Balzers/Schopfheim/Hannover, October 28, 2014 – Oerlikon Balzers Coating Germany, the German branch of Liechtenstein-based coating specialist Oerlikon Balzers, was awarded with the seal of approval “Innovative Alliance” by the European Research Association for Sheet Metal Working (EFB) at the International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition Euro-BLECH in Hannover.
The coating specialist receives recognition from the European Re-search Association for Sheet Metal Working.
This recognition is granted to companies that play an active role in EFB’s network of organizations and research institutes, advancing pre-competitive research in the sheet metal working areas of materials, production methods, and quality assurance. As an association for the companies and research institutes in the sheet metal working sector and related industries, the EFB initiates and funds application-related research. In doing so, it acts as an innovation driver for the sheet metal working technology chain. Due to many years of continuous research collaboration, Oerlikon Balzers stood out in EFB’s Innovative Alliance, as was stated in the announcement of the award.
EFB’s activities at today’s Oerlikon Balzers base in Schopfheim, which has traditionally been active in the metal forming area, especially for the automobile industry, reach back as far as 1988. Since then, the company has participated in numerous research projects investigating how coating expertise can contribute to the development of sheet metal forming fundamentals and their advancement. Examples for this are the EFB projects “The effects of selected parameters on tool wear and form accuracy in the punch-packaging of electrical sheets” or “Analysis and effects of heat balance in sheet forming”.
“We are very grateful for the honor and the important networking activity of the EFB, which has brought us into contact with many competent partners in this industry. Sheet forming is a process that can only be advanced through the cooperation of specialists from different areas. We are happy to be in a position to make our contribution in the future as well,” said Uwe Horschig, Branch Manager at Oerlikon Balzers in Schopfheim, at the presentation of the seal. The seals were awarded to several member companies at EFB’s anniversary celebration commemorating “65 years of research in sheet working” at the EuroBLECH exhibition in Hannover.
