Surface World April 2019 Surface World April 2019 | Page 72

PRODUCTS & PROCESSES
The high art of surface treatment
Even when things get tight:
Pallas sets new standards
Surfaces today are a
sophisticated business:
ingenious materials and
processes render them
fit for heavy-duty strain,
reliable performance and
long service lives. Whether
for wear protection, repair,
cleaning, modification,
corrosion control or
function expansion –
treated surfaces make
components more durable,
processes more efficient
and products more
competitive. No wonder
that the demands on
modern surface treatment
are so complex. Providing
optimally designed
solutions calls for profound
knowledge of the specific
applications, media and
influencing factors, in
all areas of industry and
all types of process. As a
leading company for surface
technology, Pallas GmbH &
Co. KG regularly sets new
standards in many branches
of industry. The latest
highlight in the success
story of this family business,
headquartered in Wuerselen
70
APRIL 2019
near Aachen, is iClad®,
a processing head for laser
cladding of internal surfaces
designed for industrial use
for apertures as small as
30 mm in diameter.
Repair instead
of replacement
Over 50 years of experience in the
development of customised solutions for
technical or decorative surfaces qualify Pallas
as a sought-after specialist for challenging
tasks. This modern service enterprise with a
staff of around 30 provides the whole
spectrum of processes, all from a single
source: electroplating, thermal coating,
non-stick and plastic coating as well as laser
treatment. The company’s accumulation of
expertise and processing technologies allows
an interdisciplinary evaluation of the task at
hand. Coupled with the courage to tread
new ground, this approach repeatedly leads
to innovative solutions with added value.
Through purposeful combination of the
advantages of thermal, mechanical or
electromagnetic processes and specific
materials, Pallas develops customised
surfaces for heavy-duty components or tools,
for example for the automotive or aerospace
industries. The result: fieldtested solutions for
key industrial applications like tool-making
and mould construction, sealing or bearing
seats, rollers or drill pipes. The benefit is
obvious: there is no longer any need for the
costly and time-consuming manufacture of
new tools and moulds. Instead, the existing
components are quickly and inexpensively
repaired or optimally configured for the
specific application.
Hard facts for narrow pipes
The industry has long been on the lookout
for comparable solutions for the repair and
coating of difficult-to-access components,
for example in the automotive industry and
mechanical engineering, or in medical
engineering.
The answer to this demand was provided by
Pallas in terms of a processing head for laser
cladding of internal contours. The compact
design of the iClad® special processing
head makes it possible for the first time
to coat bores measuring from 30 mm in
diameter and to a depth of 500 mm.
Even blind bores can now be coated,
alloyed or annealed right into the angle.
By way of comparison: conventional
standard processing heads require an
aperture diameter of the inner contour
of at least 100 mm.
Specialist know-how
in a nutshell
From the initial idea through to the finished
product, and even beyond, the personal
consultancy provided by Pallas ensures
first-class solutions. Right from the decision
to purchase, customers profit from intensive,
needs-based consultation provided by a
qualified expert. This applications-oriented,
processfocused solutions expertise is a
guarantee for the optimal design of the
equipment. For operators or laser
manufacturers interested in iClad ® , Pallas
determines the necessary process parameters
for laser sources, process media and
application areas of the optics and defines
the design specifications for the optics, the
type of laser source, the beam path and the
geometry. The Wuerselen-based specialist
company for surface technology also takes
care of the subsequent construction of the
processing head, application tests as well
as implementation and after-sales service.
This ensures access to an all-in-one solution
with optimal consulting and development.
After the purchase, Pallas keeps the
customers up to date on current
developments through a range of services:
thanks to various measurements,
optimisations, replacement of optical
components or nozzles and reworking
of supplied optics, operators participate
reliably in new findings. Furthermore, on
request Pallas also offers internal coatings
as a service.
read online: www.surfaceworld.com