Schlötter focuses on energy saving at SurfaceTechnology 2022

June 8th, 2022 | Stefanie Geldbach Dr. | News EN

SurfaceTechnology Germany is back at last! After the cancellation of the trade fair in 2020 due to Corona, the industry is looking forward to SurfaceTechnology 2022, which will take place in Stuttgart from 21-23 June 2022. Around 220 national and international exhibitors will present the most important trends in surface technology at the trade fair. SurfaceTechnology Germany has a fixed place in the trade fair calendar of Dr.-Ing. Max Schlötter GmbH & Co. KG. As a solution provider, Schlötter will be presenting holistic solutions for electroplating chemistry, plant technology and service at the trade fair (Hall 1, Stand C28). In 2022, Schlötter will also celebrate its 110th anniversary; the company was founded by Dr.-Ing. Max Schlötter in Leipzig in 1912.

Schlötter’s product highlights at SurfaceTechnology are: The patented alkaline zinc-nickel alloy baths of the SLOTOLOY ZN VX product family, SLOTOLOY ZN 210 VX (barrel application) and SLOTOLOY ZN 80 VX (rack application), which have consistently proven themselves in practice. A special anode largely prevents the formation of cyanides during deposition of the zinc-nickel layer. A low-cost alternative to membrane systems, Schlötter’s SLOTOLOY ZN VX technology has proven to reduce consumption of chemistry, nickel and energy during deposition and cooling. The overall energy required for coating and cooling is reduced by up to 35%. Together with Passivation SLOTOPAS ZNT 80 and Sealant GM 2450 , SLOTOLOY ZN VX processes form a perfect trio in terms of corrosion protection and tribological properties. Sealant GM 2450, which will also be presented in the expert forum, meets the new standards for lubricant-containing sealants for fasteners. Sealant GM 2450 fulfils the requirements of the specifications VW 01131 and MBN 10544.

Together with iChemAnalytics, Schlötter will also present a new type of test stand at their booth, which enables in-process monitoring of hydrogen absorption. Within a test period of 60 – 120 seconds, it is possible to obtain reliable key figures and process monitoring with regard to hydrogen embrittlement. Among others, it is possible to monitor hydrogen evolution in pre-treatment processes. With the pickle degreaser SLOTOCLEAN BEF 1790, Schlötter has developed a product that effectively reduces the absorption of hydrogen in the base material. This makes it possible to reduce heat treatment steps such as tempering.

Schlötter is also represented with two talks in the expert forum: In her presentation “No fear of hydrogen embrittlement – an approach for solution” (Wednesday, 22 June, from 11.00 – 11.20 a.m.), Vera Lipp, R&D team leader for PCB and electronics, will be looking at quality assurance in the surface treatment of high-strength fasteners. Oliver Daub from the R&D team for cathodic corrosion protection will present SLOTOFIN GM 2450, a“High-performance sealing for connecting elements” that meets the highest requirements for corrosion protection and friction coefficient (Wednesday, 22 June, 3.20 – 3.40 p.m.). Both talks will be translated into English

We look forward to welcoming you on our stand in Hall 1, C28.

Schlötter is granted patent
for SLOTOLOY ZN VX technology

June 16th, 2020 | Stefanie Geldbach Dr. | News EN

“Method for the galvanic deposition of zinf and zinc alloy layers from an alkaline coating bath with reduced degradation of organic bath additives” – this is the title of European patent EP 3481976, which was granted to Dr.-Ing. Max Schlötter GmbH & Co. KG on 15 April 2020.This somewhat lengthy title refers to Schlötter’s SLOTOLOY ZN VX technology, which was awarded the Innovation Prize of the state of Baden-Württemberg in 2018. The SLOTOLOY ZN VX technology is the basis for two zinc-nickel alloy baths SLOTOLOY ZN 80 VX (for rack applications) and SLOTOLOY ZN 210 VX (for barrel applications). Both electrolytes feature a significantly reduced formation of cyanides and a lower consumption of organic additives compared to conventional alkaline zinc-nickel electrolytes. At the same time, the bath voltage is significantly reduced and energy efficiency is significantly increased.

