A new 40,000 psi (2,800 bar) water jet lance from NLB Corp. makes the company's popular 60-second cartridge change and other operator-friendly features available for UHP applications.

ACL-707 Green Piranha from Applied Chemical Laboratories, Inc. is a high-performance, environmentally friendly stripper for removing otherwise permanent paints from metallic surfaces. According to the company, the new formulation quickly and easily strips polymer coatings.

PAXCON PX-2100 from LINE-X® Franchise Development Corp. is a high-performance chemical formulation developed to protect against spalling and fragmentation during a ballistic attack.

Xiom Corp. has developed a high-production-rate powder spray gun called the Xiom 5000 Scorpion. With its patent-pending triple venturi, the new gun sprays at up to five times the rate of the current Xiom 1000. According to the company, the new gun substantially cuts labor costs by covering larger areas in less time and by eliminating most of the need for preheating under normal ambient conditions.

Ecology Coatings, Inc. has signed a letter of intent with the U.S. Automotive Partnership for Advancing Research & Technologies (USAutoPARTS) to participate in a nonprofit automotive research initiative program. USAutoPARTS, which is to be located in a 56,000-sq-ft research and development facility located in Shelby, MI, and donated by Delphi Corp., has invited a number of companies to locate a portion of their R&D organization within the facility.

Schaffner Manufacturing Co., a producer of custom metal finishing products, has been named a winner of Masco Corp.'s 2007 MASTAR Awards. The Masco Supplier Team Recognition Program acknowledges suppliers' outstanding product quality, on-time delivery, clear communication, effective follow-up and competitive pricing.

High Performance Coating, Inc. (HPC), a subsidiary of nCoat, Inc., has signed a contract with North Carolina State University Industrial Extension Service (NCSU-IES) to complete preparations and implementation of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2000 Quality Management Systems in preparation for final ISO certification.

Sun Chemical and its parent company, Dainippon Ink & Chemicals (DIC) have formed a joint venture with Nantong DIC Metallic Pigments Co., Ltd., a leading aluminum pigment manufacturer in China.

Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) of the American Chemistry Council has issued a call for papers and posters to be presented at the Polyurethanes 2008 Technical Conference on September 29 - October 1.

Henkel has appointed Steve Ritchie as marketing director of its North American Automotive division. In his new role, Ritchie will lead the marketing team in providing strategic and operational direction for growth and financial returns in the automotive industry.