Use Cases

Let us introduce you to our four use cases across different sectors!

Dishwasher (Home Appliances)

Targeted Function: Hydrophobicity re-manufacturing

Aim: Reduce water and energy consumption in dishwasher drying cycles

Objective: Enhance the contact angles of the interior component parts

OPeraTIC solution: Use hierarchical micro-nano topographies to achieve USPL micro-structuring of the injection moulding tool, transferring the texture to the actual part

Impact: Reduction of water and energy consumption, improved drying process, extended lifespan of product, avoid plasma coating, achieve better environmental impact, and improve the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (ROHS) compatibility

Aircraft Composite Part (Aeronautics)

Targeted function: Improved adhesion/paintability

Aim: Reduce time consuming and harmful sanding process in current preparation processes

Objective: Improve the paintability of components while improving the process yield, repeatability, flexibility, and decreasing rejection rates through use of lasers

OPeraTIC solution: Surface texturing through customised energy distribution of high-energy USPL on the component, ensuring optimal adhesion between composite and paint, as well as avoiding pores

Impact: Damage avoidance to Kevlar matrix and provision of a functional surface within a competitive process cycle time, high repeatability, reduction in rejection rates and increased yields, improved worker health and safety conditions

Texturized Die Component (Automotive)

Targeted function: Improved lubrication and remanufacturability

Aim: Reduce wear, adhesion, and defects in steel blank stamping, and deep drawing

Objective: Improve lubrication and homogeneous gripping, thus also improving formability of intricate shapes, speed of processes and reducing forming steps

OPeraTIC solution: Utilise USPL machining of micro-reservoirs in a stamping tool

Impact: Reduction in energy use, oil, and feedstock, extension of die lifespan, reduction in process downtime, and enabling manufacturing of complex geometrics and difficult materials, and reducing forming steps from 7 to 4

Advanced Backlighting (Lighting)

Targeted function: Functional structuring of backlit panels

Aim: Reduce LED power and energy use in LED Backlit Units (BLU)

Objective: Increase visible light transmissions and lower dielectric permittivity, increasing integration capacities with BLUs and/or capacitive sensing electrodes

OPeraTIC solution: Use direct laser selective patterning to allow mass customisation in design and function

Impact: Meet the next wave in automotive design through creating high-quality 3D light emitting surfaces with dynamically addressable luminance