Thermal Diffusion Coatings Protect
Automotive Lock Parts
The new Greenkote GmbH coatings plant in Germany delivers improved corrosion
protection for automotive parts.
BY DAN RITER
DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING
GREENKOTE PLC
The automotive industry faces some of the strictest regulations when it comes to meeting environ- mental and safety standards for materials and
parts for manufactured vehicles. Those restrictions
became even more challenging for auto makers when
the European Commission adopted the ELV (End of Live
Vehicles) Directive in 1997. Put in place as a means to
make vehicle dismantling and recycling more environmentally friendly, the ELV and other regulatory EU
directives force auto makers to search for ways to maintain the highest level of quality for metal finished parts
while meeting the growing demands for environmentally safe materials.
As a provider of thermal diffusion coatings services for
the automotive and fastener industries, Greenkote
GmbH serves European auto manufacturers and their
Tier 1 suppliers in meeting the demand for improved
environmental and technological advantages. In
September 2008, the company opened a new coatings
plant near Munich, located in Sauerlach, Germany.
Greenkote is a thermal diffusion coatings process that
modifies and improves the basic surface characteristics
of metals, and is thus applicable to metal finished parts
in many industries including automotive. Because thermal diffusion coatings do not contain any hazardous
heavy metals, this “green” technology can help meet the
demanding specifications of the automotive industry in
the EU market.
Greenkote developed PM- 10 and PM- 21 coatings for
the automotive industry mainly as a base for corrosion
protection and low friction topcoats. PM- 10 is zinc-alu-minum and PM- 21 is a zinc-aluminum-magnesium chemical composition. Duplex coating PM- 10 with e-coating is
approved by various auto manufacturers including
Volkswagen, Audi and GM.
In January 2009, Greenkote started coatings produc-
Greenkote GmbH’s new coatings facility in Germany has over
2,000 square meters of operations and office space.
tion for Audi’s Tier 1 suppliers. The Greenkote PM- 10
plus e-coat topcoat was approved by Audi and meets VW
specification TL-196, delivering improved protection for
Audi’s automotive lock parts. More on the specifics of
those test results are detailed below.
DUPLEX COATING
AND GREEN TECHNOLOGY
Greenkote PM zinc TD (thermal diffusion) coatings meet
the ELV Directive requirements because there are no
hazardous materials used in the coating. Also, the thermal diffusion process used in Greenkote technology produces no HAPS (hazardous air pollutants) and no industrial wastewater discharge.
The proprietary Greenkote coatings are purchased
and processed as a dry powder, so there are no solvents
or water to be removed during the coating process. The
little water used for post rinsing after coating can be
recycled.
