160 guests from Germany and abroad were present on 13 November when Dörken MKS-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG celebrated the opening of its new technology centre. Representatives of the automobile and sub-contracting industry, plant constructors, partners from coating companies employing MKS systems, for example from the DELTA-PROTEKT^® range, joined representatives of universities and universities of applied sciences at Herdecke to inspect the new facilities. Around 1.5 million euros were invested to expand the technical support on hand for customers in the automobile sector, wind sector and other industries. At the same time, optimal conditions were also created for future projects.

The new technology centre is divided into the working areas of coating processes and surface analytics. This enables the 1:1 re-enactment of the entire coating process to be performed, from pre-treatment via the various application techniques such as dip-spin, dip-draw or spraying and on to the ready-to-ship component. In the second stage the testing of the coated part is performed. This process includes salt, spray and VDA testing, as well as many other automobile-specific corrosion protection tests. These are joined by the working fields of surface analysis, various mechanical tests and the wet chemical analysis. In this, it is possible for the entire testing process to be documented photographically. In addition to tests on parts from established processes the technology centre also conducts internal development tests as well as sample coating for future specifications in the automobile industry. Manufacturer-specific tests can be simulated precisely in this. A further highlight of the technology centre is the new bolt testing stand, where, for example, the coefficient of friction of a bolt connection can be tested according to the specifications of the respective automobile manufacturer.

The new technology centre in Herdecke will be joined by a similar facility in the USA in early 2009, with a third centre also planned for the Far East. This will enable Dörken to offer qualified, on-site technical support to users of microlayer corrosion protection systems in its three core markets - the EU, the USA and the Asian growth market. The technology centre in Herdecke will be responsible for the entire European area in future, including Eastern Europe. A CRM system also enables the networking of all MKS employees worldwide. This means, for example, that test assignments from Japan or Brazil can also be transmitted to Herdecke and processed there.

The opening of the new technology centre is just one step in the scope of a complete global investment package. For example, the expansion of production at the Herdecke site is also progressing well. Production here is set to begin in April 2009.