A thin-film coating applicator assembly is disclosed for coating substrates in outdoor applications. The innovative thin-film coating applicator assembly is adapted to apply performance enhancement coatings on installed photovoltaic panels and glass windows in outdoor environments. The coating applicator is adapted to move along a solar panel or glass pane while applicator mechanisms deposit a uniform layer of liquid coating solution to the substrate's surface. The applicator assembly comprises a conveyance means disposed on a frame. Further disclosed are innovative applicator heads that comprise a deformable sponge-like core surrounded by a microporous layer. The structure, when in contact with a substrate surface, deposits a uniform layer of coating solution over a large surface.

The inventions relates to a method for producing a decorative workpiece with a structured surface comprising the following steps: (B) applying a first liquid lacquer having a coarse structuring over the entire surface, wherein a difference in thickness between thicker regions and thinner regions is at least 50 μm, in particular at least 100 μm; (E) applying a second liquid, at least partially transparent lacquer for producing a fine structuring in some regions. Furthermore, an apparatus for performing the method and a workpiece produced by the method are claimed.

A coated steel sheet capable of implementing a rich three-dimensional effect, various patterns, and a natural esthetic sense and includes a steel sheet material which has a concave portion and a convex portion formed on one surface and a coating layer which is formed on the one surface by being coated on a coating material, wherein, as the coating layer is polished, at least a portion of the convex portion is exposed to an outside, and the concave portion is filled with the coating material.

A method may include stretching a deformable bounding element into a stretched state. The method may further include coating the deformable bounding element with at least one layer of an anti-reflective material while the deformable bounding element is in the stretched state and assembling an optical lens assembly including the deformable bounding element, such that the optical lens assembly adjusts at least one optical property by controlling a shape of the deformable bounding element. The deformable bounding element may have less tension when in a neutral state than the deformable bounding element has when in the stretched state. The method may additionally include coating the deformable bounding element with at least one layer of an anti-reflective material while the deformable bounding element is not in a stretched state. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

The invention provides processes for the manufacture of conductive transparent films and electronic or optoelectronic devices comprising same.

A process for the production of a multi-layer composite comprising applying a coating layer from a pigmented coating composition A onto the back face of a transparent plastic film and then applying an NIR-opaque coating layer from a pigmented coating composition B, wherein the pigment content of coating composition A consists 50 to 100 wt. % of black pigment with low NIR absorption and 0 to 50 wt. % of further pigment, which is selected in such a way that coating layer A′ exhibits low NIR absorption and that the multi-layer composite exhibits a brightness L* of at most 10 units, wherein the pigment content of coating composition B is either a pigment content PC1 consisting 90 to 100 wt. % of aluminum flake pigment and 0 to 10 wt. % of further pigment, which is selected in such a way that NIR-opaque coating layer B′ exhibits low NIR absorption, or a pigment content PC2 comprising <90 wt. % of aluminum flake pigments and being composed in such a way that NIR-opaque coating layer B′ exhibits low NIR absorption, and wherein coating layers A′ and B′ are cured.

A vehicle wheel is defined by a substrate including a face and a rim portion. The face defines a plurality of spokes extending radially outwardly between a central portion of the face and the rim portion and defining a mating portion. An applique is affixed to the wheel at the mating portion. A polymer over-coating that is substantially transparent extends over the applique and the wheel substrate defining a continuous polymer surface over the applique and the wheel substrate.

A non-dichroic omnidirectional structural color multilayer structure. The non-dichroic omnidirectional structural color multilayer structure has an absorbing layer, a first layer extending across the absorbing layer, and a second layer extending across the first layer. The multilayer structure can reflect a narrow band of electromagnetic radiation that has a width of less than 500 nanometers and a center wavelength shift of less than 200 nanometers when the multilayer structure is viewed from angles between 0 and 45 degrees. In addition, the absorbing layer can block electromagnetic radiation reflected off of a surface that is proximate to the multilayer structure and thereby afford for a “pure” color that is not contaminated by reflected light from surrounding surfaces.

This invention provides a method for manufacturing decorated-parts of high design-quality and reliability, since the exposed surface of the base coat-layer is not bulged, and thus the color of said coat-layer is distinct. The method for manufacturing decorated-parts of this invention comprises a base coat-layer-forming process, a surface coat-layer-forming process and a laser-decorating process. In the base coat-layer-forming process, a resin-base material of a highly light color at a lightness-level of 70 or more or a clear and colorless resin base-material is formed. In the surface coat-layer forming process, the surface coat-layer of a less-bright color at a lightness-level of 20 or less is formed on the base coat-layer. In the laser-decorating process, the first laser-processed groove penetrating the surface coat-layer and exposing partially the base coat-layer is made by irradiating the infrared laser onto such surface coat-layer, thus providing a fine decoration onto the surface of said decorated-part.

An optical coating structure applied to the surface of an object having scattering structures introduced to the basal, upper or middle layers of a multilayer reflector to cause a particular (calculated) degree of scattering, or to the surface of a black/colour pigmented object. The scattering structures are mainly sub-micron in size, and arranged in a pseudo-random or non-periodic manner. Consequently they serve only to broaden the angular range of the light reflected at the surface normal from a multilayer reflector, or to provide (actual and/or perceived) reduced reflectivity of a surface by deflecting incident light through the surface rather than away from it or by scattering otherwise beam-like (narrow-angle) reflections from a surface into a broad-angle reflection. The scattering structures can include profile elements, which are in the form of elongate bars having convexly curved sides or hemispherical rods, that are introduced to a basal layer of a multilayer reflector.