Lindach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Electroplating is not just my profession – it is my passion. In the 30+ years I have now been working in this industry, my enthusiasm for the possibilities offered by this technology has never faded, and this passion has driven everything I do. My career reflects an evolution from hands-on project work to end-to-end project management, from technical specialist to leader, mentor and strategic contributor. Across 200+ projects in surface finishing and electroplating, I have had the opportunity to grow with every challenge and learn from every project. What drives me is the interplay between deep technical expertise and creative problem-solving. Whether developing new processes or technologies, building international research infrastructure, or shaping the next generation of electroplating specialists – I try to bring both the knowledge and the enthusiasm to make things work. Although most of my projects have taken place in Europe, with a focus on German-speaking countries, a significant part of my work has also centred on the Asia-Pacific region. I was able to gain extensive practical project experience, particularly in Thailand and China, but also in Malaysia, India and Singapore. Therfore I am familiar with local conditions in these countries, not only but especially in technical and cultural contexts. Currently, I am exploring the opportunities that digitalization offers for electroplating processes and the industry as a whole – a field I find both exciting and full of potential.
Research Area Surface Processes, Surface Finishing and Materials. Essentially the same role as before, with additional responsibilities in the field of paint technology.
Deputy Head of the Electroplating Department and Laboratory Manager, direct responsibility for up to 11 employees and 140+ research and development projects for the electroplating industry. Leadership & Development Modernized laboratory workflows and equipment, developed and mentored technical and scientific staff, and expanded the failure analysis practice into a core competency of the department. Beyond Technical Expertise Taking on responsibility for consulting on compliance and strategy development, as well as for developing vocational education & training of specialist personnel in electroplating. International Engagement Worked on an international level across France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, China, India, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand – including the establishment of a research facility in Bangkok, Thailand. (www.ecoplate.fraunhofer.de) Digitalization In the latter phase of this role, developed a growing focus on the digitalization of electroplating processes and production environments. Technical Project Portfolio included: - Trivalent chromium process development & implementation - REACH compliance & CrO₃ alternatives (Analysis of Alternatives) - Plating from non-aqueous solutions - Alloy plating, pulse-plating & dispersion layers - Plating for electronics & plating on plastics - Electroforming in nickel & copper - Hard chromium (hexavalent & trivalent) - Copper, zinc & zinc alloy plating - Aluminium anodizing - Energy efficiency in electroplating - Simulation technology (current density distribution) - Plant engineering & system integration
Started with project management and grew into a leadership role – taking on increasing responsibility for team mentoring, staff development, lab development and thematic direction. Built up the capability for complex, integrated projects combining process engineering with plant engineering – a specialization that became a unique selling point. Managed the acquisition and end-to-end processing of 50+ projects across a broad range of electroplating and surface finishing technologies, including: - Copper alloy plating - Electroforming in nickel - Dispersion & electrophoretic coatings - Pulse-plating - Hard chromium & trivalent decorative chromium - Electroless nickel - Plant engineering & system integration Gained first international project experience in Switzerland and China.
Leading a team of 24 employees in a 24/6 production facility in three areas of surface treatment: - Aluminium anodising - Electrochemical machining (ECM) - Conversion coatings (iron, zinc and manganese phosphating) Key achievements: Stabilisation of production processes and an increase in overall capacity of approximately 20%.
Grew from project team member to end-to-end project manager, accumulating hands-on technical expertise across some 20 projects in surface finishing and electroplating technologies, including: - Wastewater and rinsing technology - Zinc and zinc alloy plating - Anodizing of aluminium - Electroless nickel plating - Copper-nickel-chromium plating - Hard chromium - Brush plating - Electroplating of aluminium - Conversion layers - Plant technology