Detection and monitoring of corrosion phenomena by Non-Destructive Techniques
Detection and monitoring of corrosion phenomena by Non-Destructive Techniques
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Surface Engineering
CIDETEC Surface Engineering has installed a new surface treatment pilot plant equipped with a PLC, allowing it to centralise the control system and automate the surface treatment process. The plant consists of 28 tanks ranging from 200 to 250 litres in volume, reproducing those found in industrial processes, and is fully prepared to metallise plastic parts (ABS, ABS/PC, engineering or high-performance plastics, etc.), from preparing the substrate through to the first electroplating stage.
The new plant will serve as a test bench for digitalising surface treatment. The pilot line already counts on some of the most advanced chemical monitoring equipment on the market, and is ready to integrate new auxiliary equipment such as for purification or metal recovery. We are also developing a digital twin to supplement monitoring with a tool that predicts component concentrations in surface treatment baths.
All this will allow CIDETEC Surface Engineering to reproduce and improve the industrial processes to metallise plastic parts in the surface treatment industry.
The Z-WasTEK project has achieved its goal by developing multiple demonstrators that enable carbon fibre to be recycled from composite parts at the end of their service life
The Z-WasTEK project started out in 2020 with a view to developing new zero-waste technologies for manufacturing composites using high-quality recycled carbon fibre and CIDETEC Surface Engineering’s patented 3R resin (repairable, recyclable and reprocessable). A new process was subsequently developed to recycle carbon fibre after it had reached what was hitherto considered the end of its service life.
Researchers at CIDETEC Surface Engineering have perfected a new chemical recycling process that leverages the intrinsic properties of the 3R resins to separate the carbon fibres from the resin and use both recycled materials to develop a range of second-generation composite materials reinforced with recycled carbon fibre.
Moreover, thanks to a newly developed high-performance adhesive based on 3R technology and capable of withstanding the stringent requirements of industries such as aeronautics, different glued parts within a single piece can be separated straightforwardly by applying heat, offering a major benefit in terms of separating and subsequently repairing damaged aeronautical components.
Z-WasTEK is part of the Basque Regional Government’s Support Programme for Business R&D (HAZITEK), and is co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) via the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology. The project, led by OBE HETTICH S.L., has a budget of 2.4 million euros and will end in March 2023.
Apart from CIDETEC Surface Engineering and MTC as technology centres, the project has also counted on the participation of MARISKONE S.L., FIBERTECNIC S.A., FIBER PROFIL S.L., SEGULA TECNOLOGÍAS ESPAÑA S.A.U., IGESTEK INCREASE&WIN S.L., MAIER S.COOP. and INKOA SISTEMAS S.L.
Egoitz Luis Monasterio: u201cFuncional Coatings for active surfacesu201d
Jagoba Iturri, investigador de la Unidad de Nanosuperficies de CIDETEC Surface Engineering, nos explica las características del nuevo microscopio de fuerza atómica -AFM- para caracterizar materiales a escala nanométrica.
Nueva planta piloto para tratamientos superficiales completamente automatizada
CIDETEC Surface Engineering ha instalado una nueva planta piloto para la aplicación de tratamientos superficiales que cuenta con un controlador PLC, que permite centralizar el sistema de control y automatizar el proceso de tratamiento superficial. La planta, compuesta por 28 cubas de volúmenes entre 200 y 250 litros, reproduce a las empleadas en procesos industriales, pudiendo realizar la metalización de piezas plásticas (ABS, ABS/PC, plásticos ingenieriles o de altas prestaciones, etc.), desde la preparación superficial del substrato hasta la primera etapa de electrodeposición del proceso de metalizado de plásticos.
La nueva planta está pensada para que sirva como banco de ensayos en el ámbito de la digitalización de los tratamientos superficiales. Actualmente la línea piloto ya cuenta con algunos de los equipos de monitorización química más avanzados del mercado y está preparada para poder integrar nuevos equipos auxiliares, tales como equipos de depuración o de recuperación de metales. Además, se está trabajando en el desarrollo de un gemelo digital que permita complementar la monitorización mediante una herramienta predictiva de la concentración de los componentes en los baños de tratamiento superficial.
Todo ello permitirá a CIDETEC Surface Engineering reproducir y mejorar los procesos industriales de metalizado de piezas plásticas empleados en la industria del tratamiento superficial.
