Windfair-Interview with Dr. Hartmut Sauer, General Manager of AHC Oberflächentechnik GmbH

Windfair: Is the Wind Energy Industry a priority for your company? How so?

Dr. Hartmut Sauer: AHC Oberflächentechnik is a coating company in the field of functional surface technology. With our processes, which we mostly developed ourselves, we coat components to protect them against wear and corrosion or to give their surfaces the properties required. The main customers are the automobile industry and the mechanical engineering sector but the wind energy industry and the relevant plant components are playing an ever more significant role for us. With our processes we contribute to prolonging the service life of the plant components.

Windfair: How many employees does your company have? How many dedicated to Wind Energy?

Dr. Hartmut Sauer: We employ over 700 workers in a total of 15 plants in Germany and neighbouring countries. The number of employees who are involved with wind energy depends on the nature of the project in.

Windfair: Do you have any new or upcoming Wind Energy Products or Services?

Dr. Hartmut Sauer: We are constantly optimising our processes or developing new ones, often in cooperation with customers, to meet the needs of the market. For example, we have coated blade tips for wind turbines using a special process in order to protect the aluminium surfaces against corrosion and mechanical damage. We also developed a friction-enhancing coating which is applied to coupling sleeves for rotors.

Windfair: Do you have any special training programs for your employees?

Dr. Hartmut Sauer: Yes, we offer 20 - 30 young people vocational training every year. This involves vocational training courses to become surface coaters but industrial and commercial clerks are also trained at our company. We will be training mechatronic engineers and chemical laboratory assistants for the first time starting in the autumn.

Windfair: Tell us about your future developments. What can we expect in the next year or two?

Dr. Hartmut Sauer: In our view, the potential of our coatings in the field of wind energy is by no means exhausted yet. We believe that there are still many opportunities for components of wind farms especially in the field of corrosion and wear protection of light-weight metals. Our aim is to become better known in this branch, for example via this platform windmesse.de, and to make contact with producers of plants and components.