Balda und SINGULUS: New production technology developed

The world´s first integrated production line for surface finishing starts up in May
Balda AG, Bad Oeynhausen (www.balda.de) and SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG (www.singulus.de) have successfully concluded the test phases for a jointly developed, entirely new production line for the finishing of plastic components.

The cooperative development venture, which was agreed and launched in October last year, has resulted in the fully automated integration of the plastic injection moulding and surface technology process stages. That means that the injection-moulded plastic components are removed from the injection moulding machine and transferred to the SINGULUS 3DS metallising system for the application of a metallic surface, and then to the non-scratch coating process, fully automatically and without any manual intervention. This represents the first completely integrated production sequence of this type anywhere in the world. It enables extremely small production lots to be produced very efficiently.

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Revolutionary technology
Comparable production methods such as vapour deposition or painting are so far only possible in batch mode, by working through the individual operations in sequence. With its integrated pre- and follow-up treatment, this revolutionary new technology generates tremendous savings in time and money, both in the production process and in logistics. Compared with galvanisation, there are none of the high operating and disposal costs. With its cathodic vaporisation (sputtering), the system can provide 3-dimensional plastic components with decorative and protective surfaces in a vacuum, in a controlled and reproducible manner.

Delivery of the first machine in the beginning of May
"With this production line, Balda presents itself with a new, efficient production method, and the opportunity to meet the demands of the various customer segments in an even more flexible manner. This integrated production process technology moves us a crucial step closer to our vision of "one-piece flow production," according to Ralf Ackermann, Director of Technology at Balda AG. "This fruitful cooperation with Balda offers SINGULUS the opportunity to enter the market for decorative protective coatings with what is currently the most innovative product in this sector, and hence to implement the widely heralded diversification strategy to great effect," explained Stefan A. Baustert, Chairman of the Board of Management at Singulus.

SINGULUS will be delivering the first production line to Balda in April this year. At the moment systems for the INFOCOM application area are being sold exclusively to BALDA. In addition to this, the machine can also be employed in such areas as cosmetics packaging, and in the toy and automotive industries. Balda anticipates further orders for the finishing of plastic surfaces in the financial year 2007.

Balda AG, Bad Oeynhausen

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