PercoTop reaches for the stars
EFFELSBERG, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
This spring Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE: AXTA), one of the leading
global suppliers of liquid and powder coatings, has once again produced
a special coating for the radio telescope in Effelsberg, Germany, one of
the largest, fully-steerable radio telescopes in the world, and the most
powerful for short-wave radiation. The Effelsberg telescope is used to
observe pulsars, cold gas and dust clusters, star formations, jets of
matter emitted by black holes, and the nuclei of far-off galaxies. It is
also used as part of a worldwide network of radio telescopes for
astronomic observations at the highest resolutions.
Axalta's PercoTop coating used on radio telescope in Effelsberg, Germany (Photo: Business Wire)
Axalta helps to protect the telescope from weathering and UV radiation
with a matte-white polyvinylic coating called PercoTop® CS551
Foliflex Topcoat. This specially-formulated, tailor-made coating has
been applied to the telescope approximately every 18 years since it
began operating in 1972.
Painting the telescope takes a minimum of six specially trained painters
several weeks. “With a surface of 5400m2 and with 1500
individual panels, the portion of the dish that needs to be coated is
immense,” says Klaus Bruns from the Max Planck Institute for Radio
Astronomy, who is responsible for the technical maintenance of the
Effelsberg telescope.
“It is important that we can keep the delicate aluminium substrate of
the reflectors at an even surface temperature to obtain accurate
measurements with the telescope. Having a coating that protects the
aluminium from deformation, weathering, bird droppings and UV radiation
is therefore absolutely essential.”
Dr. Harald Paulussen, Technical Product Manager and Application
Engineering, Industrial and Transportation Coatings for Axalta in
Europe, Middle East and Africa, says, “The original coatings’ tests
during the construction phase of the telescope took place in 1968. A
considerable number of tests were required to develop the optimal
formulation for the telescope. It became clear that in addition to
weather-resistance, it was necessary for the coating not to interfere at
all with the electro-magnetic waves, to be almost invisible to them.
This ‘transparency’ helps to ensure that the incoming radio waves are
reflected off the metal surface of the telescope and not off the paint.
It was also important to achieve a scattered reflection of infra-red
radiation as the reflectors’ large areas can generate significant heat.
Once we knew exactly what was needed for the end-application, we
developed a formulation that would address all these requirements.”
The coating is applied with rollers, with no primer, after sanding the
surface of the telescope using large disc sanders with a diameter of
around 20cm. The large sanders, which resemble vacuum cleaners, allow
the painters to sand and collect the dust generated simultaneously.
The work will be completed in summer 2015, and the Effelsberg radio
telescope will continue delivering accurate measurements while being
protected with Axalta’s PercoTop CS551 Foliflex Topcoat.
About Axalta Coating Systems
Axalta is a leading global company focused solely on coatings and
providing customers with innovative, colourful, beautiful and
sustainable solutions. From light OEM vehicles, commercial vehicles and
refinish applications to electric motors, buildings and pipelines, our
coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and
enable the materials we coat to last longer. With more than 145 years of
experience in the coatings industry, the over 12,000 people of Axalta
continue to find ways to serve our more than 120,000 customers in 130
countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems
and technology. For more information visit axaltacoatingsystems.com
and follow us @axalta on Twitter.
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Source: Axalta Coating Systems