New plasma process for industrial coating

R&D Magazine : Coating technology is key to the success of many products, such as scratch-proof displays for smartphones and antibacterial surfaces in refrigerators. Until recently, manufacturers relied on one of two methods: wet chemical processes or vacuum plasma processes. Vacuum processes are expensive and limited to smaller components; wet chemical processes require high energy consumption and can be damaging to the environment. A third method is now being developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials in Bremen, Germany. Jörg Ihde and Uwe Lommatzsch have developed a plasma nozzle, no bigger than a typical spray can, that allows the coating to be applied very precisely and only where it is needed. The pair were awarded one of this year’s Joseph von Fraunhofer prizes for their innovative technique.