Call: Eurostars CoD14 of the Horizon Europe Framework Program H2020, financed by CDTI in the international inter-company call

Tratamientos superficiales Elhco - Electroless Hard Coat
Tratamientos superficiales Elhco - Electroless Hard Coat
Tratamientos superficiales Elhco - Electroless Hard Coat
  • Starting date: 1st June 2021
  • Finishing date: 30th November 2023
  • Members: ELHCO (SPA, Project leader company), Gaitek (SPA), Rescoll (FRA) and with the collaboration of Fundación CIDETEC (SPA).

SUMMARY

The use of precision temporary masks is a very common operation in metallic finishing treatments. It consists of protecting specific areas of the surface that should not be treated, an operation known as “masking”. The use of masks can represent 80% of the total cost of operations in the treatment of parts with complex geometry that must receive different surface treatments in each of their areas. The high cost of this stage is due to the mask removal process, which takes a long time and generates fluctuating and narrow margins.

Almost all surface treatment companies use masks in their process. Specifically, those that work for the aeronautical sector can use them in 60% of the total treated parts. For this reason, the metal finishing industry is looking for a profitable solution that minimizes time and costs derived from the masking process.

THERMOMASK’s general objective is to develop and validate in a real environment a thermo-strippable mask that is easy to apply and remove, suitable for use in aggressive environments. Likewise, the project proposes the development of new equipment that will facilitate the removal of the mask by means of infrared heating of the specific area to be removed. The project focuses mainly on the application of the mask and the use of the peeling equipment by surface treatment companies that require selective coatings, mainly for the aerospace and/or automotive industry, where their elements have a high added value.
The consortium is made up by 3 SMEs, two of them of Spanish origin (GAITEK and ELHCO) and one of French origin (RESCOLL).

The use of precision temporary masks is a very common operation in metallic finishing treatments. It consists of protecting specific areas of the surface that should not be treated, an operation known as “masking”. The use of masks can represent 80% of the total cost of operations in the treatment of parts with complex geometry that must receive different surface treatments in each of their areas. The high cost of this stage is due to the mask removal process, which takes a long time and generates fluctuating and narrow margins.

Almost all surface treatment companies use masks in their process. Specifically, those that work for the aeronautical sector can use them in 60% of the total treated parts. For this reason, the metal finishing industry is looking for a profitable solution that minimizes time and costs derived from the masking process.

THERMOMASK’s general objective is to develop and validate in a real environment a thermo-strippable mask that is easy to apply and remove, suitable for use in aggressive environments. Likewise, the project proposes the development of new equipment that will facilitate the removal of the mask by means of infrared heating of the specific area to be removed. The project focuses mainly on the application of the mask and the use of the peeling equipment by surface treatment companies that require selective coatings, mainly for the aerospace and/or automotive industry, where their elements have a high added value.
The consortium is made up by 3 SMEs, two of them of Spanish origin (GAITEK and ELHCO) and one of French origin (RESCOLL).

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

The THERMOMASK project proposes a 40% cost reduction in masking operations through two action strategies. Firstly, the reduction of the required thickness of the mask to the minimum for its easy peeling. Secondly, the simplification in the peeling and cleaning process, thanks to the adhesion loss that the mask suffers in the presence of heat.

The achievement of these objectives requires obtaining the following results in the project:

  • A thermo-peelable paint/resin to be used as a mask in a wide range of surface treatments, as well as the procedure to adapt it to different materials and surface roughness. THERMOMASK will consider a wide range of media; from strongly acid media (such as etching) to strongly alkaline media (such as immersion cleaning). Likewise, to expand the possibilities of the product, organic media such as paints will be considered.
  • A new device to apply heat through infrared radiation (IR) that makes possible to remove the mask in a specific area. This will be possible through the use of a heat-peelable formulation.

ELHCO’s specific technical objectives of the project are the following:

  • Determination of the properties that the new developed mask must meet.

    ELHCO is going to prepare a specification where the technical and market requirements of the new product to be developed by RESCOLL will be gathered, through the analysis of both regulations and similar products on the market, as well as tests carried out in the laboratory for the new formulations of masks.

  • Determination of the resistance of the new mask and its limitations of use.

    ELHCO will test each of the new formulations of RESCOLL masks to determine its resistance to the chemical and electrolytic processes that are carried out in the plant to determine the limitations of the use of each of them.

  • Achievement of resistance to working temperatures.

    The chemical process with the highest processing temperature is Chemical Nickel-Phosphorus (65-85 °C). Working at the starting temperature of the mask degradation, in the absence of loss of adhesion and therefore, with a correct metallization process, is complicated. As an alternative, the parameters of the bath will be adjusted so as not to exceed 80 °C, slightly reducing the speed of the process, but maintaining compliance with customer requirements.

  • Development of a method for removing the mask.

    After adjusting the formulation to achieve optimum chemical resistance in specific chemical environments, the strippability property will be adjusted through thermal activation.

  • Validation of the mask strippability tool and method.

    ELHCO will test the peeling tool produced by GAITEK and will analyze different samples to check its effectiveness and validation for industrial use, launching pre-series of real parts.

  • Optimization and final validation of the complete process.

    ELHCO will optimize the mask application parameters, drying time, peeling conditions with the newly developed tool and will prepare a strategy for a robust industrial application of the new masking process defined within the framework of this project.

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