Surface treatment and coating technology is growing in importance as an interdisciplinary field that spans the most diverse imaginable range of industries and value chains. This trend will be unequivocally evident at the upcoming SurfaceTechnology fair, staged as part of HANNOVER MESSE 2011 (4 to 8 April). SurfaceTechnology covers surface treatment and coating in all its shapes and forms, from workpiece pretreatment and cleaning, liquid coating and electroplating, to plasma and nano technology. "It will feature solutions from all areas of surface technology," explains Olaf Daebler, the HANNOVER MESSE Project Director in charge of SurfaceTechnology. "Energy and resource efficiency will be one of the key themes underlying all of the show’s display categories and special presentations."
From workpiece cleaning to nano-coating
The surface technology industry plays a key part in meeting the growing technical and commercial challenges facing industrial production worldwide. Tried and proven materials are emerging from ever-shorter innovation cycles with added functionality, while new materials with exciting surface characteristics are popping up all the time. All thanks to surface technology. "There’s always a very close symbiosis between surface technology and new materials, and that’s true whether it’s in the development of new water-based paints or coating systems with high solids and low solvent content, or in the production of ground-breaking photonic storage systems based on plasma technology," comments Dr. Uwe König, CEO of the German Electroplating and Surface Treatment Association (DGO) and Director of Technology at the German Surface Treatment Association (ZVO). It should therefore come as no surprise that SurfaceTechnology has close thematic linkages with other HANNOVER MESSE fairs, including Industrial Supply, the leading trade fair for industrial subcontracting and lightweight construction. The application of coatings and finishes to lightweight materials, such as metals (magnesium and aluminum alloys), and polymers, such as glass fiber-reinforced plastics, is steadily growing in importance because the resulting materials are finding increasing use in the aircraft construction industry. "In the aerospace sector, research into this area is now at fever pitch owing to the growing pressure to achieve weight reductions," König explains.
The lightweight construction process chain also intersects that of surface treatment in the area of energy use. Energy efficiency is a key driver in the surface treatment industry, particularly in the paint and paint technology sector. In recent years, rising energy costs have forced operators of painting plants to look hard for ways of saving energy. To help with this, the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) has developed a forecasting tool that enables painting plant operators considering new equipment or upgrades to perform a tailored analysis of the offers they receive from suppliers. "There’s no doubt that most of the painting plants currently installed in Germany have scope for optimizing their energy performance," emphasizes Dr. Martin Riester, head of the Surface Treatment Technology division at the VDMA. At next year’s SurfaceTechnology fair, the VDMA pavilion will feature a special information board explaining the enormous savings achievable in the paint technology sector and highlighting the specific energy-saving expertise of the various exhibitors at the fair.
The German Surface Treatment Association (ZVO) will also have a strong presence at SurfaceTechnology 2011 – at Surface World, a special display that tracks the entire surface treatment process chain. There is an unmistakable trend in surface treatment towards greater use of eco-friendly processes, especially energy recovery and conservation processes. There is also a growing move towards electroplating bath technologies and maintenance systems that ensure consistent coating properties over extended periods and minimize waste – another plus for resource conservation and the environment.
Plasma pretreatment for a wide array of materials
The SurfPlaNet group pavilion is all about plasma technology. It is where science, research and industry gather to present innovative plasma surface treatment products and applications. For instance, in 2011 CemeCon AG will be showcasing its range of production-ready coating technologies. "We make customer-specific high-performance coatings for a range of precision machine tools and components by precisely tailoring the substrate, tool geometry and coating material to the machining application," explains CemeCon Sales Director Dr. Beate Hüttermann. The company uses PVD sputter and diamond coating technology to produce exceptionally hard, smooth and high-bond-strength coatings that enhance tool performance and make it economical to machine a wide range of new materials. Also among the exhibitors will be Tigres Dr. Gerstenberg GmbH, which provides corona and atmospheric-pressure plasma treatment solutions. Tigres systems are used to pre-treat plastics, metals, glass, ceramics and wood substrates for printing and gluing.
SchauPlatz NANO is a special display and B2B platform dedicated to the phenomena and structures of the incredibly tiny. It profiles market-ready nanotechnology-based surface finishing solutions that lend products enhanced characteristics and functionality. The nanotechnology sector is a rich source of new solutions for a wide range of industrial applications. And the majority of these applications have to do with surface technology. SchauPlatz NANO is organized by Beiersdorff GmbH. It’s Director, Ronald Beiersdorff, explains the role of the display: "To achieve widespread industrial use and commercialization of nanotechnology, it is necessary to foster good information flows between providers and users, build networks, and cultivate trust in the technology itself."
Forum explores latest developments in research and industry
The SurfaceTechnolgy Forum spans five days. The first four days will feature papers on a range of surface treatment technologies by companies and research institutions. Each day’s papers will be themed around a different substrate, starting with metals and then progressing to wood, followed by plastics and, finally, glass and ceramics. Day five is dedicated to education and training for young people. The Forum is organized by the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA). Its head of Coating Technology, Dr Martin Metzner, explains the Forum’s focus: "The defining trend in the industry – and in the forum as well – is energy and resource efficiency. We are interested in two main ways of achieving efficiency gains. The first involves process optimization in production. The second relates to the growing number of surface solutions designed specifically with efficiency in mind. Examples of this include low-friction surfaces that save energy in vehicle powertrains."
About HANNOVER MESSE (the Hannover Fair)
The world’s leading showcase for industrial technology is staged annually in Hannover, Germany. The next HANNOVER MESSE will be held from 4 to 8 April 2011, with France to be featured as its official Partner Country. 13 flagship fairs are taking place under the umbrella of HANNOVER MESSE 2011: Industrial Automation • Motion, Drive & Automation • Energy • Power Plant Technology • Wind • MobiliTec • Digital Factory • ComVac • Industrial Supply • CoilTechnica • SurfaceTechnology • MicroNanoTec • Research & Technology.
In 2011 the spotlight will be on industrial automa¬tion, energy technology, power transmission, industrial subcontracting and services as well as cutting-edge technologies.
