New fully automated pilot plant for surface treatment

CIDETEC Surface Engineering has installed a new surface treatment pilot plant equipped with a PLC, allowing it to centralise the control system and automate the surface treatment process. The plant consists of 28 tanks ranging from 200 to 250 litres in volume, reproducing those found in industrial processes, and is fully prepared to metallise plastic parts (ABS, ABS/PC, engineering or high-performance plastics, etc.), from preparing the substrate through to the first electroplating stage.

The new plant will serve as a test bench for digitalising surface treatment. The pilot line already counts on some of the most advanced chemical monitoring equipment on the market, and is ready to integrate new auxiliary equipment such as for purification or metal recovery. We are also developing a digital twin to supplement monitoring with a tool that predicts component concentrations in surface treatment baths.

All this will allow CIDETEC Surface Engineering to reproduce and improve the industrial processes to metallise plastic parts in the surface treatment industry.