The Technological Centre for Plastics (Andaltec) has purchased a laser lab, highly polyvalent cutting-edge equipment which enables the application of a texturised coating on metallic surfaces, patterns, markings or feasibilities.
Andaltec
Andaltec purchases laser lab to develop polymer and metal surface texturised coatings
The aim behind this acquisition is increasing the competitiveness of companies in the automotive and packaging sectors.
The laser lab, provided by Innova Scientific, is made up by a pulsed laser source, an optical system, and the peripherals needed for equipment operation. The laser source offers a pulse duration inferior to 400 femtoseconds, a very high light beam frequency which makes cold ablation possible, without any thermal effects. This equipment can be employed to process polymers and metals with innovate surface treatments. This is intended to research for new properties in materials, such as obtaining hydrophopbic or hydrophilic surfaces, specific optical features or developing anti-fog and anti-condensation surfaces.
José María Navarro, Andaltec’s Managing Director, said: “The properties of metals or polymers lie mainly on their surface’s charactersitics. Therefore, we are going to perform surface treatments on the polymers or metals by means of laser techniques, with the purpose of obtaining innovative effects on the materials.”
Andaltec aims to purchase new multilayer film extrusion equipment, as well as compounding machinery, to develop new plastic materials for the packaging and agrofood sectors.
Andaltec is a National Technological Centre, supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. It spans over more than 10,000 square metres of high-tech facilities, making it one of the largest in Andalusia. Andaltec’s headquarters in Martos possess the latest technological equipment for research on new materials, the development and validation of new products, and process optimisation.
