Geislingen Tech Leader
Article in German Surface Treatment magazine Galvanotechnik, 26 November 2024
by Robert Piterek
The Dr.-Ing. Max Schlötter GmbH & Co. KG, based in Geislingen an der Steige, is a heavyweight in the German electroplating and surface technology industry. The company’s business model is based on the development, production and sales of electroplating chemicals and related plant technology. At a time when Germany and the world are undergoing profound industrial and economic change, this 112-year-old medium-sized enterprise continues to rely on stable values and forward-looking research and development.
Visits to suppliers in the electroplating industry can be highly instructive, and Schlötter is no exception. The company serves both the largest and smallest players in the industry. Almost every electroplating facility has at one time or another, used Schlötter products, whether in the form of specialized electroplating chemicals or ready-to-use electrolyte solutions in hazardous material containers. Others recognize Schlötter as a plant manufacturer. This position provides the company with in-depth knowledge of changing market demands and emerging trends. Amidst these changes, Schlötter remains a constant force, ensuring continuity and stability through its vast experience and support.
In the Heart of Research
A visit to Geislingen an der Steige with CEOs Dr. Stefanie Geldbach and Dr. Michael Zöllinger, and with COO Thomas Haberfellner, quickly reveals the company’s unwavering commitment to research. Founded in the last years of the German Empire by chemical engineer Dr.-Ing. Max Schlötter, the company has never ceased to devote itself to innovation. Today, electroplating specialists, chemical engineers, laboratory chemists, and material scientists work in a specialized research center, divided in electrolyte development, service, and analysis laboratories, to meet industry challenges and develop new solutions.
The 2,500 m² research building, built in 1968, offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding wooded hills, adorned with castle ruins and wind turbines.
In the physics laboratory, Dr. Felix Goll operates a printed circuit board (PCB) cutter. Around him, X-ray, digital, and analog microscopes allow detailed examination of surfaces. Dr. Goll cuts out a section of a large copper-plated board, embedding it in epoxy resin for microscopic analysis. The aim is to precisely measure blind holes in the PCB in order to optimize coating processes. A recently acquired state-of-the-art microscope enables 3D analysis with nanometric precision, thus improving electrolyte development.
Nearby, the chromatography laboratory analyzes 20,000 customer samples a year and test around 100,000 parameters. Techniques such as capillary electrophoresis, spectroscopy, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) determine coating longevity and electrolyte efficiency. The data can be used to assess whether additive concentrations need to be adjusted.
The quality and service laboratory meticulously controls all incoming and outgoing raw materials. A key piece of equipment is the titrator, capable of analyzing over 200 samples for metal content and other properties. Other pieces of equipment evaluate major and trace metal concentrations. The laboratory shelves are stocked with electrolyte containers, pre- and post-treatment solutions, and various analytical instruments.
In addition to quality control, the lab also tackles process-related problems, such as lack of gloss after coating. When such defects appear, Schlötter’s experts analyze the electrolyte and provide technical recommendations—for example, the addition of gloss-enhancing additives. According to Christian Mösle, head of Electroplating and Service, analyses generally take two days, after which customers receive detailed feedback.
Trend Research: Betting on the Future
Trend research and new developments take place in the R&D department, where Dr. Nils Ulrich, dressed in a white lab coat, works on a test electrolyzer. Interestingly, not only cathodes, anodes, and bipolar plates receive electroplated coatings, but also stainless-steel tiles for gas removal.
Schlötter is engaged in various types of electrolysis, including proton exchange membrane (PEM), alkaline (AEL), and anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysis. The company participates in H2 GIGA, a direct AEM electrolysis project supported by the German government. Dr. Zöllinger underlines the importance of the project and expresses hopes for local electrolyzer production in Germany, although he remains skeptical given past missed opportunities, such as the failure to establish national solar industry.
While Germany remains a leader in photovoltaics, production is driven by China. “If we can at least supply the chemistry and systems, that’s acceptable compromise for us,” says Dr. Zöllinger.
Mr. Ulrich tries to reduce the voltage during water separation by 20%, in order to cut costs and increase hydrogen production: “The coating plays a huge role in the efficiency of the electrolyzer.” PEM electrolysis takes place in an acidic environment, so corrosion stability plays a major role. However, this does not currently lead to an increased use of galvanic protective layers, but rather to the use of corrosion-resistant metals such as titanium. Coatings with high corrosion protection are often passive, i.e. they do not conduct – which is a disadvantage in the electrolyzer. “Building an electrolyser is not rocket science,” says Dr. Zöllinger. The technology is old, the surfaces are fairly well known. “The devil is in the detail…the real challenge is to develop high-efficiency surfaces.”
From Beaker to Industrial Testing
When a promising development is achieved in the laboratory, it undergoes rigorous testing in Schlötter’s electroplating workshop, inaugurated in 2017. The facility houses 80 plating stations containing 400 liters of electrolyte solutions covering a wide range of metals, including copper, zinc, electroless nickel, silver, passivation, sealing, and trivalent chromium.
