2012, March – Decofin® LMB 3000 and Decofin® HCR 6000 are Atotech's latest electrophoretic developments, aimed at the low/medium build market segment. Both processes give coatings an excellent gloss and clarity in the range of 4 -12 microns and provide a high level of corrosion protection.

Electrophoretic coatings are widely used in the furniture, fashion and sanitary industry. Atotech’s Decofin® processes have been developed to meet the most demanding needs for decorative and functional electrophoretic coatings.

Electrophoretic Coatings

• Suited for perfect integration in electroplating lines
• High transfer efficiency and productivity
• Remarkably uniform coatings even on complex-shaped parts
• Low VOC / HAPS
• Reduced rejects

2011, November – TriChrome® Shadow is the darkest trivalent chrome currently available on the market, producing very attractive and deep dark-bluish finishes. Especially if combined with Atotech’s Satilume® satin nickel processes, TriChrome® Shadow offers a whole new palette to contemporary design for automotive applications and consumer electronics.

TriChrome®

• Cr(VI)-free electrolytes – simple handling and improved worker safety
• Higher efficiency and productivity due to higher deposition rates
• Improved LCD performance – higher throwing and covering power
• Reduced “white wash” effect – improved compatibility with nickel layers
• Very tolerant to current interruptions, less rejects due to “burning”

Atotech’s trivalent chrome process range

2011, November – Environmental obligations are getting tougher; the demand for a more sustainable use of resources is much stronger. Atotech intends to meet all of its customers’ requirements for environmentally friendlier technologies, offering at the same time considerable cost-saving advantages. With its newest auxiliary equipment Ni Recovery Unit NIY, Atotech has made a further step in this direction. In fact, the system allows customers to save a significant amount of Ni raw material costs.

Ni Recovery Unit NIY is an innovative auxiliary system for the recovery of nickel from the rinse water of semi-bright, bright, satin and microporous nickel processes. Designed to achieve a more efficient use of raw materials, Ni Recovery Unit NIY considerably improves nickel plating profitability.

• Ni ions recovery from rinse water
• Final nickel sulfate solution reusable for semi-bright, bright,
  satin and microporous nickel processes
• Recovered solution with Ni concentration of approx. 35 g/l
• Improved nickel plating profitability

2011, February – Copperlume CNF 103 is Atotech’s newest environmentally responsible alkaline copper process, specifically designed to replace CN-based copper plating processes.

• Free of cyanide and chelating agents –
  allows for environmentally friendlier operations and considerably
  lower waste treatment costs compared to cyanide-based processes
• Direct plateing on steel, brass, stainless steel and most properly prepared zinc die-castings
• Suitable for both rack and barrel applications
• Bright copper deposits, fine-grained, ductile, with remarkable throwing power

2011, February – The On-line Analytics are the result of many years of experience in product processes optimization and fully represent Atotech’s unmatched expertise in the design of advanced auxiliary equipment for the surface finishing industry. On-line Analytics constantly monitor the plating solutions by performing a whole range of automated analyses, from titration and spectroscopy to conductivity measurements.

• Easy to implement in existing production lines
• Analysis results are provided in a very short time –
  whole plating process can constantly be maintained at optimum conditions,
  resulting in higher chemistry and production yields
• Combined with dosing units, system allows for automatic adjustment of composition of baths –
  extends their working lifetime and preserves high quality of plated layers
• Reduction of labor times – reduction of production costs

2011, February – Argalux® NC is Atotech’s new mildly alkaline, cyanide-free silver process, providing bright silver coatings for electronic and decorative applications.

Argalux® NC can be directly applied over silver, brass, bronze and copper surfaces, with no need for a separate silver strike stage. Suited for rack and barrel application, Argalux® NC provides bright white and shiny coatings with excellent thickness distribution. The deposits are fine-grained, smooth and compact, combining low porosity and excellent bonding properties with superior covering and throwing power.

2011, January – Since its first introduction to the market, Atotech’s microporous nickel process MPS 300 has constantly improved the corrosion resistance performance of multilayer nickel chrome systems for automotive applications. Deposited as a final nickel layer over bright nickel, this renowned process provides improved CASS resistance as well as high and uniform pore counts.

• Brand new product specifically designed to simplify operations with MPS 300
• MPS 300 Liquid avoids formation of dust during the preparation of the solution and allows for easier and safer handling
• Suitable for universal use with plastic and metal substrates
• MPS 300 Liquid achieves pore counts of 5,000 - 50,000 pores/cm2