The inaugural Surface Technology North America 2016 event, one of five industrial technology events co-located at the upcoming International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) at McCormick Place in Chicago, will cover the entire spectrum of surface treatments and coatings.

Held September 12–17, 2016, North American and international exhibitors will showcase coating processes for metals, plastics, glass, and ceramics, as well as electroplating, industrial plasma-based surface treatment, and micromachining.

Select surface treatment and cleaning solutions focused on the automotive, mechanical, metalworking, electronics, and electrical engineering industries, as well as medical technology sector, will hold the spotlight.

“Surface Technology North America is a perfect complement to IMTS, because surface treatment is the next step in the manufacturing process after parts cleaning, especially in the metalworking industry where products need some final surface finishing process,” said Larry Turner, president and CEO of Hannover Fairs USA (HFUSA). HFUSA is the U.S. subsidiary of Deutsche Messe and the organizer of the event.

Surface Treatments for Modern Manufacturers

“During Surface Technology North America, Tantec will be demonstrating our corona and plasma systems for cleaning and pre-treating three dimensional objects and uniquely shaped products,” said Jeff Gradus, vice president of Tantec. “Our surface treatment systems offer manufacturers the ability to improve the adhesion of any of their products, creating a surface that is more hydrophilic.”

Tantec is a long-time IMTS exhibitor.

“Exhibiting at the inaugural Surface Technology North America trade show is a perfect fit for us,” Gradus said. “We look forward to this great opportunity to meet face-to-face with uniquely qualified visitors who are looking to secure our surface treatment and surface cleaning systems.”

Among other manufacturers at the event, Bruker says it will showcase three surface technologies that provide metrology and testing solutions for applications and environments that are challenging for competing systems.
“For example, we are demonstrating the new Contour CMM, a non-contact dimensional metrology system that uniquely measures product shape and form, as well as surface texture and surface roughness,” said Sumin Zhu, product manager for Bruker’s nano surfaces business.

The ability to precisely measure a part’s shape and also accurately characterize its surface detail is necessary for determining product quality and performance in a wide range of precision machining industries, from the development of medical implants to drill bit manufacturing.

Bruker will also highlight its universal mechanical tester, UMT TriboLab, which flexibly tests wear and performance of materials and products to see how they perform in motion and in real-world environments, matching the results to ASTM and regional standards. Additionally, Bruker will demonstrate its large-gantry NPFLEX 3D Optical Profiler, which measures surface roughness and texture rapidly, accurately, and without contact.

“NPFLEX is unique because it analyzes small surface features on larger parts, such as an entire engine block, acquiring 3D images and quantifiable data in less than a minute,” said Zhu. 

Elsewhere, Stronghold Coatings Systems is launching two new products at the show.

“We are showcasing Stronghold’s new Blue Dichtol sealer, which can be utilized to seal all types of castings and industrial applications,” said Larry Grimenstein, president of Stronghold Coatings Systems. The Blue Dichtol sealer applies a light blue film across the entire product surface to indicate that 100 percent of the surface is sealed.
Stronghold Coatings also will showcase its MM 1018 material, a load-bearing polymeric for bridge bearings, which is currently used throughout Europe.

“For more than 15 years of applications across European bridges, the bearings coated with MM 1018 are still in perfect condition,” Grimenstein said. “There is absolutely nothing like this product currently on the market in North America.” 

Show Spotlights Global Solutions

Show attendees can learn more about global advances in hybrid polymers with new properties used in the coatings industry, surface pre-treatments applied during the manufacturing process, as well as high-speed and batch process treatments.

Many of the new surface treatment applications demonstrated at the show will offer attendees new solutions for their surface treatment problems at substantial cost savings.

Surface Technology North America is also hosting a German Pavilion supported by the German Ministry of Economics. At this event, attendees can secure contacts with German surface treatment companies. Additionally, treatment, cleaning, and coating companies from Italy and France will be exhibiting their innovative solutions.

“Surface Technology North America 2016 is a spring board for all global companies to secure new business opportunities in the U.S., such as identifying potential buyer groups and locating distributors and potential business partners,” said Turner. 

For more information, contact: HFUSA, (773) 796-4250, http://industrialtechnology.events