BASF launches applications for Steron coating

In addition to the automotive sector, there are many other possible fields of application for Steron where the principle of "one look – one touch" applies: Different products, but the same look and the same feel. The possibilities for clothing articles are also enormous. Substrate materials here include fabrics, plastic film and leather. Steron-coated leather in particular has the benefit of being completely air permeable.

The unique soft touch is likely to find great interest among fashion designers and their customers for accessories such as hats, gloves, belts, wallets and handbags. Manufacturers of handbags will surely profit from the BASF product: A renowned fashion design house recently decided to use the new material, because it is lighter and less expensive than leather.

The first handbags made from Steron are expected to be available in stores as of the fourth quarter of 2013. Finishing and labeling are problem-free and make the accessories even snazzier.

Compared to Steron, for instance, conventional soft-touch products limit design possibilities, since they can be printed, embossed or laser-engraved only with difficulty or not at all. As for clothing, Steron opens up new opportunities for a wide mix of materials and designs for shoes. Here, too, substrate materials can be leather, fabric and synthetics.

In conjunction with leather, the Steron system has special characteristics that improve functionality of furniture – specifically, scratch resistance and dirt repellency in addition to air permeability. Moreover, the coating technology offers completely new design opportunities for high-quality packaging, where new patterns and previously unknown sensory effects can be expected.

Licensing and plant construction

Production and application of Steron are currently being offered by BASF as a complete package under a licensing agreement. The package includes the chemistry, technology and joint development with the customer as well as application-oriented service. The first licensee for Steron is the medium-sized Indian company AIM Filtertec, which is headquartered in Pune. Many automotive companies and suppliers are located in the city of six million.

The production system at AIM Filtertec is scheduled to start up in September 2013 and will have an annual capacity of about 1.7 million square meters of Steron. For some time, AIM Filtertec has been supplying non-wovens for automaking – synergies are quite possible here. AIM is procuring the production equipment from the German machinery manufacturer Venjakob in Rheda-Wiedenbrück (North Rhine-Westphalia).

Production will likely start up in a new, similarly sized system in Germany early in 2014. The experts involved with Steron are convinced that cooperation with flexible, medium-sized companies will foster rapid development in their respective fields of activity, because these companies often combine a great deal of creativity with market savvy.

BASF