Success factor surface
Effective surfaces are a key element of the latest tools, especially in the age of Industry 4.0. The functions are varied: From reducing friction to protecting against wear to reducing bothersome deposits on tools to integrated sensors that supply safety-related data in real time. Suitable surface structuring, treatment, or coating can extend the service life of tools, improve product quality, and enhance process security and productivity.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST offers its customers tailor-made concepts and solutions for optimizing tool surfaces to overcome a variety of challenges in industrial production. Both large scale industry and small to midsize enterprises thereby gain access to the latest innovations in the fields of systems engineering, coating technology, and tribology.
Customer-specific surface and film systems are developed to withstand specific stresses depending on the requirements and application case. Either the entire process chain or only specific elements of it are examined as needed: from configuring the topography to diffusion treatment to final coating. Here customers benefit in particular from the expertise of Fraunhofer IST in the mastery of processes and their combination with a variety of films, making it possible to realize a broad range of film functions. Extensive experience with the production and application of films is supported by application-specific test equipment and corresponding film and surface analytics with highly modern equipment.