The centre of the thermal sprays in Plzeň was awarded by the Business Project of the Year Award

The centre of the thermal sprays developed by Výzkumný a zkušební ústav Plzeň s.r.o. (VZÚ Plzeň) was declared on Monday 18 November as the Business Project of Year 2019 in the category R&D for innovations. The jury appreciated successful implementation of the research centre that owing to combination of unique technology and excellent research team establishes conditions for successful transfer of the applied research into industrial practice.

The jury appreciated successful implementation of the research centre that owing to combination of unique technology and excellent research team establishes conditions for successful transfer of the applied research into industrial practice.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade in cooperation with the Agency for Business and Innovations ceremonially awarded business projects of 2019 on Wednesday 18 November in Kaiserštejn Palace in Prague. The Thermal Spray Centre project of VZÚ Plzeň was awarded in the category of R&D for innovations. The workplace, which went live late in 2018, is unique not only by its dimensions and parameters, but the technological background in particular.

Among others, it offers surfaces implemented by cascade plasma with temperature up to 25,000 °C or sprays applied by supersonic speed.

Important reference jobs of the Thermal Sprays Centre include, among other, treatment of nozzle surfaces used in the fluid boiler in Komořany power plant, treatment of turbine components for Doosan Škoda Power in order to increase their efficiency and reduce the risk of damage, or spraying of coats resistant to wear, e.g., for piston rods of mining machineries. Also the customers form aircraft industry use know-how of the Centre – coats of the chassis parts were made for Czech Airlines Technics on Boeing aeroplanes and Aero Vodochody, or treatment of components in turboprop H-80 aircraft engine for GE Aviation Czech. In the automotive industry, the technologies by VZÚ Plzeň found their application for example in spraying of turbine cases.

“VZÚ Plzeň has been active in the fields of the thermal sprays and additive technology for more than thirty years. The Thermal Spray Centre project supported by the Potential programme allows us to continue in this promising area of the industrial R&D at the European level,” said Stanislav Martínek, managing director of VZÚ Plzeň.

The Thermal Spray Centre at VZÚ Plzeň was developed in the Karlov industrial zone, Borská pole in Plzeň. Total investments amounted almost to CZK 60 million. In addition to the construction works and revitalization of the area of original brownfield, the investment mainly focused on procurement of new technologies. In addition to spraying of metals, carbides, cements, and alloys under melted condition, the company is competent in coating of melted ceramic materials on machineries.

The Business Project Award is awarded to the projects supported by the funds from the operational programme Innovations and Competitiveness (OP PIK). The competition has four categories corresponding to individual fields of the support: R&D for innovations, infrastructure for SME development, environmental energy for competitiveness, and information and communication technologies.

Výzkumný a zkušební ústav Plzeň (former Škoda Výzkum) deals with the applied industrial R&D and certified testing in the field of the materials. It mainly operates in the sector of power engineering and transport industry. The company is a member of ÚJV Group.

The centre of the thermal sprays in Plzeň was awarded by the Business Project of the Year Award