Technologies

PLASMA COATINGS: CHEMICAL-FREE THIN FILMS FOR NEW SURFACE AND PRODUCT PROPERTIES | The demand for special functional coatings for products and semi-finished products is very high in many industrial sectors - from automotive production and plastics processing to medical technology or biotechnology. Fraunhofer IFAM is researching and developing plasma-assisted coating processes which decisively improve the range of properties of these (semi-finished) products almost independently of the material used. And without the use of chemicals! This makes these processes particularly interesting at present, because it helps companies to comply with regulations such as the REACH regulation or the HSE guidelines.

PLASMA AND LASER PROCESSES: THE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY OF SURFACE TREATMENT | Resource- and environmentally friendly processes are more in demand than ever. The functionalization of components using completely dry techniques based on the plasma or laser processing enables to slash the use of wet chemicals such as solvents, primers and rinsing media. This significantly improves the CO2 footprint of manufacturing processes and products. Fraunhofer IFAM is currently researching versatile applications of plasma and laser technologies for the pretreatment and functionalization of a wide range of technical surfaces such as metals, polymers, and glass for various industrial branches.

MODIFYING AND COATING SURFACES COST-EFFECTIVELY WITH LOW-PRESSURE PLASMA | Low-pressure plasma offers a wide variety of surface modification options. They range from activation and fine cleaning to customized functional coatings. Low-pressure plasma processes are characterized by low costs, minimal material consumption and high process reliability. Another advantage of this process technology is its adaptability to product changes. For example, material or geometry changes can be implemented quickly and easily. The use of large-volume systems also makes it possible to treat a large number of components simultaneously, so that the total cost of ownership (TCO) is low.

NON-STICK COATINGS KEEP SURFACES CLEAN | Clean surfaces are essential in the processing industry. Plasma polymer easy-to-clean coatings offer ideal conditions for significantly reducing contamination on surfaces and facilitating their cleaning. In addition to their outstanding non-stick properties, the coatings are characterized by their low thickness, transparency and excellent adhesion to a wide range of substrate materials. Due to their chemical resistance, they also protect against corrosion and wear. The high temperature and hot steam resistance also allows their use in the field of hot steam sterilization. At Fraunhofer IFAM, various easy-to-clean coatings are being developed and brought to industrial application, e.g. for easy paint stripping or for food processing.

WET CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT FOR BETTER BONDS AND COATINGS | Wet chemical pre-treatment, often referred to as galvanization or galvanic technology, still occupies a key position in the field of surface pre-treatment in many industrial sectors, such as the aerospace industry, medical technology, or the automotive industry. Fraunhofer IFAM provides support in this field by developing and optimizing various processes and products for wet-chemical surface treatment for metals.

ANALYSIS OF ADHESIVE PROPERTIES IMPROVES THE BONDING PROCESS - AND LAYS THE FOUNDATIONS FOR DEBONDING AND RECYCLING | As different as each adhesive manufacturing process is, so are the requirements for the used adhesive or the bond. If you are looking for a suitable adhesive for your manufacturing process or are already working with a specific adhesive and would like to test its specific properties, you will find the right partner in Fraunhofer IFAM. The experts at Fraunhofer IFAM have specialized in being able to analyze and determine the processing and final properties of a wide variety of adhesives.

In the group Soft Magnetic Materials, innovative powder technologies are used to manufacture soft magnetic components with reduced losses or special property profiles. Different concepts are pursued depending on the requirements especially the frequency range.

WITH THE RIGHT NOZZLE TO THE IDEAL ADHESIVE APPLICATION FOR ADHESIVE BONDING PRODUCTION | The application of adhesives requires a wide variety of technologies and procedures, depending on the task in hand. In addition to the appropriate dispensing system, this also includes the nozzles used to apply the adhesive bead, as well as flow simulations for the respective nozzle shape. In the Application Technology Center at Fraunhofer IFAM, we find out how your adhesive manufacturing process works best - from the selection of mixers and the dispensing system to the right nozzle and application form.

In the corrosion testing laboratory at Fraunhofer IFAM, various test methods are available for you - for aviation, as well as for automotive and maritime technologies, and for all other applications in which corrosion protection is important. Thus, you benefit not only from the expertise of our personnel in the field of corrosion protection, but also from the diversity of our capabilities.

We cover the complete value chain for the additive processes we have available at Fraunhofer IFAM – from the creation of 3D data models, through manufacturing, to final processing and inspection of the components.