New technology and innovation labs help Datwyler improve its surface treatment technology and material analysis capabilities

Schattdorf, Switzerland, July 5, 2022: Datwyler has opened a dedicated Technology & Innovation (T&I) laboratory system in Schattdorf, Switzerland, which includes a series of specialized laboratories to further support customers around the world.

The new T&I laboratory system is equipped with the latest and most advanced equipment to enable advanced root cause analysis, which helps drive breakthrough product innovations and improve existing products. Often, interpreting experimental data is a challenge for customers. Datwyler combines extensive material expertise with laboratory capabilities to interpret data well, deeply analyze the interactions between materials, optimize their performance and control the process to obtain products with the highest quality.

Figure 1: Physical laboratory in the T&I laboratory system

The T&I Lab enables customers to use our expertise and equipment to find the ideal solution for their problems, or to co-develop completely new products with us,” says Dr. Luciane Klafke, Head of Compounding and Laboratory Technology at Datwyler. “Because our T&I Lab is completely in-house, we have full independence, transparency and flexibility at every stage of the development process. This gives us full control over material quality, process and root cause analysis. Together with our customers, we can develop the material combination that will enable their products to function optimally; and, because the lab is run independently, our product development and improvement work can occur without any impact on production schedules. ”

Figure 2: All laboratories in the Datwyler T&I laboratory system are completely in-house and work well together.

Customers can gain strategic advantages with Datwyler's advanced analytical methods

In-depth analysis of material properties and the properties of adhesives acting between different materials is Datwyler's expertise and also brings strategic advantages to our customers. From general formulation development to cutting-edge technology, Datwyler can start from new material research, material combinations and processes and further study how to apply them to actual production. Existing products or parts can also be used independently to develop new adhesive coatings or processes. This means that, for example, when a new adhesive is required, the commissioning of the adhesive application can be completed without stopping the existing production, which brings greater flexibility to customers. The laboratory can also analyze and optimize the manufacturing process and related performance of product components while simulating the actual production environment as much as possible.

“We are able to create a true dust-free environment in the T&I lab, and we can also simulate conditions in the lab that are very similar to real production environments,” said Klafke. “This allows us to perform multiple rounds of prototyping, testing and validation in these specific environments to provide customers with the best quality solutions. This not only shortens the time to integrate solutions, but also means faster feedback to customers, which in turn speeds up their time to market.”

Figure 3: 3D printing equipment that can be used for prototyping during product development

The future of mobility requires advanced capabilities

With the continuous development of mobile travel applications, emerging cutting-edge technologies have put forward new functional requirements for materials and surface treatment technologies. Sealing solutions must achieve the highest performance. Considering the new use environment, sealing solutions sometimes need to have other properties at the same time, such as good high and low temperature stability. Advanced electroactive materials (EAP) are also a good example. This material technology can be used in electric vehicles and electrification systems to help achieve tactile feedback and surface deformation of automotive interiors; at the same time, compared with today's commonly used drive technologies, EAP is also a low-energy solution that can reduce the mechanical complexity of the system.

Figure 4: EAP technology enables tactile feedback and surface deformation in automotive interiors

Dr. Jakub Kadlcak, Head of Materials Development at Mobility, added: “The core goal of R&D and innovation is to make products more functional; this also means that we have to meet many challenges. For example, certain material coatings for battery cells need to have both thermal conductivity and electrical insulation properties with a certain electromagnetic shielding function, which are often contradictory. The electromagnetic shielding effectiveness can be improved by improving the conductivity, but sometimes high conductivity is not needed, so a coating must be added to offset this effect. Because the function of the material cannot be seen or touched - you have to test it to know whether the material can achieve the desired results. The T&I laboratory has an important role to play in this situation. At the same time, we believe that this laboratory system will become an important global resource component for Datwyler surface treatment technology and future new material solutions.”