SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Awarded Contract for DECOLINE II Production Line
KAHL AM MAIN, Germany – SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG has secured an initial contract from the automotive industry for a production line of DECOLINE II for the finishing of three-dimensional plastic components. The DECOLINE II now makes chromium(VI)‑free coating of parts for the automotive industry possible.
The DECOLINE II from SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES integrates vacuum metallizing (sputtering) plus all coating and pretreatment steps into a single production process, and transports the components through all process stages automatically. The POLYCOATER vacuum coating system is a core component of the entire line. The POLYCOATER is conceived as an inline machine and operates according to the vacuum sputtering principle. Compared to laborious batch production, which involves evaporation deposition, this solution automates the production process, and its short cycle times substantially cut production costs. For optimum, controlled coating of all sides, the components can be rotated in the vacuum. The use of UV lacquers, and the scope for recycling these, minimizes emissions of environmentally harmful substances.
The environmentally friendly, low-cost coating technology clearly sets the DECOLINE II apart from traditional coating processes, thus ticking all the boxes for revolutionizing traditional product finishing. The line concept can be used for two- and three-dimensional components with a wide variety of characteristics.
Previous production processes for the manufacturing of chrome vehicle components have resulted in the toxic heavy metal chromium(VI)-polluting waste water and hazardous waste. This innovative, environmentally friendly coating process that avoids the use of chromium(VI), produces an identical look, and paves the way for other versatile metal coatings, thanks to the use of alloys. According to the German Federal Environment Agency, energy consumption is 60% lower than for chrome plating. The process can be used by suppliers to the automotive industry and in car paint shops, for example for chrome-look built-in parts for bumpers, badges, controls such as pushbuttons, and gear levers.
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