The "The Surface" prize was awarded on June 4 at the start of Surface Technology in Stuttgart. First place went to Holzapfel Metallveredlung with a rotating and tilting electroplating rack. Second place went to J. Wagner from Markdorf for a powder quantity control system and third place to TE Connctivity for an environmentally friendly coating process for connectors.
The prize has been awarded since 2024. The jury includes Dr. Martin Riester, FB Fachverband Oberflächentechnik at VDMA, Michael Hilt, Forschungsgesellschaft für Pigmente und Lacke e. V., and Dr. Martin Metzner, Head of Electroplating Technology at Fraunhofer IPA and Chairman of the Board of the German Society for Electroplating and Surface Technology (DGO).
The electroplating rack developed by Holzapfel Metallveredlung is designed to meet the growing demands for multifunctional surfaces on heat sinks for power electronics. It is motorized, can be rotated and tilted and is equipped with a programmable logic controller so that it can execute process-specific motion sequences. Thanks to the infinitely variable swivel angle, a previously unattainable coating quality is possible on the one hand and a very high degree of variability in component alignment on the other. This maneuverability saves resources. For the first time, the rotating and tilting electroplating frame makes it possible to coat components on one side only without having to mask them first. This reduces metal consumption by 61% and the use of chemicals by as much as 78%. In addition, the energy requirement for electroplating is reduced by 385 tons ofCO2 per year.
"The innovation not only saves material, energy and emissions, but also represents a real enabler technology for the end application"
"The innovation not only saves material, energy and emissions, but also represents a genuine enabler technology for the end application," praised Dr. Martin Metzner. "In addition, the development is industrialized, which convinced the jury, especially in view of the harsh chemical conditions in electroplating production."
The powder quantity control system from Markdorf-based company J. Wagner was selected for 2nd place and is aimed in particular at powder coaters. It offers optimizations in the dosing of solids as an aerosol. A process that is still challenging in terms of process technology, as Michael Hilt said.
The new environmentally friendly coating process for connectors from TE Connectivity, which won 3rd place, is also of interest to electroplating technicians. This is because the increasing demands placed on connectors in vehicle electrical systems require completely new coated contact surfaces. They must be efficient and environmentally friendly to manufacture. TE Connectivity, based in Bensheim, Hesse, has developed the physical "GreenSilver" coating process, in which a combination of the two most conductive metals, copper and silver, forms the contact surface. Due to its fine crystalline structure and low coefficient of friction, the coating material achieves stable electrical connections, withstands temperatures of up to 180 °C and high vibration loads. The new coating process is dry, produces no waste water and has aCO2 footprint that is up to 35% smaller than established electroplating processes. "The technology presented can make a contribution to e-mobility applications, signal and power transmission and sensor technology in the automotive industry and thus also to achieving the sustainability goals of this industry," says Dr. Riester.
