The Detroit Society for Coatings Technology (DSCT) is sponsoring the 33rd Annual FOCUS Conference. Themed, “Transformation in Transportation Coatings,” the meeting will be held on Thursday, May 1, 2008, at the MSU Management Center in Troy, MI.

VAC-U-MAX Model 860 industrial vacuum cleaner has the power and filtration to move fine powders and dispose of them safely and without dust, making it useful for powder coating operations.

The Model D1000 cartridge-type dust collector from Guyson Corp. has sufficient capacity for large manual blast cabinets with direct-pressure media delivery. The unit is also suitable for the dust collection requirements of moderate-sized automated blasting systems with multiple blast guns.

The Champion™ Air-Assisted Airless (AAA) Liquid Spray System from Nordson Corp. is designed for easy adjustments to deliver smooth, even coating coverage with high transfer efficiency and minimal overspray. The system is used for painting iron, wood and plastic materials.

GlasCraft, Inc has expanded its offering of variable ratio (VR) plural-component dispensing machines to include the new Guardian A5-series and A7-series of VR systems for dispensing urethane foam and adhesives, polyureas and elastomeric coatings.

DuPont CoatingSolutions and American Trim have teamed up to promote an innovative coating technology. American Trim recently took delivery of a physical vapor deposition chamber (PVD) that allows for the processing of a chrome-like finish without the use of hexavalent chrome. The PVD process employs a base powder coating supplied by DuPont, which serves as a protective, functional layer and smoothes out the surface.

PPG Industries has launched a new, environmentally responsible automotive pretreatment technology called Zircobond at CAMI Automotive’s production facility in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada. In a separate move, PPG Industries has signed an agreement with Plymouth Technology, Inc., to distribute Plymouth’s Metals Removal System (MRS) wastewater treatment technology by to the North American automotive original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) market. PPG will distribute this technology under the PPG brand name “Water Wise Solutions.”

The Magni Group, Inc., Birmingham, MI, which develops, manufactures and applies engineered protective coatings to metal products, has expanded to three additional facilities operating in Tennessee, Japan and China. The Magni Group, Inc.

Products from Galaxy Associates, Inc., a Cincinnati-based supplier of specialty chemicals, have been qualified under the exacting standards of the Caterpillar 1E4093 specification (Phosphate Pretreatment Chemicals for Metallic Substrate).

Michelman has hired Alan Blake as its new CFO and vice president, finance. Blake will assume responsibility for all aspects of the Finance and IT Departments.