This year, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) is once again awarding the surface technology prize "The Surface". The award recognizes innovative applications and technologies within all disciplines of surface technology.
The application phase began on January 19 and will run until April 8, 2024, with the award ceremony taking place on June 4 at the Surface Technology Germany trade fair in Stuttgart. Individuals and organizations that have played an innovative role in shaping the surface technology industry are invited to take part, regardless of whether they work in electroplating, painting technology, thermal spraying or other industrial areas related to surface technology.
In addition to sustainability, the three-member jury also assesses the degree of innovation, the characteristics of the technology or application as an enabling technology and the industrial feasibility. "Every component inevitably interacts with its surface. This is why surface technology plays a key role in the degree of innovation and progress in numerous industries. We want to promote and recognize this," says juror Martin Metzner, Head of the Electroplating Department at Fraunhofer IPA and Chairman of the DGO Board.
In 2022, the "The Surface" prize, which was awarded for the ninth time, went to Dürr Systems AG. The paint system manufacturer from Bietigheim-Bissingen had developed a completely overspray-free wet painting process together with partners from the paint and automotive industries.