The VX systems offer  following advantages:

• Efficient use of resources: The overall consumption of chemicals is lower, since significantly less organics are degraded. Due to the lower cyanide content of the electrolyte, a lower nickel concentraction is required. Less raw materials are required to operate the electrolyte, which has a positive effect on consumption costs. Due to the lower bath voltage and less needs forcooling, the overall power consumption is reduced by up to 30%.
• Higher productivity: The current efficiency increases by 5-10% for barrel applications and by approx. 5-7% fro rack applications. Due to the higher current yield, the deposition rate is simultaneously increased by approx. 5-20%, thus the output of electroplating plants can be increased by up to 30% (for barrel applications).
• Strengthening of environmental and climate protection: The significant energy savings in plating, the faster deposition rate and the savings in organic additives not only lead to an increase in productivity, but also to a significant reduction in cyanide and wastewater volume per plated parts and a reduction in energy and chemical consumption in wastewater treatment. The new process thus represents an active contribution to environmental and climate protection.

Meanwhile, both SLOTOLOY ZN VX 80 and SLOTOLOY ZN VX 210 have performed tremendously well in practice for about three years and are in use worldwide.

Interested in our webinar?

If you want to learn more about Schlötter’s SLOTOLOY ZN VX technology, you can register for our webinar “„Wirtschaftlichkeit und CO2-Einsparung im Fokus. Hochleistungsabscheidung von Zink-Nickel im alkalischen Trommelsystem SLOTOLOY ZN 210 VX“.  We are happy to schedule an individual webinar for you. Please contact us at messe@schloetter.de

Zinc-Nickel
SLOTOLOY ZN 210 VX

March 30th, 2020 | Julia Krämer | Neuentwicklungen

Schlötter’s SLOTOLOY ZN VX technology  was awarded the Innovation Prize of the state of Baden-Württemberg in 2018. Zinc-Nickel SLOTOLOY ZN 210 VX was developed for barrel applications and deposits zinc-nickel coatings (12-15% nickel).Particularly noteworthy are the consistently high current efficiency and the high deposition rate. Degradation products have been significantly reduced, which means that regular dilution of the electrolyte is not necessary. The required bath voltage for SLOTOLOY ZN 210 VX is lower than for bright nickel-plated steel anodes and significantly lower than for comparable membrane processes. This results not only in lower current quantities for depositing the zinc-nickel alloy, but also in lower energy consumption for cooling and, as a result, a favourable CO2 balance.

Key facts(PDF) All processes

Schlötter wins Innovation Award of Baden-Württemberg

December 3rd, 2018 | Julia Krämer | News EN

Schlötter is among the winners of the Baden-Württemberg Innovation Award 2018. During the festive ceremony held in Stuttgart on November 28, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister for Economic Affairs in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, presented the certificate and prize money to Schlötter.
Since 1985, the Innovation Award, which is named after the former Minister for Economic Affairs, Dr. Rudolf Eberle, is awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises  located in Baden-Württemberg for oustanding developments and applications of new technologies.

Schlötter applied for the Baden-Württemberg Innovation Award for the first time and was immediately successful with their alkaline zinc-nickel process, SLOTOLOY ZN “Generation VX”. With their VX technology, a resource-saving process for zinc-nickel plating, Schlötter managed to beat 94 competitors and was selected as one of the winners.

Uniting Ecology and Economy
Conventional zinc-nickel electrolytes are operated with insoluble nickel-plated steel anodes. “Generation VX” processes, however, are operated with newly developed manganese-containing anodes which were filed for patent in February 2017. Their great advantage:  Using MnO anodes helps to avoid an undesirable byproduct of  zinc-nickel deposition, namely the formation of cyanides at the anode. The VX technology is available for both rack (Zinc-Nickel SLOTOLOY ZN 80 VX) and barrel applications (Zinc-Nickel SLOTOLOY ZN 210 VX).

The new VX processes feature following benefits:

Efficient Use of Resources:
The overall consumption of chemicals is lower, due to a significantly reduced decomposition of organic additives and lower nickel concentrations required in the electrolyte. Operating the electrolyte requires less material which reduces costs. The overall energy consumption can be reduced up to 30% due to lower cooling efforts and by lowering the operating voltage.

Increased Productivity:
The current efficieny for plating barrel parts is increased by 5-10%, and for plating rack parts by 5-7%. At the same time, the deposition rate is higher by 5-20% through the higher current efficiency which increases the overall output of plating plants up to 30%.

Environment and Climate Protection:
Energy savings during the plating process, higher deposition rates and lower consumption of organic addivites do not only bring about productivity increases, but also help to reduce the amounts of cyanides and effluent generated per part and simplify effluent treatment.

Converting to the new technology is easy: users only have to exchange the anodes and the brightener. Capital expenditure is low: the new anodes roughly cost the same amount as regular nickel-plated steel anodes. With relatively simply measures, Schlötter succeeded in improving the sustainability of alkaline zinc-nickel plating, which also impressed the jurors of the Innovation Award.