Surface engineering made to measure

WILD applies numerous innovative techniques for the manufacturing of functional surfaces. These enhance a product, increase its appeal and usability and also reduce costs.

Surface engineering is a key technology that plays a decisive role in various industries, because it helps expand the scope of application of existing materials. This is the case, for instance, in medical technology, which uses components with biocompatible surfaces. In assemblies and complete devices for optical technology, the demand for customised high-quality surfaces is also on the rise.

Certain basic materials such as aluminium or steel alloys have a significant impact on the development of a new product. For this reason, WILD’s surface engineering experts are involved in projects from the very beginning. WILD applies a process-oriented and efficient approach to the processing, refining and cleaning of functional surfaces.

The company’s portfolio includes several diverse innovative surface treatment techniques. The most important ones include:

• decorative anodising with flexible colour selection
• hard-anodising
• made-to-order anodising
• biocompatible painting
• textured painting
• laser engraving
• screen printing
• pad-printing techniques
• chemical nickel plating techniques to guarantee ideal protection against wear and corrosion.

Dimensionally accurate coating

A special adaptation of the surface structure and colour, for instance, was required for a touchscreen hinge in a FT-NIR spectrometer that is used, among others, in process analysis and final product inspection. The application required a dimensionally accurate, decoratively anodised surface in a special RAL colour. The challenge was to take into account even the smallest details already during pretreatments, such as the different exposure states of the raw materials.