Like all machine tools, lathes are also painted according to customer requirements. Apart from the coloring, the same paints are generally used for the interior as for the exterior. However, these only offer limited protection against swarf, lubricant and solvent residues, which can come into contact with the paintwork during the machining of a workpiece and, in the worst case, lead to leaks.

Particularly with continuous operation and high chip loads, paint wear occurs after a short time. This is why DMT Drehmaschinen has developed a particularly resistant coating for its own systems: The new "chip-defense coating" is particularly scratch, impact and abrasion resistant. The special composition also ensures that the coating is significantly more resistant to corrosion than conventional coatings. The application thickness is only slightly higher than conventional solutions. The new "chip-defense coating" will be presented at this year's Nortec in Hamburg.

Many machine tool manufacturers are regularly confronted with the same problem: The new lathe is running well, but just a few weeks after commissioning, the first signs of wear appear in the work area. Sharp chips and aggressive cooling lubricants wear away the paint. "This literally 'grinds' the inside of the machine to a shine and, in the worst case, even causes leaks that can cause the system to fail or damage plastics and live parts," explains Benjamin Kunimünch, Sales Manager at DMT Drehmaschinen. As the systems from the Lörrach-based manufacturer are generally in use for a very long time and often under high loads, the company looked for a solution to make the coating of the machine interior more resistant to wear.

Resistant special paint prevents abrasion

After around two years of testing in its own production facilities, DMT has now developed an abrasion-resistant "interior protective coating" under the name "Chip Defense Paint", which is significantly more robust than conventional coatings. The application thickness of this protective coating is only slightly thicker than standard coatings. Nevertheless, the mechanical resistance is significantly higher, as the coating not only has damping properties, but is also equipped with hardened granulate components to ward off sharp-edged chips.

"The new 'chip-defense coating' is also more resistant to chemically aggressive hydraulic oils, cooling lubricants and solvents than the coatings previously used," says Kunimünch. "In addition, we can influence the surface structure of the two-component coating through the type and quantity of dilution." The product is better protected against corrosion and is impact and shock resistant, so that no wear occurs in the machine room on contact with tools or workpieces.

Chip-defense coating can be used for all lathes

Overall, the excellent scratch, chemical-mechanical and abrasion resistance of the new protective coating ensures that the functionality and material quality of DMT lathes is guaranteed in the long term. The coating is offered as an option for all models and can be fully adapted to customer requirements in terms of color. "What may only appear to be a small detail at first glance is yet another innovation that helps us to provide our customers with increasingly high-quality, visually appealing lathes and other turning machines. The new coating is a major step towards ensuring that our systems retain their value," summarizes Kunimünch.

Nortec, Stand 319, Hall A1