A vibrator can be heard further back in the PCB area – a penetrating noise similar to that of a percussion drilling machine. Its purpose is to remove air bubbles from the fine holes in the PCB, so that metallization is successful. There’s also a jig workshop where the appropriate devices with hooks are produced and an area for the mechanical preparation of parts by sandblasting, grinding and polishing.
All the processes developed by Geislingen’s electroplating experts can be applied here. Once validated, new processes move on to full-scale production, either in Geislingen or at Schlötter’s production site in Ireland. All types of corrosion tests can be carried out in the electroplating workshop. To strengthen its research capabilities, Schlötter collaborates with institutions such as the Forschungsinstitut Edelmetalle und Metallchemie (fem) in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Aalen university, and the university of Ulm. There is only one area in which Schlötter is not as strong: jewelry, such as gold plating. However, Schlötter already has good expertise in technical gold, such as that required for conductive surfaces in the printed circuit board sector. The Electroplating Shop is also essential for training. Schlötter currently employs 16 trainees, including ten new ones, who come and go in the electroplating shop, just like work-study students and compulsory trainees. Trainees also learn grinding, brushing and polishing ‘to develop a relationship with the material’ as Thomas Haberfellner explains. Talking of relationship: during a tour of the electroplating workshop, Thomas Haberfellner reminds us once again how thin electroplated layers are – compared to the 80 to 120 µm that correspond to the diameter of a hair, copper layers are only 20 thick, and chromium layers just 0.3 µm.
Electroplating Put to the Test
Drs. Geldbach, Zöllinger, and Haberfellner are proud of their new tribology test bench, a unique piece of equipment.
Faced with the increasing importance of so-called contact surfaces, i.e. functionalized electroplated coatings, engineers at the Schlötter plant, in collaboration with iChemAnalytics GmbH, have developed a system which, with its four workpiece holders behind the window, is somewhat reminiscent of an oversized automatic coffee machine. Here, Pascal Grimm carries out a coefficient of friction test, comparing hard silver and silver graphite. The samples are fixed on tiny tables. When the system starts, the small tables containing the coated samples move continuously forwards and backwards. An object suspended above them then exerts stress on the coating. In this way, 10,000 cycles can be simulated overnight. Inside, the system can generate a temperature of 15 to 40 degrees and a nitrogen atmosphere. It can also monitor the measurements live – system technology at its best. The result of the comparison: silver graphite offers a lower friction resistance, with uniform contact resistance.
The three pillars: reliability, service and research
The influential banker Alfred Herrhausen – who became sadly famous when he was murdered in an RAF bomb attack – was considered the spokesman for ‘Deutschland AG’ in the 1980s. He once said: “You can only sell products over the long term if you have a good reputation”. Schlötter’s management is equally convinced and is now available to answer our questions in a meeting room after the visit. In the course of the conversation, terms such as “cooperation-based partnership at high level” and “support with extensive background knowledge at the cutting edge of technology” are used in connection with customer care. When it comes to customer relations, the traditional medium-sized company focuses on its three fundamental pillars: reliability, service and research. “The market is currently in such a state of flux that service is of great value,” says former Head of Service Haberfellner. The three hosts agree that this is why Schlötter will continue to provide a quality service in the future. Decades of experience are an asset that the company’s management will continue to build on in the future. ‘Nothing can replace experience but more experience,’ says Dr Zöllinger. At the same time, Schlötter guarantees delivery reliability by maintaining a high stock level. Here again, the company differs from the general market practice of reducing stock levels. Research has always been a priority, as the modern laboratories and the Electroplating workshop demonstrate. Around 20 % of Geislingen employees work in research and development.
A world in disarray
The activities of this medium-sized family company now extend beyond Germany. Over the decades, Schlötter has built up a network of sites from Ireland and England to Sweden, Singapore and China. Recently, the company was set up in Taiwan where it employs ten people. Production takes place exclusively in Europe, and the supply chains have withstood the various market disruptions of recent years. ‘We have never been unable to deliver,’ says Dr Zöllinger with pride. However, the parameters are changing in global markets. So far, the REACH regulation on chemicals has surprisingly played a favorable role in protecting Schlötter in Europe, with its high requirements compared to less-regulated foreign competition. ‘However, this has now been recognized in these countries,’ reveals Dr Zöllinger, who adds: ‘Very similar systems are now being set up in China and Turkey, for example.’ As a result, the commercial advantage in Europe is diminishing, while doing business outside the EU is becoming more difficult – ‘especially for a relatively small company like ours’, as Dr Zöllinger points out.
In order to comply with the respective legal requirements, much is done in-house, with the emphasis on product safety and transport. The company’s overseas activities are concentrated in Europe and Asia. The first feelers are currently being sent out to the United States. On the other hand, China which has until now been a market with very high demand for Schlötter with its two locations, but also a highly competitive and constantly growing market, is losing its appeal, while Southeast Asia is gaining in attractiveness. Schlötter is responding to this situation by stepping up its service efforts in the region. ‘Asia is really essential to us,’ says Thomas Haberfellner. To serve its global activities, the company has always available an average of 1,200 tons of raw materials and finished products. In the age of just-in-time production, this is an anachronism, ‘taht would make any controller raise their arms in disbelief at the amount of capital tied up in products,’ as Dr Zöllinger admits. But unlike a corporation, a family business plans over several generations. This requires consistency and tradition, without sacrificing innovation and flexibility, as he points out.
