Not everything that is defective has to be completely replaced. In times of dwindling resources, this realization is becoming more and more prevalent. This idea also underlies the current INTERREG research project “Laser Ablation of Local Defects” (abbreviated to “LaLoFe”) at Münster UAS, which is supervised by EUREGIO in Gronau. On the Steinfurt campus, scientists from the Laser Center are attempting to repair defective powder coatings in a targeted manner.
Such protective coatings can be found on washing machines, bicycles or tractors, among other things. They serve as corrosion protection and for visual enhancement. However, if defects occur during production or in the course of use, the entire component has had to be replaced up to now.
“At Münster UAS, we are trying to take a different approach by gently removing the coatings only at the defect site using laser light.”
- Jürgen Gröninger, graduate engineer
The company, based in Apeldoorn, applies powder coatings to metal components on a large scale and is very interested in the industrial implementation of the laser repair process. At present, the company therefore has numerous test series from the UAS for targeted recoating. But when things have to move fast and immediate results are needed, the Steinfurt-based company BK-Pulverbeschichtung helps out.
“The direct contact and assessment of experts who practice the craft on a daily basis is very important to us. This is the only way we can develop processes that will later find acceptance among companies in the region,” says Gröninger. The scientific know-how is supplemented by surface measurement methods from the University of Twente, which is a partner in the research project. Together with small and large industrial partners in the German-Dutch border region, the team hopes to have developed the appropriate methodology by the middle of the year and thus make a contribution to waste prevention.
