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Company

• About us
• Management Team
• Philosophy
• Research & Development
  • Patents / Licenses
• Responsibility
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  • Job Openings
  • Training
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• History

Research & Development

Always One Crucial Step Ahead

At AHC, that means consistent quality assurance and leadership in technology. Innovative thinking, creativity and focus on the future have had a long tradition with us from the very beginning.

That's why we try new things. Without ignoring the tried and tested. We act according to our customers' requirements. With our eyes focused on the goals at hand, we research and test innovative solutions for the functional surface treatment of the future. With the application-specific and customer-oriented development for surface treatment and chemicals in our internal R&D departments, we reinforce our international customers' competitive position, while at the same same assuring the long-term success of our own compagny. The cooperative partnership with our customers in designing and researching for a common development of solutions is the top priority for us.

We are not only looking ahead. We are also thinking about what lies around the corner and sometimes take a curious look into the past at the ingenious inventions of nature. This knowledge from the millions of years of biological evolution is valuable information and creative inspiration for us to develop new functional surface designs for materials of different compositions.

Popular models for functional surfaces from fauna and flora are, for example, the self-cleaning lotus leaf, the especially streamlined skin of the dolphin and the extremely adhesive feet of the gecko. We also examine carefully very different survival artists that have perfectly adapted to the environment. For more information, go to surface treatment.

Current Research Topics: 

• Functional alloy coatings
• Laser-supported oxidation of light metals
• Post-treatments / passivation of functional coatings
• Dispersion coatings based on nickel-phosphorous with functionally active dispersants
• Conversion coatings for use in medical technology
• New coating concepts for EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation), turbochargers, fuel systems in passenger and commercial vehicals

Awards:

1985: Award for the DURNI-COAT^® process with the quality mark RAL RG 660, Part 2, Quality Level 4/4 (the highest possible level) by the Gütegemeinschaft Galvanotechnik e.V. (today ZVO Zentralverband Oberflächentechnik).

1998: Distinguished with the industry award from 3-D MID e.V. research association for spatial and electronic components for the contribution of an ABS heating coil in MID technology.

1998: Awarded with the KesS Industrie Prize for Innovation 1998 from RWE Energie Aktiengesellschaft. The innovative performance was appreciated in the creation of ceramic coatings on light metals using plasmachemical processes in electrolytes.

Contacts to Universities / Institutes:

• RWTH Aachen University
• SGS Institute Fresenius Dresden 
• Technical University Dresden (Lecture Surface Treatment*)
• University of Applied Sciences Aachen, Campus Jülich
• KfK Research Center JülichUniversity Siegen (Lecture Surface Treatment*)
• ETH Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich 

*by Prof. Dr. Kurze, Manager Research & Development, Anodic Coatings  

Memberships:

• DGO Deutsche Gesellschaft für Galvanotechnik Oberflächentechnik 
• DGQ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Qualität
• EFM European Research Association for Magnesium 
• FQB Fachverband Qualifizierter Beschichter e.V.
• fvo Fachverband Oberflächentechnik e.V.
• IHAA International Hard Anodizing Association (USA)
• ZOG Zentrum für Oberflächentechnik Schwäbisch Gmünd e.V. 
• ZVO Zentralverband Oberflächentechnik e.V.