Regulations: a millstone around the SME economy’s neck
Remaining innovative and adaptable is not so easy in Germany in the twenties of the 21st century. The country is currently characterized by the onset of recession, high energy costs and excessive regulation. Whether it’s sustainability, cybersecurity, supply chains or critical raw materials, reporting obligations have tripled or quadrupled, as Dr Stefanie Geldbach describes. She points out that the ever-increasing administrative workload requires the deployment of highly qualified employees.
In medium-sized companies like Schlötter, this is seen as a distortion of competition.
Non-European competitors do not have to fulfil these reporting obligations. At Schlötter, six employees are needed to focus solely on compliance, three of whom hold doctorates in chemistry. ‘When I started working here, this work was done by an employee with a 70 % part-time position and her assistant to the R&D Manager,’ says Thomas Haberfellner, drawing a comparison with the early days of his 38-years career with the company. It is also bitter to note that large companies are happy to pass on their reporting obligations to their medium-sized customers. ‘If everyone does this, we’ll soon need two more people,’ says Haberfellner, looking to the future. In short, it’s a huge burden for small and medium-sized businesses, and it means higher costs for entrepreneurs. However, there is no need to give in to hysteria, says Dr Zöllinger, referring to the many crises Schlötter has overcome over the decades. “We shouldn’t say that everything will collapse tomorrow, because it won’t. ” He does acknowledge, however, that many companies in the sector are far more vulnerable than Schlötter. Sanctions or ‘bad press’ can quickly threaten a company’s existence – and the need for advice from the Geislingen’s electroplating experts is all the greater.
Functional electroplating technology on the rise
A survey of industry demand in autumn 2024 reveals nothing fundamentally new. Zinc-nickel has established itself over the years in the automotive industry as part of cathodic corrosion protection. This is mainly about additional functionalities, such as sealants, other passivates and colors, Haberfellner points out. Sealing with friction coefficients can be used to adjust screw-in values, hot release behavior and multiply release. As lightweight high-strength components are mainly used in the automotive sector, the aim today is to reduce vehicle weight and their energy consumption. Hydrogen embrittlement is also playing an increasingly important role here. Schlötter has been responding to this development for several years. A new test bench can now determine material damage caused by hydrogen in two minutes instead of around 144 hours as was previously the case. This is a considerable advance and contributes to the development of new pickling inhibitors that reduce the risk of hydrogen embrittlement. In addition, tin and tin alloys as well as silver graphite coatings, including for high-temperature applications, are particularly popular for functional surfaces.
Generally speaking, functional surfaces are much more popular today than in the past. On the other hand, decorative surfaces such as bright tin-plated surfaces in the household appliance sector and bright silver-plated cutlery, have long been outdated, and the POP (plating on plastics) sector is also losing market share. The metallization of 3D-printed components is becoming increasingly important, and Schlötter is responding with a variety of new processes.
The challenge of plant engineering
Another pillar of Schlötter’s business is plant engineering for electroplating. This accounts for around 10 per cent of sales. In future, Schlötter Sweden will take over complete plant production.
There are cycle-controlled and free-running or programmable systems. In cycle-controlled systems, one product carrier goes in while another comes out, ensuring efficient, clearly organized production. Free-running systems, on the other hand, allow the operator to store numerous different products with completely different layer combinations and pre- and post-treatments – ‘the control system then optimizes the processes,’ explains Dr Zöllinger. Great flexibility and mixed operation are here possible. But where are modern plant control systems heading in view of the emergence of new technologies such as augmented reality, predictive maintenance or scrap reduction using machine learning and artificial intelligence? Dr Zöllinger admits that this question has not yet been definitively answered.
Global player with a firm footing
It is just as important to follow and help shape the path of business and industry towards climate neutrality as it is to set the course in this area. At the request of customers, software was developed some time ago to visualize and document the CO2 footprint of products. These programs were very well received at the important TPCA printed circuit board exhibition in Taipei last year.
In principle, the Geislingen-based company has set itself the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2032, as well as the greatest possible independence in the supply of chemicals and other raw materials. Looking to the future, the recycling of transport containers and metals from electroplating baths also plays a role in sustainability. As Thomas Haberfellner points out, Germany, ahe former model pupil is no longer alone when it comes to high environmental standards and the sustainable use of chemicals: Countries such as Italy, China and the USA are increasingly catching up.
Amidst a rapidly changing world, mid-sized Schlötter stands as a steadfast pillar of strength, providing unwavering support to its employees, customers, and suppliers. Dr. Stefanie Geldbach, alongside her brother Dr. Tilmann Geldbach, represents the family within the management team. Dr. Stefanie emphasizes modesty and personal engagement through meet-and-greets with employees, reflecting the charm of the family business. Even during periods of economic turbulence, Schlötter remains focused and pragmatic — qualities that have underpinned its success for over a century.
