Development and manufacture of excimer and UV curing systems, ion beam sources and inerting technology from Leipzig.
IOT Innovative Oberflächentechnologien GmbH
Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig · Mölkauer Str. 85, 04316 LeipzigNew on Amplifa
About IOT GmbH
IOT Innovative Oberflächentechnologien GmbH was founded in 1998 as a spin-off of the Leibniz Institute for Surface Modification (IOM) in Leipzig and has since developed industrial systems for surface finishing. Its core business is UV systems: the EXCIRAD 172 excimer matting system (172 nm), the patented semi-matt system (172 nm + 222 nm, continuously variable 1–30 GU), the PAC Soft-Touch unit, photoinitiator-free UV curing DirectCure, and nitrogen inerting systems (< 50 ppm O₂). In addition, IOT manufactures RF and ECR ion beam sources, grid systems made of graphite, titanium or molybdenum, Faraday cup measurement systems, and the beam control system Beamswitch BS20 for thin-film and vacuum technology. A third field is the silanization of corundum as an additive for scratch-resistant coating systems. As a full-system supplier, IOT develops and manufactures everything from emitters to power supplies to controls at its Leipzig site, operates a UV pilot plant for coating trials and process validation, and delivers worldwide, with reference installations in Europe and Asia. Customers include furniture manufacturers, flooring and edge-coating producers, roll-to-roll film lines, the automotive and packaging industries, and the printing sector. With around 50 employees, more than 20 peer-reviewed publications and several international patents, the portfolio is increasingly focused on mercury-free UV curing ahead of the EU RoHS deadline in 2027.
- Site
- Leipzig
- Processes
- EXCIRAD 172 – Excimer matting (172 nm), Semi-matt system (172 nm + 222 nm, continuously variable 1–30 GU), PAC – Soft-Touch (Photon Activation Chamber + EXCIRAD 172), DirectCure – photoinitiator-free UV curing (EU 10/2011 compliant), Mercury-free UV curing (excimer 172/222/308 nm + UV-LED 365/385/395/405 nm, drop-in, Nitrogen inerting (< 50 ppm O₂), Ion beam etching & ion beam-assisted deposition (IAD) with RF ion sources, Ion beam-assisted smoothing and planarization
- Materials
- MDF, HDF, Wood veneer, LVT, SPC, Parquet, PVC, ABS
- Certificates
- ISO 9001, Process validation (ExciTrack dose measurement), UV pilot plant / laboratory trials, Patented technologies (several international patents)
- Founded
- 1998
- Employees
- ~50
- Industries
- Furniture & Interior Fittings, Flooring & LVT, Edge Coating, Film & Foil (Roll-to-Roll), Automotive, Packaging (Food, Pharma, Cosmetics)
- 01
Consulting & Planning
- 02
UV Pilot Plant / Feasibility Studies
- 03
Engineering & Development
- 04
Manufacture of UV and Ion Beam Systems
- 05
Assembly & Commissioning at the Customer
- 06
Process Validation (ExciTrack)
- 07
Technical Service & Spare Parts
Technologies & Treated Materials
EXCIRAD 172 – Excimer Matting (172 nm)
Physical matting of UV coatings without matting additives, gloss levels 1–15 GU at up to 150 m/min.
Semi-Matt System (172 nm + 222 nm)
Patented process for continuously adjustable gloss from 1–30 GU without retooling, retrofittable to EXCIRAD 172.
PAC – Photon Activation Chamber (Soft-Touch)
Controlled pre-curing before excimer matting for adjustable haptics and amplitude of the micro-crease structure.
DirectCure – Photoinitiator-Free UV Curing
PI-free curing of acrylate-based UV coatings with migration far below EU 10/2011 limits, under nitrogen inerting.
Mercury-Free UV Curing (Excimer 172/222/308 nm + UV-LED 365–405 nm)
Drop-in replacement for mercury lamps with identical mechanical footprint and up to 60 % less energy.
Inerting Systems (Nitrogen, < 50 ppm O₂)
Oxygen-free curing atmosphere as a technical prerequisite for excimer matting and DirectCure.
RF Broad-Beam Ion Sources (RF/I 40, RF/F 40, RF/I 80)
Filamentless RF ion sources up to 600 W for ion beam etching and ion beam-assisted deposition, also with reactive gases.
ECR / Microwave Ion Beam Sources (Linear, Modular)
Linear systems with 200 to 1,200 mm beam length for research and industrial production.
Beamswitch BS 20 – Beam Control & Neutralization
Pulsed operation from 50 µs to 2 ms at up to 20 kHz, specially for insulating substrates such as glass.
Faraday Cup FC/I 01
Measurement system for beam profile analysis (FWHM) for focus and beam optimization.
Silanization of Corundum
Special additive for highly scratch-resistant coating systems.
ExciTrack – Inline UV Dose Measurement
Autonomous measuring device that travels through the curing zone with the substrate and documents irradiance and dose.
