Surcotec, Swiss expert in surface engineering based in Geneva, has been our long-term partner for the development and installation of environmentally friendly Intaglio plate coating solutions. As a specialist of thin film deposits under vacuum as well as the manufacturing of production equipment, Surcotec has been functionalising surfaces since 1995 and has become a major player in its domain with a cutting-edge expertise in #PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) technologies and systems.
The partnership between our two companies led to the creation of a dry coating system specially designed for the field of High Security Printing. It enables environmentally friendly chrome plating for the hardening of Intaglio printing plates, aiming to replace galvanic Chromium VI baths with a safer process, complying with the REACH legislation.
In 2012, the tight collaboration among Surcotec and KBA-NotaSys experts resulted in the commercialisation of the first PVD chrome plating unit called PlateCoat. Its successful installation in a central bank won PlateCoat a finalist nomination for the best new monetary product at the IACA (International Association of Currency Affairs) award in 2014.
Today, this collaboration continues with Nathalie Serra, KBA-NotaSys Pre-Press Intaglio Product Manager, and Amélie Coutret, Surotec Thin Film Engineer.
Watch Amélie Coutret's testimonial (in French) of PlateCoat's success story: https://bit.ly/2BU2I6G
With the tenth machine currently in production, the PlateCoat is installed on almost all continents. On top of its unparalleled ecological advantages, the PlateCoat demonstrates a strong increase in the plate lifespan and greatly simplifies the maintenance process for the operators.
Committed to the sustainability of cash, KBA-NotaSys, together with its partners of choice among which Surcotec, strives to offer the High Security Printing community future-proof solutions to make a greener / environmentally friendly banknote production possible.