Laboratory scale

Complex functional metallic product can only be obtained using the optimum combination of the right coating material(s) and coating process(es).

CRM Group owns extensive equipment and knowledge to test and develop the various coating processes at laboratory scale, as described below.

The produced coatings can then be fully characterised in-house (physical, chemical, structural and functional properties, in-use performances, durability, etc) using devices, facilities and competencies described in this section.

Metallic coating

Wet coating

Organic coating

Dry and vacuum coating

Patterning and printed electronics

 

Metallic coating

Many tools are available at CRM Group:

 rhesca

1) Rhesca – Multidip

  • Annealing under control atmosphere, metallurgical control, hot-dip (Zn, Zn-Mg)
  • Two atmosphere controlled furnaces
  • One stirred liquid metal bath
  • N2 wipers for metallic coating tuning
  • Rapid cooling devices
  • Three additional bathes for surface treatments
  • Treated surface 150*100 mm
  • Initial degreasing
  • Reactive annealing (NH3, CO)

Electroplating

liquid metal

2) Liquid Metal Wettability  3) Electroplating equipment

  • Degreasing
  • Rinsing
  • Pickling
  • Electrodeposition (Zn, Zn-Ni, Zn-Co, Zn-Fe, Tin Free Steel, Zn polymer, etc)

4) PlasmLiq facility This facility is dedicated to the investigation of electrochemical plasma processes. In contrast to conventional plasmas that are generated in a gaseous atmosphere, electrochemical plasmas are generated inside a water-based bath through an electrochemical reaction. The unique combination of electrochemical and plasma-activated reactions provide for a very broad range of possibilities for surface treatments. Application of electrochemical plasmas include Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) or Micro-Arc Oxidation (MAO). As compared to conventional anodisation, the oxide layers formed by PEO are thicker, crystalline and exhibit superior wear resistance. Equipment characteristics: Last-generation 50kW reverse pulsed rectifier with 500V

plasmalig

Samples size up to 5dm² Applications :

  • Preparation of crystallized protective oxide layers based on Al, Ti, Mg and their alloys for outstanding wear resistance
  • Polishing of metallic surfaces using completely environment-friendly baths
  • Surface thermochemical treatments like nitriding, carburizing or boriding for better tribological behaviour and wear resistance
 

Wet coating

Wet coating technologies are used to apply liquid coatings and surface treatments (sol-gels, polymers, paints and hybrids).

wet coating

The coating thickness range extends from a few nanometers (10-9 m) to tens of micrometers (10-5 m).

Various technologies are available at lab scale at CRM Group: dip coating, spin coating, bar coating, roll coating, chem coating, spray coating,  Slot die, etc.

 

 

Organic coating

Many tools are available at CRM Group:organic coating

 

  • Mixing tool and Bar coater
  • Roll coater
  • Curing equipements: convection furnace, induction oven, UV curing, EB curing

roll coater

 

Dry and vacuum coating

Dry coating technologies cover vacuum and atmospheric surface treatments, and are used to deposit metallic, ceramic and hybrid coatings.

All technologies mentioned in the table below are available at lab scale in CRM Group, including PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition), PECVD (Plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition), DBD (dielectric barrier discharge), FA-CVD (Flame assisted chemical vapour deposition.

dry and vacuum

 

Patterning and printed electronics

For the needs of innovative applications such as printed electronic (IoT, Internet of Things), Industry 4.0 applications and new aesthetics, CRM Group has acquired different printing tools for metallic surfaces: inkjet printing, screen printing and flexo-printing.

CRM Group can also manage laser patterning on metallic surfaces.

patterning