Optics Balzers' TopFlex hydrophobic coating makes optics dust- and dirt-repellent

PRESS RELEASE

With TopFlex, Optics Balzers (Balzers, Liechtenstein) now also offers a surface coating that repels dirt, liquids, and chemicals. The original idea of coating eyeglasses has thus been successfully transferred to other applications in the fields of medical technology, industry, and building construction.

TopFlex is a surface coating with hydrophobic characteristics. It is chemically resistant to water, oils, and fats. Moreover, TopFlex is dirt-repellent and easy to clean. TopFlex offers excellent adhesive properties on the substrate and is suitable for a wide variety of cleaning processes.

TopFlex is a highly planar and enclosed surface coating and can be combined with all coating systems, as it is spectrally neutral in the VIS and IR regions. Its hydrophobic properties are especially evident at a wetting angle up to 120°. At this wetting angle, fluids and dirt cannot adhere to the surface, or only very poorly. This makes such surfaces very easy to clean. Thanks to their film stability up to 300°C, TopFlex-coated components can be applied even in adverse conditions. As a surface coating, TopFlex is also resistant to scratching and corrosion.

TopFlex has conquered new fields of application in which ease of maintenance and resistance to dirt are required. TopFlex is applied in endoscopy, in sensor systems, and in special-purpose cameras which are used for instance to inspect sewage systems. Other fields of application include research activities, metallic coatings, or medical devices.

Optics Balzers AG
Neugrüt 35
LI-9496 Balzers
Liechtenstein
T +423 388 9200
F +423 388 9390

For over 60 years now, Optics Balzers has been the preferred partner for innovative optical solutions. Together with its affiliated company in Jena, Optics Balzers is one of the global leaders in the supply of optical coatings and components. The Liechtenstein-based high-tech company focuses on selected markets such as Sensors & Imaging, Biophotonics, Space & Defence, Lighting & Projection and Industrial Applications. The products and services that it offers range from optical thin-film coatings, glass processing, patterning and sealing technologies to optical subassemblies, and are acknowledged as being unique worldwide. Optics Balzers has some 170 employees.

-- Posted by Vision Systems Design