Everyday R&D, Uncommon Results

A product introduced by Oerlikon HRSflow during 2023 was the LITEflow HRS line, which offers cost effective hot runner systems that provide smart designs, good quality and performance. It is suitable for use in a wide range of sectors, from medium to large applications, with reliable and flexible production.

In 2023, Surface Solutions Division launched a number of new coating solutions for tools. For example, BALIQ ANTOS, the successor of BALINIT HARDLUBE, is a premium coating for threading tools; BALINIT MAYURA, the successor of BALINIT HARD CARBON is the hardest available diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating for cutting of non-ferrous metals and forming plastics, and BALIQ TISINOS PRO, the successor of BALIQ TISINOS, a premium coating for cutting hardened steel up to 70 Rockwell hardness (HRC).

Another product introduced in 2023 was WINGS FDY FLEX – the first WINGS FDY system that can process a wide range of rPET yarns. WINGS FDY FLEX delivers increased flexibility for a denier range from 30 to 150 den and filament thickness from from 0.8 to 3.0 dpf, enabling a variety of possible end products, such as semi-dull, fulldull and trilobal bright yarns, as well as cationic dyeable, dope-dyed and rPET polymers. Such flexibility allows yarn manufacturers to meet faster-changing market trends.

Marking another step toward sustainable products, Oerlikon Riri launched the first zipper, with chain, body slider and puller made of 100% highly recyclable polyamide. By using mono-material elements, these zippers are highly recyclable and durable, and can be easily removed from garments, facilitating recovery and circularity of the polymer.

In 2023, Oerlikon Barmag launched a modified WINGS HD to extend parking times when winding high titers, making the doffing process, where the bolt of fabric is removed once a specific pattern is completed, smoother and more reliable. This draw unit has a more flexible design with a two-godet operation, making it possible for products with low overall titers, thus lowering energy consumption.

The Oerlikon HRSflow brand launched the HRScool Evo with microswitch in 2023. This is a solution for actuators where water lines are no longer required. Designed for thermal insulation optimization, it avoids cooling for the most common automotive applications as the new microswitch detects and regulates the open/close pin.

Step into the fascinating world of bionics, where innovations from Oerlikon's R&D team can create coatings that seamlessly emulate nature's extraordinary precision. This is akin to the wispy delicacy of a bird's feather, measuring 0.001mm, the intricate detail of a butterfly's wing at 0.01mm, and even the formidable armor of a male Caucasus beetle, substantial at 0.1mm. In this realm, precision knows no bounds, and innovation merges seamlessly with the wonders of the natural world.

384,400 kilometers – a vast distance that separates our Earth from the enchanting Moon. It may sound impossibly far, but with innovations from Oerlikon's R&D team, you can reach from the Earth to the Moon. With our innovations one can create microfilament yarn that is spun on bobbins. If you take one of these 15-kilogram bobbins and unwind it, the amount of yarn on this humble spool, will allow you to forge a connection, stretching from Earth to the Moon itself.

Inter-Company research have resulted in the development of a composite that when formed into a 50 mm x 25 mm bar, will hold the weight of 3 elephants! Combining this strength and exceptional wear resistance has translated into the performance of tools that can drill over 6 km and survive erosive environments over a week’s arduous service. The condition of the tool after use was such that it could be used again!

If you compare human hair, independent of its color, the size of a microfilament yarn is just a fraction of the size of the hair. Today’s microfilament yarn that is produced by innovations from Oerlikon's R&D team, has a size of approximately 6 nanometers. If one compares that with human hair or sheep wool that respectively are 50-70 and 30-80 micrometers, it is easy to say that we can impress with almost nothing.