Stuttgart Surface Technology Prize 2022 awarded

Three companies from the surface technology sector have been awarded the Stuttgart surface technology prize "The Surface" at the Surface Technology trade fair forum, which is awarded every two years by a team of judges. First place went to Dürr Systems AG for its overspray-free paint application with the EcoPaintJet Pro. The process results in energy savings of around 30 percent across the entire painting line and enables customized product design and automated production. Second place went to ASIS GmbH for its automatic finish. With the automatic finish, the company developed a precise and repeatable solution for inspecting and removing defects. This fully automated finishing process saves time and material and ensures consistent quality. Third place went to Molecular Plasma Group S.A. with Molecular Plasma, a technology that enables surface functionalization through the covalent bonding of organic substances by means of a cold atmospheric plasma on any substrate.

BMF GmbH and Dörken Coatings GmbH & Co KG were also nominated for the Stuttgart Surface Technology Award "The Surface". BMF has created an automatic blasting process that produces reproducible, homogeneous and pre-definable surfaces, thereby avoiding rework and rejects. Dörken, on the other hand, developed an automatic spray gun in collaboration with equipment manufacturer Walther which, in conjunction with a robot, can partially coat components with virtually no spray mist. The jury consisted of Dr. Martin Metzner, Head of the Electroplating Technology Department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA. Michael Hilt from the Research Association for Pigments and Coatings e.V. and Dr. Martin Riester from the VDMA Surface Technology Association.

► Read a detailed report on the Stuttgart Surface Technology Award in our Industry section