Delta Engineering & Chemistry GmbH was awarded the "ZIM Individual Project of the Year 2025" at the Innovation Day for SMEs organized by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) at the beginning of June.
In front of 1,800 visitors, the Berlin-based company presented its StratOx pickling process for the sustainable pre-treatment of plastic parts. The "Central Innovation Program for SMEs" (ZIM) promotes research and development projects by companies in order to accelerate them and strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs in Germany as a whole. The StratOx pickling process is needed, among other things, to produce chrome-plated components such as car or bathroom fittings. This is because chromium sulphuric acid may only be used to a limited extent in the EU for the galvanic coating of components due to its harmful properties to health and the environment. Using the modern StratOx pickling process, Delta now oxidizes the plastics with ozone for decorative chrome plating. The ozone is obtained from oxygen and decomposes back into oxygen after a short half-life. "We work without chromium(VI) or PFAS and avoid any toxic, carcinogenic or difficult-to-treat residues," explained Delta Managing Director Sarah Schmitz.
