraying and cataphoretic dip painting as well as radiation-hardening

Quality assurance support

• Testing of coatings and components
• Analysis of coating faults
• Performance of paint compatibility tests
• Monitoring and controlling of coating processes and process baths

PROJECTS, PRODUCTS AND R&D SERVICES:

CoaTway®

• CoaTway® is a computer-assisted method for the planning and optimization of coating processes and plant
• Main focus: strategic approach for optimizing the technology, quality and cost factors
• Testing of processes, plant components and painting quality in a production-near pilot plant

MULTIPROTECT (EU Project – IP)

• Usable nanomaterial coatings: Matching of material development with the coating technology
• Tests: processability of sol-gel coating materials under practical conditions
• Development: multifunctional and corrosion-resistant nanocomposite coatings

TransApp® – rapid powder-coating processes

• Electrostatic high-speed powder coating processes – coating of coils, flat metal parts, wood-material boards, cans etc.
• The TransApp® process permits throughput speeds of up to approx. 100 m/min

DLS – dynamic coating simulation

• Simulation tools for representing and predicting painting processes
• Areas of application: air streams in painting booths and dryers, spray processes with / without electrostatics, radiation-hardening of paint coats and adhesive, thickener and seam-sealing applications