We work with great focus on sustainability and innovation and offer our customers the latest technology in surface treatment.
Below is a newspaper article published in the Swedish newspapers Dagens Industri, November 2019.
You can find a link to the article here.
Provexa AB, which has sales of SEK 115 million and 90 employees, performs surface treatment services for the industry and is today at the forefront when it comes to innovation in the surface treatment industry. Since Anders Hultmark became CEO in 2016, Provexa AB has invested heavily in innovation, which from 2019 will be done in its own company – Provexa Technology AB. The company has today applied for world patents on several new surface treatment processes. Part of the development is financed by the innovation authority Vinnova and the products are developed in collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology, chemical companies and RISE. Anders Hultmark says that the industry has long been characterized by conservatism, something that Provexa intends to change with its technological innovations.
– In the past, large companies, OEMs, had their own surface treatment experts, but that is not the case today. It is seldom that money is spent on innovation and development – which is why we develop the industry, says Anders Hultmark.
Revolutionary processes
Provexa Earth Black® is just the latest innovation in a series of patented processes developed by Provexa. The company recently applied for a world patent for Provexa Earth Black®, a rust protective coating completely free of nickel. Nickel is both toxic and dangerous but used by surface finishers in many countries. Provexa Earth Black® has many good properties in addition to rust protection and utilizes the natural oxidation processes that occur in contact with the air and makes great environmental benefits. The innovations are used today in the company’s own production lines in Gothenburg, Sweden. The new technology is attracting great interest around the world, both within the industry and at OEMs.
– This is a big milestone for us as we constantly strive to develop processes that reduce emissions and are at the forefront of LCA. Provexa Earth Black® is revolutionary in the industry. There is nothing like it in the world today, says Anders Hultmark.
LCA – Life Cycle Analysis
For Provexa, LCA is of the highest priority and more customers are demanding LCA analysis, a method used to assess the environmental impact of a product’s life cycle from raw material extraction to manufacturing. The automotive industry is also increasingly electrified, for example, car batteries are corrosive and electric cars contain more and more surface treated components. To meet the increasingly stringent requirements, the team developed Provexa Pluto®, a color reinforced with high adhesion graphene and the very best LCA properties. The paint is conductive, protects against corrosion and withstands abrasion, stone chipping and chemicals.
Aiming high
Provexa’s vision is a sustainable world where they can contribute with world-leading surface technology and the plans for the future are great. Now the company has set its sights on new innovations, for example, to offer an environmentally friendly alternative to chrome plating – “chrome without chrome”, called Provexa Venus®. Provexa also plans to develop a surface treatment that makes it possible to create switches and other low voltage components directly on metal. The development will take place in collaboration with researchers from Chalmers University of Technology and the graphene is also included in these plans.
– No drilling, no screwing, no wiring – just pure function, concludes Anders Skalsky, development manager at Provexa.