News
Beckers opens new centre of excellence for UV coatings for plastic
OEMs are increasingly looking to UV-curing coatings when painting plastic, particularly for mobile phones and packaging. They value the better chemical resistance and hardness of the coatings, as well as the shorter, faster coating lines. But coating complex 3-D objects with cutting-edge effect coatings under factory conditions is a world away from more traditional, roller-coating UV applications.
To enable OEMs and sub-contractors to test coatings under realistic conditions, Becker Industrial Coatings has commissioned a new pilot plant in its factory at Le Pont-de-Claix, near Grenoble, France. Tests can be run here for customers round the world, and prototypes or master series can be produced. The pilot plant can replicate a wide variety of full-scale plants. Its specification includes:
- Anti-static ionised air gun
- Eight adjustable spray guns, operable in two sets of four, to allow twin-coat application, with optional flash-off or full cure between coats
- A battery of 3 medium IR lamps
- Both arc-electrode and Fusion UV lamps
- A continuous chain conveyor whose speed and spindle spin can be adjusted, section by section, to pre-optimise production conditions
- Optical sensors to confirm position of painted parts in the system
- Full computer control to control line speeds and IR/arc-electrode UV power output
- Part size maximum – motorcycle crash helmets.
Systems used are mainly urethane acrylates, and gloss levels from 2% to above 90% are possible. Because of the higher solids, UV systems are cost-effective compared to conventional coatings.
The new pilot line is part of the Beckers UV Centre of Excellence for plastic coatings. Here the latest resin and pigment technology is assessed, novel coatings, colours and effects developed and best practice is disseminated to other Becker companies around the world.
The UV Centre of Excellence joins the Centre of Excellence for mobile phones and business equipment in Sweden, and the Centre of Excellence for home entertainment in the UK. The Centres of Excellence support technical, commercial and colourstyling activities worldwide through Beckers’ network of local colour stylists.
Beckers’ colour stylists are knowledgeable about paint chemistry, application, and colour matching as well as the needs of designers. A popular service from Beckers is the design development seminar, structured for the design team of a particular OEM. In recent seminars Beckers’ colour stylists have worked with teams from mobile communication OEMs including Nokia, Samsung, Siemens and Sony-Ericsson. At these seminars BIC demonstrates colour and effect trends, and gives the customer’s designers hands-on training in the range of coating effects that are possible.
Released: June 2004