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About Balzers

Historical Milestones 1978 marked the starting point of what today is known as the pioneer in PVD coating - Oerlikon Balzers.

  • 1850
  • 1900
  • 1950
  • 2000
  • 2013
  • 1946

    With the support of Prince Franz Josef II and Swiss industrialist Emil Georg Bührle, ...

    The objective was to make the then largely unknown and little-researched vacuum thin-film technology useable on an industrial scale. Since no systems and equipment for the production of thin-film coatings were available at the time, the company developed and produced them in-house. The first popular applications were sun protection and anti-reflection coatings for ophthalmic lenses, anti-reflection coatings for camera lenses, optical filters and reflectors and thin films for electronic applications.

  • 1974

    Balzers decides to develop scratch-proof gold-coloured PVD coatings for the watch industry

  • 1976

    Oerlikon-Bührle Holding AG becomes the company′s sole proprietor

  • 1977

    First trials of TiN-coated forming tools are successful (service life increased by a ...

  • 1978

    On 1 September, the official go-ahead was given for the development and marketing of ...

  • 1980

    Twist drills coated by Balzers are shown for the first time at an exhibition in Germany

  • 1983

    First coating centre in Italy

  • 1984

    First coating centres in Germany, Spain and the USA

  • 1985

    The first application of coatings to precision components

    First coating centre in Great Britain.

  • 1986

    First coating centre in France

  • 1987

    First coating centre in Japan

    Introduction of the BALINIT® B titanium carbon nitride coating.

  • 1988

    First coating centre in Sweden

  • 1991

    Introduction of the BALINIT® C (WC/C) carbon coating

  • 1992

    First coating centre in Belgium

    Balzers converts to CFC-free, ultrasonic cleaning.

  • 1994

    First coating centre in India

  • 1996

    The new TiAlN coatings BALINIT® FUTURA and BALINIT® X.TREME make dry and hard ...

    First coating centre in Korea and Switzerland.

  • 1997

    Introduction of the BALINIT® DIAMOND coating

  • 1998

    Introduction of the BALINIT® HARDLUBE hybrid coating

  • 1999

    First coating centres in Austria, Singapore and Mexico

    First coating centre in Brazil.

  • 2000

    BALINIT®-coated components in the world's first mass-production 3-litre car (VW ...

    Introduction of the BALINIT® DLC carbon coating. Oerlikon-Bührle Holding changes its name to "Unaxis".

  • 2001

    Introduction of BALINIT® FUTURA NANO, the first nano-structured coating

    First coating centre in Luxembourg.

  • 2002

    Introduction of the BALINIT® X.CEED titanium aluminium nitride coating

    Introduction of the BALINIT® CNI chromium nitride coating.

  • 2003

    The Balzers Coating Guide for cutting tools is published

    Introduction of "Generation 6", a new coating generation. Balzers celebrates 25 years of BALINIT®. First coating centres in Poland, Portugal and the Netherlands.

  • 2004

    Introduction of the first aluminium chromium nitride coating of "Generation ...

    First coating centres in China and Hungary. The Balzers Coating Guide for forming tools is published.

  • 2005

    First coating centre in Thailand

    Introduction of the second aluminium chromium based coating of "Generation 6": BALINIT® HELICA. New coating system RS 90 for high volume coating. First coating centres in Argentina and Canada. Introduction of superior BALINIT® carbon coatings: BALINIT® DLC STAR

  • 2006

    Technological breakthrough with proprietary and patented P3e (TM) technology which ...

    First coating centre in Czech Republic. With 1 September 2006 Balzers is called Oerlikon Balzers Coating and commits to its hundred years of industrial history and the traditional strengths of the Oerlikon corporation.

  • 2007

    Introduction of BALINIT® ALDURA, novel tailored coating with dual structure. ...

    Acquisition of VST Keller, based in Schopfheim, Germany. VST Keller brings innovative and environmentally friendly PPD™ technology to the Oerlikon Group.

  • 2008

    First coating center opened in Finland and in Indonesia

    Further four coating centres inaugurated in Asia. For the first time in its history, Oerlikon Balzers surpassed in 2008 the CHF 500 million mark in sales.

  • 2009

    Opening of 5th coating centre in Japan, 5th coating center in India and 7th coating ...

  • 2010

    First Coating Centre in Russia - located in Elektrostal near Moscow - starts ...

    Acquisition of hartec Group, based in Germany, a specialist in PVD coatings. Hartec is well-known for its unique and environmentally friendly PVD technology for decorative and functional coatings for plastics.

  • 2011

    Technological breakthrough with proprietary and patented S3p technology

    S3p is the industrialized and economically viable Balzers HiPIMS solution. Launch of the new fast, precise, flexible and compact coating system INGENIA. Market introduction of BALINIT® PERTURA – a one-stop coating for all drilling applications boosting productivity and process reliability. Coating centre extension and implementation of the first Pulse Plasma Diffusion (PPD) plant in Asia in Busan (Korea). Opening of the 8th and 9th Chinese coating centre in Chongqing and Jinan as well as opening of the 3rd Polish coating centre in Kędzierzyn-Koźle.