Inline Production Systems for Sustainable Coating of 3D Parts

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES offers a new generation of inline coating solutions for fully  automated handling and coating of 3-dimensional parts. From loading to packaging, the process is fully automated and not one manual step is necessary – at a cycle time of only 0.4 seconds per component. This manufacturing solution is interesting for automotive, consumer goods, sanitary, mobile phones and packaging used in the cosmetics or beverage industry.

ECO-FRIENDLY, RECYCLABLE Metallized Coatings from SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES, a leading global provider of innovative production technologies for the manufacturing of high-tech products, is proud to introduce its latest development: eco-friendly, recyclable metallized coatings. Traditional metallized coatings often utilize non-recyclable materials and harmful substances, raising environmental concerns. Addressing this issue, SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES has successfully produced metallized finishes on PET plastic that have passed key recyclability tests, including metal detection and NIR resin identification. The Tests were conducted by certified test facilities of the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR).

Compared to conventional metallizing processes, the new coatings from SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES offer significant eco-friendly advantages:

• Resin-based spray primers and topcoats can be avoided on various substrates, including PET, SAN, and glass.
• Applying the coatings requires less energy, resulting in over 70% reduction and cost savings.
• The processes emit zero VOCs, eliminating the need for EPA reporting.
• Eco-friendly, low-energy lasers can be utilized to create a wide range of print decorations.

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES’ metallizing equipment and technology are designed to be Onshore-ready, offering additional environmental benefits. The machine footprint can be as small as an injection molding machine and the inline process is available with robotic part handling automation, minimizing labor requirements.

The DECOLINE II distinguishes itself with versatile options in realizing different layer configurations. Not only decorative, but also functional layers could be applied. Thinkable approaches are antibacterial coatings, EMV-shielding, electrical conductive layer (e.g. on electroplating components before the actual electroplating) or antennas. Each electrical conductive and non-magnetic metal and its alloys can be used as a metallic layer. This is a clear unique selling point, compared to batch processes, in which the selection of possible coating materials is much more limited.

The DECOLINE II inline coating system is the next developmental level in vacuum coating and product handling:

• Brilliant layers on 3-dimensional parts
• Individual design variety
• Elimination of batch processes
• UV-curing for protection lacquer
• Inline spray coating & metallization
• Fully automated processing
• High productivity and flexibility
• Low cost of ownership
• Environment-friendly