Everyone has heard about the unique “metallic mirror” effect, vacuum metalization produced via sprayed aluminum.

To create unique decors, Altus Coating’s R&D laboratory has been working on combining effects produced by physics with so-called material effects.
All using a process that is much more environmentally friendly than other technologies, in the spirit of sustainable materials and finished products.

As a result, the vast majority of luxury packaging objects will be enhanced by unique decors.

Environmental issues are forcing manufacturers to find sustainable solutions for objects and packaging, all the while retaining what sets them apart.

By texturing varnishes and preserving rich decors and textures, Altus Coating has developed unrivaled metallic effects.

The technology behind UV varnishes is a major environmental positioning which makes more sense than ever before. Compared with other processes, much less energy is used, since UV light generates an instant chemical reaction. Gone are long drying times!
And to streamline recycling, Altus Coating UV varnishes also make up for less than 5% of the total packaging weight.

 

 

 

Altus Coating processes used in metalization

By developing base coats and topcoats, Altus Coating varnishes contribute to going beyond the minimalism of metalization.

Endless colorless base coats for smoothing substrate surfaces are no longer needed.  On the contrary, they require depth and texture for sprayed metal colors to shine.

So many unique, specific, unalterable colors can be created by spraying alloys and metals in different environments. There are remarkable yellows, golds, greens, reds, magentas, blues, or turquoises to be discovered.
All these original colors are designed to last over time.

Beyond a mere optical effect, protective coating creates a soft, silky finish.

With the Alsafe solution, the finishing coat can also include antibacterial protection.

 

All substrates can be metalized: BioPlastic, glass, wood, metal, elastomer, or leather, bearing in mind that each material is unique and will require specific care.

Substrates must be primed using a base coat UV varnish before they are ready for a fine metallic layer.

Altus Coating formulates UV varnishes ranging from the most flexible to the hardest, for perfect substrate binding. It involves an alchemy between polymers and materials.

Please note that some highly flexible materials can be a real challenge when they undergo compression, extension, or twisting.

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R&D and CSR, a joint continuous improvement approach

• Altus has followed this approach for years, with an ISO9001 certification in 2018, followed by an ISO14001 certification in 2021.
• For the second year in a row, its CSR approach was lauded by the 2022 EcoVadis Platinum medal, placing Altus Coating amongst the top one percent worldwide in the professional category.
• Altus Coating recently accepted the invitation by major packaging stakeholders to adopt the Transparency One approach, a traceability platform for supply chains.
• Since 2018, Altus Coating has been a signatory of the Responsible Care charter, managed in France by France-Chimie, and demonstrating its CSR commitment in its professional field.
• Its proactive OEAss partnership with French customs allows it to conduct international business activities and to acquire a quality label for customs processes and ensuing safety and security procedures.
• In 2019, Altus Coating decided to develop its own environmental charter (no more than 10% solvents, at least 10% bio-sourced substances, LED-dried varnishes). In 2022, 31% of its projects were already aligned with this charter.
• Altus Coating is now focusing its R&D efforts on massively resorting to bio-sourced resins and renewable materials, although availabilities and sectors are only starting to fall into place.

About Altus Coating
An independent, family-run business, founded in Bourgogne-Franche Comté in 2007 by Lucien and Eric Pertus, Altus Coating, 2010 “Young Innovative Company”, has always implemented an agile approach to innovation and cooperation with its industrial customers and main buyers in the cosmetics sector. This is how Altus Coating came to create a range of varnishes offering targeted responses to specifications and environmental solutions. The complexity of each technical problem is examined by a multi-disciplinary team in the R&D laboratory. The current 15-person team benefits from an efficient ecosystem and the company’s turnover increases regularly by around 15% per year, attaining €5.1 M for the last financial year.