Technology Development Field
AICHI METAL × Technology
There are several phases of construction, but our turn comes much later. After the structural aspects of the project are completed, such as land preparation, foundation construction, structural construction, and wall construction, we move on to the finishing touches. These finishes also vary. Our metal components appear in the cross-laying, laminated panels, plastering, concrete, and so on. For example, our steel gates, railings, stairs, and surface-treated metal plates all fall into this category. Since all construction materials are brought to the site and assembled, they are always prone to scratches and minor dents at any stage of the process. This cannot be eliminated by any means, but it is always a matter of construction convenience. The same applies to the finishing process. Therefore, our company's staff members go to the site to manage their own materials and carefully assemble them. We also have the know-how to repair minor damages on the spot.
Seeking a beautiful painting.
The one thing that even we cannot prevent is the forces of nature. Wind and rain, in particular, are already overwhelming. It is not the force of the moment, but the force of continuity that wears away at all materials. In our case, the surface-treated metal sheet coating used for exterior walls always faces this challenge. Nevertheless, a mere metal plate would make the building look tasteless. Therefore, we are constantly pursuing methodologies for surface treatment and surface coating. However, in the realm of the architectural field, the technology of painting is not at such a high level. Therefore, we searched for a coating method that is thoroughly beautiful and durable at the same time. What we finally arrived at was a surface coating for cars. One of our president Yamada's business associates is an owner of a car repair shop, and his story gave us a hint. The paint on cars remains beautiful even after continuous exposure to the elements. This is because the fundamental concept of painting is different from that of architecture. At the same time, it is a tremendously expensive process from the architectural field. At first, we outsourced the process, but eventually we built a system that allows us to install and paint all of our own equipment in-house. This enabled us to provide high-precision, high-durability coatings at somewhat lower prices.
New ways to utilize thermal spraying
And now, as a result of our efforts to find further utilization methods, we are working on a new utilization of an old method. That is "thermal spraying. This is a method of spraying molten metal, and the method itself is not brand new. The reason why AICHI METAL is working on this method is that, since the metal is melted at hand, there is no damage to the base material itself, such as distortion or warping caused by heat, and in the end, the coating is applied more firmly to the surface. Thermal spraying creates an uneven surface on the metal. The coating base material is then firmly bonded to the metal surface, and even the most delicate coatings can now be applied with almost no peeling. This allows us to experiment with new surface treatments. We have a variety of materials such as stainless steel, iron, brass, and copper, as well as decorative treatments, rusting, polishing, phosphating, and more. Once a thermal spray treatment is applied to the substrate, the subsequent durability of the product is completely different. No compromises are made on the facades of many architectural structures that demand beauty.
