AkzoNobel & IPG Photonics: Laser curing of powder coatings
AkzoNobel and IPG Photonics have entered into a strategic partnership to cure powder coatings using laser technology. The powder coating is selectively heated by laser for only a short time and thus in an energy-efficient manner, which also significantly shortens the curing time.
The collaboration between AkzoNobel and IPG Photonics includes the calibration of Interpon powder coating formulations for optimal results with IPG's laser curing solutions. This is intended to provide a faster and more energy efficient alternative to conventional curing methods. In the process, the applied powder coating is selectively heated by laser in a 'cold oven'. This means that no heat escapes into the factory floor and no energy is wasted on heating the atmosphere or the curing chamber. High-intensity laser heating can reduce the curing time to just a few minutes, compared to the 15 to 20 minutes required by conventional curing methods. IPG Photonics' process also enables curing in less than half the space required by a conventional oven.
Advantages of laser curing powder coatings
Laser curing offers a number of advantages, including the ability to preferentially heat the actual coating rather than the underlying substrate. The process is suitable for temperature-sensitive substrates and eliminates the long cooling times that occur in typical production lines. In a high-volume production environment, customers could realize savings of more than 50% in both capital and operating costs, while drastically reducing their carbon footprint and energy consumption.
Making powder coating more sustainable
"This is an extremely exciting partnership that can offer customers game-changing benefits in terms of process speed, efficiency and energy savings," says Jorrit van Rijn, Global Marketing Director of AkzoNobel's Powder Coatings business. "It's another example of how our commitment to the coatings of the future is driving our innovation so that we can help make the powder coatings industry even more sustainable." Trevor Ness, Senior Vice-President, Global Sales and Strategic Business Development at IPG Photonics, added: "We are delighted to be partnering with the EMEA market leader in powder coatings to accelerate market adoption of our ground-breaking modular laser curing solutions. By aligning our laser innovations with AkzoNobel's Interpon powder coating capabilities, we expect to accelerate time to market and add value for our customers. Together, our companies will bring a new level of efficiency and value to the powder coating industry."