Cost saving and highly flexible coating technology for new applications of micro- and nanolayers in industry and research

For many industrial applications materials have to be functionalized by full-bodied or local coatings (e.g. conductive, photocatalytic, barrier or anticorrosive layers). State of the art coating processes like PVD or CVD (physical or chemical vapour deposition) lack of process speed and deposition rates. Furthermore, expensive vacuum chambers are needed and environmentally harmful solvents are often used. These challenges result in low cycle times and high production costs. The Austrian company succeeded in developing new atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) processes to overcome the mentioned challenges. These atmospheric coating processes can be implemented inline and nearly all types of materials (e.g. paper, plastics, fabric, wood, metals,...) with any design can be coated. Coating thicknesses from a few nm up to 1000 µm can be achieved with high process speeds. The core technology is the targeted feeding of powders or precursor into the plasma jet, which is up to several 10,000 °C hot. As a result, almost any coating material with a melting point up to 2000 °C can be processed (depending on particle size, shape and general warnings). As a consequence of using powder materials or precursors, a very high coating quality can be achieved by simultaniously low thermal input into the substrate through the focused plasma jet. Compared to other atmospheric pressure coating processes this innovative technology enables material combinations that did not exist before. In particular high-melting powders or glass-like coatings can be applied to sensitive surfaces without being thermally damaged. The technology can be delivered as plug and play solution or R2R (roll-to-roll) setup to promote fast and reliable development processes or to foster an efficient and maintenance-friendly production. Through modular design, open interfaces and customisation options it can be adapted to all feasible coatings. In the coating chamber substrates can be moved fully automated in any coordinate direction. Technical details: - Power: 0,5 - 17 kW infinitely variable with high process efficiency - Coating speeds: up to 500 mm/s - Spraying width: 10 - 90 mm - Microlayers: 10 - 1000 µm possible - Nanolayers: 10 - 300 nm possible - Substrate materials: metals, plastics, ceramics (porous materials such as filters), glass, paper, wood, textiles, CRPs (carbon reinforced plastics), foils,... - Coating powders: copper, tin, zinc, titaniumoxide, PEEK (Polyetheretherketone), silicon based precursors,... - Process gas: Argon With the novel plasma coating process conductive, anticorrosive, antiviral, antibacterial, tribological, low-friction or non-stick layers as well as layers with adhesion improvement can be achieved with high process accuracy and speed. The application areas reach from electronics, ICT to biotechnology, automotive, chemical applications and adhesive technology. Some examples and latest applications: - printed circuit board tracks on thin PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) foils for electric components - LED wallpapers/films, pannel lights, 3D LED lamps - adhesion promotion layers on glass, plastics etc. for printing, inking and gluing applications - antibacterial and water-repellent swabs (for medical applications, for example wound dressings) - biocidal coatings for public sector applications (transport, health) - low friction coatings on 3D-printed materials The Austrian company is looking for R&D departments, research institutes and industrial partners in the above mentioned fields to buy the novel technology for their product or process innovations. It offers technical assistance for installation and operation (commercial agreement with technical assistance), adaptations to specific requirements (technical cooperation), license agreements and conjoint development of new coating applications via R&D projects (research cooperation).