Experts from the industry gave presentations on the main topics of planning/project planning, substrate, layer formation, quality testing, wastewater treatment, and law & future. Among others, Marc Longerich, SurTec, reported on substrate composition and pretreatment. Dr. Dirk Rohde, Atotech, explained processes for electroplating and chemical coating. Andreas Baumbach, Saxonia Galvanik, described plastics electroplating, and Dr. Ralph Blittersdorf, Zeschky, covered the topic of sealers and topcoats. Dr. Cay-Uwe Pinnow, Helmut Fischer GmbH, discussed coating thickness measurement/coating composition with X-ray fluorescence. Herbert Hauser, Hauser+Walz, explained wastewater treatment in electroplating.
Dr. Matthias Zimmer, ZVO head of department for environmental and chemicals policy, concluded the event with his contribution on regulations such as REACH and the resulting future prospects for the electroplating industry.As part of the module, students complete several practical experiments, such as potential measurement on multiple nickel layers (deposited from electrolytes with different electrolyte additives), component coatings using barrels and racks with subsequent NSS corrosion testing. Further focus of the practical work is the anodic oxidation of different aluminum alloys as well as digital simulations of galvanic processes. The next block event will take place in July 2023, also in hybrid format, at the TU Ilmenau.