FOCUS ON COIL PROCESSING
The new research centre for electrophoretic dip coating at BASF Coatings ’ headquarters in Münster , Germany . Pre-treated original parts can be coated in a 2,000-litre dip tank and baked in a chamber oven .
to account for approximately 18.9 % of total market share in 2022 .
“ Coil-coating equipment is also set to be utilised in the manufacture of furniture , which would positively affect the U . S . market . According to the Associated General Contractors of America ( AGC ), the U . S . construction industry creates around US $ 1.4-trillion worth of structures each year . This number is estimated to surge in forthcoming years , thereby propelling the U . S . market ,” added FMI .
New coating investments
The new 120 million-euro coating line 13 for packaging steel , at thyssenkrupp Rasselstein GmbH , has now been completed after three years of construction . It will produce chromeplated packaging steel used for the safe and durable packaging of food in cans , lids and crown corks . Commissioning of the plant was celebrated during a party for employees at Andernach on 17 September 2022 with the Minister of Labour of the State of Rhineland- Palatinate . The new equipment enables chrome-plating of even thinner and wider metal sheet .
“ The new plant uses chromium ( III ) in the manufacturing process instead of the chromium ( VI ) previously used . The new manufacturing process therefore fully complies with the requirements of the EU REACH Regulation . The new production plant is the largest single investment at the Andernach site in around 15 years ,” commented the manufacturer .
Bernhard Osburg , Chairman of the Executive Board of thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG , added : “ This major investment marks an important and very special milestone in the history of thyssenkrupp Steel . We are converting to the highest sustainability standards here at the world ’ s largest production site for packaging steel .”
More efficient and energy-saving processes can be achieved with a digitalised workflow . Chrome-plated material is used for lids and bases for pet food cans , valve disks on aerosol cans , crown corks or printing ink cans .
BASF Coatings has inaugurated a new research centre for electrophoretic dip coating at its headquarters in Münster-Hiltrup , Germany . The electrophoretic or cathodic dip coat ( e-coat ) protects the surfaces , edges and cavities of a car body against corrosion , and evens out the roughness of the pre-treated metal surfaces , providing a strong basis for application of the subsequent paint layers .
BASF Research Centre for Coating Applications in Southfield , Michigan ( USA ) where technicians can precisely replicate the paint processes and conditions in most automotive plants .
“ We invested 15 million euros in the new building at the Münster site ,” said Mathias Schöttke , Managing Director , BASF Coatings GmbH . “ The health and safety of our colleagues is particularly important to us at BASF . This is why , during the planning stage , we have not only given high priority to the quality and efficiency of the coating process , but also to ergonomics and occupational safety right from the start .”
Frank Naber , head of the Automotive OEM Coatings Solutions EMEA business unit at BASF Coatings , emphasised : “ In our new e-coat research centre , we can simulate our customers ’ processes and paint systems . We can coat pre-treated original parts from our customers under the conditions of their individual paint lines in a 2,000-litre dip tank and bake them in a chamber oven . These parts can be doors , fenders
Image : Shutterstock . com . or bonnets .” In addition , the research centre has two ultra-filtration and filtration stands with which the quality and stability of new e-coats can be tested under the conditions at customer sites before the tank is filled for the first time .
“ In this way , we can ensure that the coating quality is at a very high level immediately after changing over to a new e-coat material , and that it meets the customer ’ s specification ,” explained Naber .
The centre will mainly be used for the CathoGuard ® 800 e-coat technology , which has been applied to more than 100 million vehicles worldwide . n