Hannover Messe 2013 –
Fine Powder Coating with Openair® Plasma
New dimensions
At this year's Hannover Messe, Plasmatreat and new partner efc plasma, a company specializing in tailor-made layering processes and powder management technology, will jointly present a newly developed fine powder coating unit based on Openair® plasma on the SurfPlaNet platform of the Surface Technology show.
Presented for the first time, the FPC (fine powder coating) plasma
process provides locally selective, homogenous and functional metal and
fine powder coatings mainly for plastics and metals, but also for other
materials such as glass or ceramics. Featuring in-line capabilities,
high process speeds and layer deposition with pinpoint precision, this
advanced technology occupies a niche between conventional low-pressure
plasma techniques and thermal spray processes. The new coating process
uses cold plasma not only to clean and activate material surfaces, but
also as a fast and effective transport medium. Fine powder is injected
directly into the plasma jet which delivers it to the substrate surface,
where it creates the chosen functional layer. According to Willy Speth,
managing director of efc plasma GmbH in Ingolstadt, the success of the
coating is dependent on ensuring that the powder, powder delivery system
and plasma technology are 100% compatible. Christian Buske, CEO and
president of the Plasmatreat Group said of the process: “The ability to
produce products with localized functional surfaces opens up a
completely new dimension in innovation capability. The fine-powder
plasma-coating process is an example of the unstoppable expansion of
atmospheric plasma technology into new fields of industry.”
