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Technology & Innovation
15
BEYOND SURFACES
Spring
16
tion moulding, whilst the upper lacquer layer guaran-
tees effective protection against environmental factors.
The sandwiched metal layer is applied using the PVD
process (Physical Vapour Deposition) which uses only
eco-friendly substances. The process is furthermore
resource-conserving. The applied metallic shiny surface
is only around 0.2 micrometres thick. Galvanic coatings,
in contrast, are up to 60 micrometres thick. ePD-coated
plastic parts are, moreover, readily recyclable at the end
of their product life cycle.
Interested customers
Zanini, a Spanish automotive supplier, already has an
INUBIA P6, a fully automated painting line, and can thus
offer ePD technology licensed from Oerlikon Balzers.
“We see this as the beginning of a successful collabo-
ration, as we plan to extend our capacities based on
Oerlikon Balzers‘ ePD technology within further systems
in Europe, the USA and China in accordance with market
needs,” said Xavier Serra Monté, Manufacturing and En-
gineering Director at Zanini, convinced of the advantages
provided by ePD.
German Nanogate AG, a specialist for high-perfor-
mance coatings is also betting on sustainable and en-
vironmentally friendly know-how from Liechtenstein: it
will soon commission an INUBIA system. So equipped,
Nanogate will be able to service the automotive market
with metallised decorations and panels in large quanti-
ties. The system used by Nanogate has a modular de-
sign and provides the company with an individualized
gateway to the technology. This modular approach si-
multaneously provides a great deal of flexibility for the
future: Nanogate can extend the system at any time to
increase productivity.
On the 17
th
April 2013, extension of
Appendix XIV of the REACH regulation
was announced in the EU official
gazette (Regulation (EU) No. 348/2013).
According to this, Chromic acid and
Chromium (VI) containing compounds
may only be used without authoriza-
tion until the 21
st
March 2016.
Corresponding approval applications
had to be submitted to the European
Chemical Agency (ECHR) at the latest
by the 21
st
March 2016.
FACTS & FIGURES
2017: EU-wide
chromium ban
The future belongs to ePD
Oerlikon Balzers is betting that the ePD process will be-
come the new industry standard for the metallization of
plastic components over the coming years. “This is in
every respect a substitute technology with an enormous
potential in a strongly growing market,” summed up Rü-
diger Schäfer.
You can find more information about ePD-Technology
from Oerlikon Balzers at
www.oerlikon.com/balzers/epd