Thin Film, an operational unit of Sulzer Metco, Germany, has opened its new diamondlike carbon (DLC) Coating Center. The 3000 m2 production area includes six coating systems that provide state-of-the-art DLC coatings. They offer low friction, wear and corrosion protection, and hardness, as well as optimal starved-lubrication conditions that meet the growing demands for CO2 reduction and reduced fuel consumption.
The center, in Bergisch Gladbach, incorporates all required process steps according to the common criteria of automotive production. These steps include: the TS 16949 certification, clean room conditions, material flows in compliance with FIFO standards, and production control following the KANBAN principle. The six coating systems include A.Carbon, A.Carbon WCH, A.Carbon WCHmod, and A.DYLYN.
Sulzer Metco’s production and service site in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, has a longstanding tradition in manufacturing coating equipment and supplying the automotive industry with surface and coating solutions for engine, chassis and transmission components. Worldwide, the company treats the surface of more than 30 million ball pivots a year – nearly 8% of all used ball pivots in a car per year. The applied plasma heat treatment processes from Sulzer Metco like A.IONIT and A.IONIT OX are well-established in the automotive industry.
With the additional DLC coating capacities of the new coating center for serial production, together with the broad technology portfolio and global presence, Sulzer Metco is well prepared for automotive specific production processes.
