Henkel publishes white paper on new coating technology for metal pretreatment

Henkel Adhesive Technologies has published a new white paper dedicated to the cleaning agent and coating technology. It offers more efficient metal pretreatment in just one step. The technology enables users in the metal industry to reduce process steps by half while saving energy and water. It thus echoes Henkel's sustainability campaign "Respect the Planet, Rethink Design".

The cleaning and coating steps give metal surfaces important properties, such as corrosion protection and paint adhesion. This is therefore crucial for the quality and performance of subsequent applications.

However, whether it is household appliances, office furniture, heavy machinery or mechanical equipment, the cleaning and coating of metal parts requires large amounts of water and energy. This makes it more difficult for manufacturers to achieve sustainability goals such as reducing CO2 emissions. It also increases process costs and raw material costs.

Henkel's new white paper addresses this challenge. It shows how the traditional eight to ten process steps, such as the conversion process for zinc and iron phosphates, can be reduced to four using the latest generation of coatings. At the heart of the process developed by Henkel is Bonderite M-NT 41044. It is a cleaning agent and coating product that cleans and coats metal parts in one step. The product can be used with powder, wet or electrophoretic coating applications in general industry.

In addition to demonstrating the process and ecological advantages of the new technology, the best practices adopted by appliance manufacturer BSH Turkey show the results of cleaning and coating combined through examples. The list shows readers the savings potential of the current configuration for the pretreatment line. It also shows how to make their production processes more sustainable and fit for the future.

"Our commitment to a sustainable metal industry is at the core of Henkel’s business," said Volker Mansfeld, Vice President Industrial EMEA at Henkel Adhesive Technologies. "Together with our customers, we rethink the status quo and reinvent existing processes to make a positive impact. This optimization process focuses on high-performance products and takes a responsible approach to natural resources."