"Freedom that I mean" – Which PFAS replacement for which application?
Since the lubricant base PFAS, which was long considered untouchable, has been demonized, pursued, and ultimately restricted on a large scale, there has been a frantic to panicked search for alternatives. What was initially hyped as "unsolvable" is losing its panic potential as replacement substances are gradually being presented. They promise as much as the coating companies that use them. But what can they really do? What properties do they possess? Is there one all-purpose substance that can do it all? And which coater keeps their promises?
Since the end of last year, more and more PFAS-free coatings have been emerging, aiming to make us forget the decline of the coating miracle that was considered untouchable for decades. It sometimes gets overlooked that some coating providers have been using PFAS-free paints for years. They are therefore not a new phenomenon. Nevertheless, the growing variety of alternatives is noteworthy. Because – to put it bluntly, there is no one universal coating paint – and there never was. It is all the more important that the coating provider of your choice can offer a wide range of paints and the appropriate expertise on how to apply them and what they are best suited for.
Coaters should be able to clarify important questions in advance.
For example, the coating company OVE Plasmatec from Weil im Schönbuch not only offers nearly seven PFAS-free paints but also has extensive experience in the refinement of elastomer surfaces. It is by no means always about large series starting from a million pieces. The Swabians have also coated a single sealing ring with a diameter of two meters. However, what is always crucial are the suitable paints for the application-specific coating of elastomers, primarily seals.
To find this out, important questions should be asked and answered in advance: Is it a static or a dynamic application? Can the paint be colored? What temperature ranges is it suitable for? What low friction values can it offer? Does it reduce insertion forces? Does it facilitate assembly and separation? All of these are, for example, fundamental questions. Equally important is often whether the automotive industry has approved the paints, whether they are LABS-compliant, or whether there is an FDA or drinking water approval. If the coater does not have suitable answers to these questions and cannot provide advice, caution is advised. Ideally, they should have the appropriate product along with competent advice.
Experiencewith different applications is important
At OVE Plasmatec, they are well-versed in such questions and coatings. After all, the company is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a GmbH this year. Their experience with the refinement of elastomer surfaces dates back to the 1980s. "There is hardly a requirement or application that is unfamiliar to us," emphasizes Managing Director Heiko Friedrich. With this expertise in hand, they also maintain contacts with their customers, listen, and occasionally provide application tips on how to simplify or improve processes. In such direct contacts lies the advantage of a small family-run medium-sized business.
When you, as a customer, engage with such coaters on a personal level, the best and most suitable solutions will emerge for you. Because it is not always immediately clear which coating is the right one for the specific application case. If a coater can also offer tests, it certainly strengthens a trusting collaboration. For this purpose, OVE Plasmatec has been using its own technical center since the beginning of 2024. In various experimental setups, the experts accompany a potential testing process until the appropriate coating is found.
LacquersTest the certified manufacturer in your own technical center.
For coatings, the specialists in Weil im Schönbuch primarily use paints from large and well-known manufacturers. This ensures a high and lasting delivery reliability. Depending on the application, the paints can also be freely configured. For many customers, this is an important factor in their decision for a dual-supplier strategy. Currently, OVE Plasmatec can use six PFAS-free paints. A seventh will be available in the second half of the year.
Since autumn 2024, three new developments will complement the portfolio.
There is a PFAS-free wax mixture OVE20T, a PFAS-free polymer solid lubricant OVE25T, and a transparent PFAS-free silicone coating OVE26T. These are also available in eight colors: yellow, orange, red, green, blue, white, violet, and gray as OVE25X and OVE26X. For differentiations, identifications, or recognition by cameras in automated processes, this is often a crucial aspect. For years, the two PFAS-free coatings OVE13T based on silicone lubricant and OVE95T based on resin silicone lubricant have also been in use.
High-performance coatings for specific cases
All of these PFAS-free coatings are characterized by specific applications. For example, OVE20T is a universal, water-based sliding lubricant with an organic binder that can be used for coating in simple applications. It reduces friction and noise disturbances, ensures permanent separation during automatic feeding, facilitates assembly, and adheres well to metals, plastics, and elastomers. If different colors are not required, this is a cost-effective base coating.
As a new water-based sliding lubricant with an organic binder, OVE25T enhances the performance of many seals. The base material consists of polymeric solid lubricants. This results in a high-quality elastic surface that adheres very well to metals, plastics, and elastomers, reduces friction, and features a UV indicator for easy testing. Thus, this PFAS-free innovation facilitates assembly and is widely used in automatic feed systems.
Meets strict requirements of OEMs
In contrast, OVE13T is quite an old hand. For over 15 years, this water-based PFAS-free sliding lubricant with graphite has provided a smooth surface. It is highly resistant to chemicals, reduces friction, permanently separates sealing rings, and prevents adhesion. As a result, it is suitable for dynamic applications as well as for static ones. Therefore, it has been used for easier assembly and for automatic feeds for years.
In the automotive industry, with its particularly high demands, the proven OVE95T is often used. The solvent-based 3-component sliding lacquer with synthetic resin silicone forms a transparent, dry, and thin sliding layer with very low friction values. It reduces insertion forces and facilitates assembly. Furthermore, it is largely resistant to water, fuels, and mineral oils, making it suitable for applications in the automotive environment. For example, OVE95T can also meet the VW requirement for LABS conformity.
Thinking partners support early on
Despite the variety of PFAS-free coatings available, each area of application and use case should be specifically examined, and a suitable coating should be tested. Trustworthy coating companies are happy to engage with their customers to find the right product. 'On the way to the optimally fitting coating, we gladly take our customers by the hand as a thinking partner,' says Bettina Kremer, also managing director at OVE Plasmatec. 'We handle our customers' products with care, provide early indications about the status of the tests, and address issues even when things don't fit optimally,' Kremer states. Companies should contact competent coating partners as early as possible in their search for the right coating to enhance the performance of their elastomer seals. The earlier important decisions can be made, the better it is for the seal provider, the application case, and the sustainable, long-lasting functionality of devices, aggregates, and machines. And all of this is done in an environmentally and life-friendly manner without PFAS.
OVE makes seals more powerful
Founded in 1990, the family-owned company OVE Plasmatec GmbH acts as a highly professional service provider for the surface refinement of elastomers. This includes the processes of cleaning, coating, treating, and servicing. Unique is the low-pressure plasma process, which allows seals to be machine deep-cleaned. Extensive services such as testing, special packaging, or labeling facilitate workflows for seal manufacturers and users. Quality checks with friction coefficient or torque measurements, as well as tests for LABS-free status and the associated documentation provide customers with the desired security.
With around 30 employees and a professional machine park, an average of 80 million parts are processed each month. With its own technical center opened in 2024, the innovative pioneers of high-performance coatings for elastomers are actively shaping the future of cleaning and coating technology. The highly professional service providers for the surface refinement of elastomers always keep particle cleanliness, germ-free conditions, and certified LABS-free status in mind. This is achieved through the cleaning and coating processes and affects not only the products but also the packaging.
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