FREILACKE UK LTD
Into the future with zero emissions
Manufacturer of steel furniture relies on new VOC-free anodic EC solution from FreiLacke
The Hessian manufacturer Christmann + Pfeifer ( C + P ) specialises in the production of high-quality steel furniture for versatile areas , such as workplaces , archives or workshops . The company processes 1,500 tonnes of steel each month and turns them into individual pieces of furniture or complete furniture ranges for large facilities . They are manufactured in three plants in Breidenbach ( Hesse ), Gotha ( Thuringia ) and Legnica ( Poland ).
Sustainability is a key issue for the company , which has been in business for 95 years . “ Steel can be melted down repeatedly without a loss of quality ”, explains Jens Pott , production manager for surfaces at C + P . In Germany , nearly half of all steel is made using this secondary raw material . That lowers the energy required for production and therefore also CO2 emissions . To ensure the durability of its steel furniture , corrosion protection is a major issue for C + P . That is less of an issue for the furnishing solutions for office spaces but much more so for swimming pool lockers , furniture transported abroad by sea or furniture used outdoors in desert states like Dubai .
Accepting the job
The steel components are pre-treated with an iron phosphate coating . An anodic EC dispersion coating follows at the facilities in Thuringia and Hesse . While this is usually a primer , at C + P it is a finish coating . The standard colour shade is RAL 7035 , i . e . light grey ; all other colours can be applied using powder coatings .
C + P has been relying on a solvent-based anodic EC system from FreiLacke for many years . But the decision makers also wanted to reduce emissions as much as possible and , as a result , meet regulatory standards throughout the foreseeable future . Jens Pott recalls that the company approached FreiLacke , voiced its wishes and then worked together on how to make them happen . The coating specialist from the Black Forest accepted the job , got to work and was able to produce initial results after a few short months : It came up with a VOC-free product called FREIOTHERM-ATL-EcoOne – a 2C system without solvents or neutralising agents that need to be labelled . “ That is the advantage of a family business : It offers real services that cannot be found elsewhere ”, the production manager says .
Field test reveals need for cooling
FreiLacke has been developing and using innovative electrodeposition coating systems since the 1960s . The latest addition to the EC family is the new anodic two-component system without VOC-relevant solvents and neutralising agents in the paste mixture – a product that is unique on the global market . “ What is available to the user here is a
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36 FEBRUARY 2022 read online : www . surfaceworld . com