ZIRCOTEC TO UNVEIL NEW COATINGS

High performance coatings specialist, Zircotec, will be unveiling its expanded range of plasma sprayed ceramic and metal coatings at Autosport International on 12-15 January 2012. This includes the new for 2012 vanadium, a hard wearing composites surface coating, as well as its innovative ZircoFlex and award winning ThermoHold coating for the protection of carbon composites.

Over 80 per cent of teams competing in Formula One relied on Zircotec’s surface coatings in 2011, with its ceramic thermal barrier technology a key feature of the exhaust blown diffuser utilisedby many F1 teams to gain extra downforce.

“The technology was crucial for the teams who hadn’t considered this in their initial design,” said Peter Whyman, Sales Director at Zircotec. “Our coating reduces surface temperatures by 125°C and enables hot exhaust gases to pass over delicate carbon parts, protecting them from delamination. The technology began in the atomic energy industry, so helped reduce the introduction time as complete redesigns were not necessary.”

The exhaust blown diffuser concept has been banned from Formula One for 2012, but Zircotec has taken the technology developed for motorsport applications and made it accessible to the mainstream automotive industry.

Increasingly the firm’s coatings are being employedby further industries, particularly the defence sector, which is utilisingZircoFlex, a product that keeps crucial aspects of military vehicles cool in harsh environments. The marine market is also making use of the technology developments, with Zircotec’s hard wearing coatings now used by teams competing in the Volvo Ocean Race, an international sailing competition.

Whyman added: “From our involvement in motorsport we have learnt to create lightweight parts that offer high levels of performance in harsh environments. Many of these technologies are transferrable. We even have a road car project with a ‘diffuser’ that is coated with our Thermohold finish to prevent it being damaged by hot exhaust gases. We have also learnt to work faster. F1 deadlines means we can turn around parts in the day now!”

For a niche company like Zircotec, Autosport International presents a great opportunity marketing. “Autosport International is the prime show for Zircotec to exhibit. We get the unique opportunity to meet everyone from kart racers to F1 engineers. Many projects we have delivered had their seeds sown at this show. It’s also a brilliant opportunity to catch up with existing and meet potential business partners. Our very successful project with Frank Wrathall’s NGTC BTCC car came about after a first meeting at last year’s show.  We have equally found a number of our resellers at the event. They come to the show from all over the world so you get great economies of scale,” Whyman continued.