Royal treatments: Technochim wins innovation award for its multi-functional coating
Technochim, a specialist in surface treatments, has won the prestigious Innovation Prize at the Contamin Expo trade show in Paris. The company, based in Ghislenghien in Hainaut, was recognised for its cutting-edge ceramic coating Coatix.
For 11 years, Technochim has been expanding its status as a leader in the development of advanced treatments of metals – to increase their resistance to corrosion or for decorative purposes. The company first made a name for itself with a unique solution against rouging, a complex form of corrosion found in stainless steel, which poses particular problems in the pharmaceutical sector.
“Rouging of pharmaceutical installations used to make vaccines risks contaminating those vaccines and introducing polluted substances into people’s bodies,” says Frédéric Groulard, CEO of Technochim. “We are the only company in the world with a treatment against all forms of rouging, including the most complicated type to remove, known as Class III rouging.”
This expertise gained the Walloon enterprise a firm reputation in the European pharma sector, with high-level clients such as GSK Vaccines and Sanofi Pasteur. Throughout the years, the firm has acquired knowhow in a wide range of treatment techniques, like degreasing, pickling, passivation, electro-polishing, mechanical polishing and shot blasting. It also took over its supplier of chemical products, Derustinox.
Thanks to the expansion of its competences, Technochim now offers its services to clients all over Europe, including in France, the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany and Ireland. The company also teams up with the European division of American multinational Steris. At the time of writing, a team from Technochim was also preparing to leave for Russia, where they were to carry out maintenance of a particle accelerator known as a cyclotron. It has carried out similar operations in the US and South Korea as well, collaborating with med-tech company IBA of Louvain-la-Neuve.
While the pharmaceutical sector remains an important market, Technochim has drastically enlarged its scope. Its services are being used in the construction, chemical, agri-food, energy, metallurgy, aviation, space, luxury and design industries.
With the Coatix ceramic coating, Technochim is further consolidating its position on the global market of surface treatments. Coatix is a smart coating, with various functionalities that can be adjusted according to needs. It can be applied on metal surfaces as well as plastic and glass.
“Coatix can for example be water-repellent or be very water-absorbent,” says Groulard. “We can ensure that it inhibits the growth of bacteria on surfaces and can integrate coloured zones, for example red and blue areas to warn technicians about which parts of the equipment are too hot to handle without hand protection.”
Pharmaceutical companies are again an important target group, but Coatix is useful in a range of industries. In Dubai, a gold-coloured Coatix coating will give a commercial centre the look of a palace, while also making the surfaces easy to clean. Closer to home, Belgian airports are interested in the coating to make stainless steel surfaces easy to clean.
“Public spaces such as airports and healthcare organisations like hospitals can benefit from Coatix for another important reason,” says Groulard. “The coating’s antibacterial properties can prevent many people from getting infected by illnesses that are otherwise spread around more easily in such places.”
Technochim is already developing the next generation of Coatix, which staff will be able to apply more easily in situ because no oven will be needed to produce it – instead UV lamps will suffice to solidify the coating.
The company is also launching itself into the world of 3D printing, specifically in the aviation industry. Its chemical solutions can help to make the printed surfaces of aircraft parts smoother and more polished, a common challenge with current 3D printing technology. In this domain, Technochim is working with a top aircraft engines enterprise based in Wallonia.
By Andy Furniere
