Attendees at Q-Lab Corp.’s Oct. 30 Automotive Weathering Technology Symposium took away timely information about testing procedures, correlation, and materials science relevant to their industry. The event, sixth in Q-Lab’s series of international automotive weathering symposia, attracted 45 automotive OEMs and suppliers with positions in R&D, quality control, and senior management to the Hyatt Regency Dearborn, MI.

Suvinil, BASF’s decorative paints brand, is one of the winning companies of “Prêmio Top Anamaco 2007.” Suvinil was awarded for Technological Innovations and Internet, with its software case named Selfcolor Suvinil, Marketing and Sales, with Suvinil Quick Dry Enamel and for Production and Logistics, with its Coatings Logistics Consultancy case.

Ferro Corp. has initiated the next step in the restructuring of its European manufacturing operations. As a result of the new initiative, the company will discontinue manufacturing porcelain enamel frit at its Rotterdam, The Netherlands, facility by the summer of 2008 and will consolidate production at other European sites.

HERO Products Group has appointed Coast to Coast – Sales and Marketing as representatives for Canada. Coast to Coast will represent HERO’s complete line of point of sale paint equipment products.

The profitability of a plating line depends on the line’s reject rate. The higher the reject rate, the lower the profitability. By establishing standard operating procedures and making sure they’re followed, you can reduce rejects and improve the profitability of your plating line.

When Youngstown, Ohio-based EPCO Finishing had to replace a 40-year-old hydraulic reciprocator, the company chose a new electric model that promised to eliminate hydraulic oil, seal replacement and other maintenance issues, while providing better control on our coating operations. With this new equipment, the company has been able to improve quality and lower maintenance costs.

Highly durable and cost-effective, liquid clearcoats have long been the norm in the automotive industry. But with increasing energy costs and the specter of tightening solvent and carbon dioxide emissions looming on the horizon, forward-thinking manufacturers have begun searching for alternatives. One solution that offers both high durability and substantial environmental benefits is a new generation of powder clearcoats.

Finishing Today has compiled links to a number of glossaries and charts to assist finishing professionals in their day-to-day tasks. From color and thickness measurement to powder coatings, plating and international standards, we've got you covered.

"We used to use a polyester baking enamel for metal office furniture components. This coating had good resistance to 20 rubs with lacquer thinner and MEK [methyl ethyl ketone]. We find that the powder coat we are using doesn’t have similar chemical resistance, and I suspect that most common powders would fall short of baking enamel in this area. What types of powders would give similar chemical performance to the baking enamel, and why aren’t they more commonly used?"

While the finishing world expanded globally in 2007, mainly due to spectacular growth in the developing BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China), the number of major players kept shrinking following a very active period of acquisitions. Technology advanced sometimes dramatically, but most often incrementally, following years of exhaustive research and refinement. Across the globe, finishers continue to grapple with recently enacted exposure and environmental regulations; the biggest impact was felt in the plating world.