It has been decades since the word eco-friendly came into the world, but it has not yet been applied to all fields. Only recently, the topic of carbon neutrality has emerged on a large scale due to net zero, and full-fledged discussions are taking place on various waste treatments. Especially in the case of processes that use chemicals, the problem of industrial waste after the process acts as an obstacle to eco-friendliness. 

There is a company that has revolutionized the plating process, which used conventional gunpowder chemicals to produce industrial waste. Selcos has succeeded in developing an eco-friendly pollution-free coating process technology that uses only metal and gas.

 

▲ Selcos / CEO Woosung Baek

Development of Korea’s first pollution-free coating process technology

Being applied to plastics, ceramics, and rubber

Selcos is a company that provides an eco-friendly convergence process that can respond to products and materials manufactured by OLED display deposition equipment and eco-friendly pollution-free process facilities based on high vacuum technology and nano-thin film fixing technology. 

One of the commonly used methods in the processing of high-tech materials is the plating method. It is often used as a way to create a path for electricity to flow in semiconductors by wrapping a thin metal film on the surface of the material, or to increase the durability of the material. However, Selcos CEO Woosung Baek points out that there are environmental problems with the existing plating method. “We use chemicals such as nitric acid to do the plating, and this acid becomes waste that needs to be disposed of later.” In Korea, industries that process various materials are widespread, and as a result, there is a lot of waste. As eco-friendly methods are required, these plating methods are inevitably changing. 

In line with eco-friendliness and carbon neutrality, Selcos has developed eco-friendly pollution-free coating process technology based on new method development technology since 2013. This coating process technology is based on nano-thin film process technology and uses only natural minerals and minimal power. This process can be used to make various materials such as plastic, ceramic, and rubber look like metal, and environmental regulations can also be addressed. Selcos is the first company in Korea to develop such a technology which has been dependent on overseas. The company has developed the first fusion and composite metal surface treatment technology in Korea using nanothin film deposition technology. Through this, the company has been designated as a strategic item for the localization of technology for small and medium-sized enterprises among the ‘key strategic technologies’ announced in accordance with Article 12 of the Act on Special Measures to Strengthen the Competitiveness of the Materials, Parts, and Equipment Industries. The company also had the honor of being selected as one of the ‘Hidden Champion 100+ in Materials, Components and Equipment, 1000+ innovative companies, and 1000 small but strong companies’ for the purpose of localization of strategic items and technology self-reliance with technology that corresponds to the advancement of growth engines. 

 

Providing a variety of coating processes

From convergence process technology SFC to PMC expressing various colors and metal textures

Selcos provides various processes based on contamination-free coating process technology. One of them, Smart Functional Coating (SFC), is Selcos’ proprietary convergence process technology that can realize eco-friendliness, high efficiency, high quality, and low cost.

The company is boasting unique processing equipment with cleaning method through eco-friendly dry cleaning, large-area surface treatment method consisting of eco-friendly dry complex source, inline type nanocomposite coating (Naonocompsite) convergence technology by 3D three-dimensional coating control method. SFC can secure coating uniformity in communication and electronic parts and can provide optimal process technology for each product. In particular, the company secured high thin film adhesion through surface morphology control technology and realized less than low resistance through optimal processing equipment technology for coating raw materials. Selcos has completed tests and quality approvals for automobile interior materials, exterior materials, and automobile grilles. In addition, the company has secured weather resistance, chemical resistance, corrosion resistance, chipping resistance, adhesion, and heat cycle resistance for automobile wheels, and is currently supplying production facilities. This technology can also be applied to mobile devices, glass and building materials.

Selcos also provides Premium Metallic Coating (PMC), which expresses various colors or metallic textures using nano-thin film sputtering technology on plastic, glass or metal materials. PMC is an eco-friendly/low-cost coating technology that can replace the existing plating and sugar processing processes. Based on the know-how that succeeded in mass production for the first time in the world, the company has built a turnkey solution for facility (equipment, parts) establishment, process support, and production support. PMC is an eco-friendly method that does not generate wastewater and toxic gas, and can reduce costs by about 70% compared to general plating, and realize various colors and metal textures by applying nano-thin film. It can be upgraded to a premium product regardless of the characteristics of the base material such as plastic, die casting, or iron.

 

Providing the best solution from sample production to mass production

Conducting various technology R&D

Selcos’ coatings provide the best solution from sample making to mass production. The company has built a clean room environment necessary for coating and has state-of-the-art equipment. The company has various pretreatment process technologies suitable for product quality, so it is not limited to the material, and the quality of the product is also secured by applying standard processes and strict quality standards for each stage. In addition, the company has completed internal quality standards with ISO, PMS and customer quality standards.

Selcos is conducting R&D in various fields: Low damage sputtering technology and CO-evaporation synthesis technology in the field of Perovskite Solar Cell R&D System; Simulation & Design technology with over 95% permeability in Hard AR Coating System; and technology related to high hardness and high transmittance. Also in the process are: Eco-friendly convergence technology including 10mm or less hole coating in the SFC field; Technology capable of three-dimensional coating on a wide range of large-area shapes from thin films (tens of nanos) to thick films (tens of micros) in thickness. Selco received the ‘2020 Selection of 16 Industrial Technology Achievements for Leading the Korean Industry’, ‘2020 Venture Startup Promotion Awards Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit’, and the Prime Minister’s prize at ‘The 2022 Materials, Parts and Equipment Roots Technology Competition.’

권동호 기자  dongho2010@naver.com