2014 – again it was time for the GTS Newcomer meeting. This year Aachen was chosen as the venue and the hosts were the company Pallas and the Surface Engineering Institute (IOT) at RWTH Aachen.

In past years, the Sunday afternoon program had typically been devoted to pleasure rather business. But this time, it was straight down to the technical nitty-gritty as it were. As there is a coating company located near IOT, we got a tour of the institute and a spray business into the bargain. And so it was off to Pallas GmbH & Co KG in Würselen. As Pallas not only offers thermal coating processes, including the somewhat rarer laser spray process, but also electroplating in its portfolio, the afternoon session was set to be a riveting affair.

We divided into two groups and the brothers Alex and Stephan Kalawrytinos took us through their company. The first stop was electroplating. Here we were shown the workflow, equipment and selected applications in great detail. The next stop gave us insight into the world of laser coating. The company is not only a user, but also actively involved in system development, one example being the internal laser processing head which goes by the name of iClad and enables access to the tiniest inner diameters. A vivid practical demonstration of the process itself reinforced the theoretical explanations.

In the evening, we made our way to the “Latin Quarter” of Aachen with its many student pubs and restaurants. And so the day came to a convivial end with the entire group enjoying a hearty meal together.

The next morning, we headed to IOT at RWTH Aachen where Prof Bobzin and her team had put together an interesting and varied program to present themselves and their institute. After brief introductions, we listened to four lectures on the subjects of topographical investigations (IOT), coating systems for wear-protection applications (IOT), laser coatings (Pallas) and hard-chroming of steel and stainless steel (Ford/Chrome) before going on a tour of the institute in small groups in the afternoon. One of the highlights was a demonstration of the institute’s own HVAF system.

On behalf of all the participants, I would like to extend a big thank-you to the organizers of this year’s get-together for their great dedication and input. Without this tremendous effort, the meeting would not have been the absolute success that it was!