Special telescopes had to be developed for an international Mars project. This required not only a special coating, but also specialist know-how. Learn how the Mars telescopes were successfully produced in cooperation with Buser Oberflächentechnik.
Mars Project ExoMars
One of the main goals of the large international Mars project ExoMars is the scanning of the Mars ground and the search for past or present life. To achieve this goal, the CaSSIS team of the University of Bern is developing a special telescope.
An essential component in this device requires not only a special coating but also the specialist who, in collaboration with the University of Bern, can apply and test this layer.
Leading supplier of complex coating systems
Buser Oberflächentechnik AG is one of the leading suppliers of complex coating systems. In addition to a broad range of knowledge, its specialty is the flexibility to coat individual parts and to be able to think its way into complex tasks. Together with the CaSSIS team, the specialists at Buser Oberflächentechnik AG test the PEKK coating system.
PEKK (polyether ketone ketone) offers several significant advantages over PEEK coatings. During the coating process, the parts are subjected to 70° C less thermal stress than with PEEK. This protects the substrate. Consequently, it is also possible to coat substrates with polyaryletherketone, which cannot withstand the process temperature of PEEK.
PEKK has much lower shrinkage stress than PEEK, which allows coating of demanding part geometries without problems. The mechanical properties and high resistance to chemicals are virtually identical to those of PEEK. On the contrary, the former properties are sometimes even massively better.
After successful tests, the PEKK coating system was used in the Mars telescope. The use of the PEKK coating and the advice of the specialists at Buser Oberflächentechnik AG enabled this international Mars project to achieve its objectives.