Locations
Leipzig (Permoserstraße 15)
DEHeadquarters, R&D, Manufacturing, UV Pilot Plant, Service
- Lot size
- Individual systems, prototypes, small series
- Materials
- Excimer and LED UV systems, ion beam sources, inerting technology
- EXCIRAD 172 excimer matting system
- DirectCure UV curing system
- PAC Photon Activation Chamber
- UV-LED systems (365/385/395/405 nm)
- Inerting system with IOTOxy O₂ measuring device
- ExciTrack inline dose measuring device
- VUV250 edge coating system
- RF/ECR ion sources and grid systems
Systems & Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXCIRAD 172 – Excimer matting (172 nm)Surface | – | – | – | – | UV coatings on MDF, HDF, wood veneer, LVT, SPC, parquet, PVC |
| Semi-matt system (172 nm + 222 nm, continuously variable 1–30 GU)Surface | – | – | – | – | UV coatings |
| PAC – Soft-Touch (Photon Activation Chamber + EXCIRAD 172)Surface | 1–30 GU | – | – | – | UV coatings |
| DirectCure – photoinitiator-free UV curing (EU 10/2011 compliant)Surface | – | – | – | – | Acrylate-based UV coatings |
| Mercury-free UV curing (excimer 172/222/308 nm + UV-LED 365/385/395/405 nm, drop-inSurface | – | – | – | – | UV coatings |
| Nitrogen inerting (< 50 ppm O₂)Surface | – | – | – | – | UV coatings |
| Ion beam etching & ion beam-assisted deposition (IAD) with RF ion sourcesSurface | – | – | – | – | Ar, Xe, O2, N2, CXHY process gases; substrates for |
| Ion beam-assisted smoothing and planarizationSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plasma product irradiation / surface modificationSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| ExciTrack – inline UV dose measurement / process validationTesting | Irradiance [mW/cm²] + dose | – | – | – | – |
| UV pilot plant Leipzig – coating trials, process development, feasibility studiesEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Edge band coating: PAC activation + EXCIRAD 172 + DirectCure inline (VUV250)Surface | 1–15 GU, ±0.5 GU | – | – | – | Paper, PVC, ABS, solid wood veneer |
| Silanization of corundum (special additive for highly scratch-resistant coating systems)Surface | – | – | – | – | Corundum |
| Radiation-based surface activation prior to coating / laminating / wrappingSurface | – | – | – | – | PVC, ABS |
12 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excimer matting system EXCIRAD 172 | IOT GmbH EXCIRAD 172 | – | – | – | Leipzig |
| UV curing system (DirectCure, photoinitiator-free) | IOT GmbH DirectCure | – | – | – | Leipzig |
| UV-LED systems (365/385/395/405 nm) | IOT GmbH | – | – | – | – |
| Inerting system (nitrogen, < 50 ppm O2) | IOT GmbH IOTOxy (O2 measuring device) | – | – | – | Leipzig |
| Inline UV dose measuring device | IOT GmbH ExciTrack | – | – | – | Leipzig |
| RF broad-beam ion source | IOT GmbH RF/I 40 / RF/F 40 | – | RF power up to 300 W (13.56 MHz); ion current up to 60 mA; ion energy ~50–2000 eV | – | – |
| RF broad-beam ion source (internally mounted) | IOT GmbH RF/I 80 | – | RF power up to 600 W (13.56 MHz); ion current up to 170 mA; ion energy ~50–2000 eV | – | – |
| ECR / microwave ion beam source (linear, modular) | IOT GmbH EC/L (e.g. EC/L 600) | – | 200 to 1000 mm beam length, modular up to 1.2 m | – | – |
| Faraday cup measurement system | IOT GmbH FC/I 01 | – | Beam profile analysis, 50 cm cable, KF25/CF16 feedthroughs | – | – |
| Ion beam control and neutralization system | IOT GmbH Beamswitch BS 20 | – | Pulse duration 50 µs–2 ms; frequency 500 Hz–20 kHz; duty cycle 0.1–0.98 | – | – |
| Edge coating UV system (modular, fixed configuration) | IOT GmbH VUV250 | – | – | – | – |
| PAC – Photon Activation Chamber (pre-curing / soft-touch unit) | IOT GmbH PAC | – | Inline ahead of EXCIRAD 172 | – | Leipzig |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Process Validation
IOT validates UV processes with the ExciTrack inline dose measuring device (irradiance in mW/cm² and dose in mJ/cm², USB data output) and the IOTOxy O₂ measuring device for inerting control. At the UV pilot plant in Leipzig, substrate-near coating trials, process development and feasibility studies are carried out on production-scale laboratory systems; gloss values are, for example, held to a tolerance of under ±0.5 GU in edge coating.
| Evidence | Leipzig |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |
| Process validation (ExciTrack dose measurement) | |
| UV pilot plant / laboratory trials | |
| Patented technologies (several international patents) |
History
- 1998
Founded as a spin-off of the Leibniz Institute for Surface Modification (IOM), Leipzig
- 2023
Patent granted for the semi-matt system (172 nm + 222 nm excimer)
- 2026
Focus on mercury-free UV curing ahead of the planned EU RoHS 2022/279 deadline (February 2027)