Cleveland Coatings 2007, which will be held at The Plaza Hotel in Middleburg Heights, OH, on November 7, will include 22 technical presentations on a wide range of topics along with hands-on lab demonstrations of new equipment.

Longevity Coatings has published a new four-page brochure describing its thermal spray capabilities and services. The new literature uses product and equipment photos to showcase the company’s expertise in applying protective coatings to industrial machine and wear parts.

New literature from ALMCO, Inc. describes the Model S2-30, a new high-production spindle-finishing machine for deburring small gears and machined parts. The machine requires just 15 ft² of floor space, yet reportedly is capable of finishing up to 480 pieces per hour with extreme uniformity and consistency.

Datacolor MATCH AFX™ was developed to reduce color development time and cost. According to the company, the system quickly delivers color formulas for pigmented wood stains, and the package easily integrates into any paint shop or laboratory with automated links to paint and colorant dispensers.

INFIN™ Coating Technology, a new process to coat wood plastic composites in virtually any color while enabling them to resist fading, heat retention, mold, mildew, stains and abrasion, was introduced at the 2007 Wood-Plastics and Natural Fiber Composites Show in Baltimore, MD, October 8 and 9. The technology was jointly developed by Inhance/Fluoro-Seal Ltd. and Finishes Unlimited.

Bain Capital has accepted PPG Industries’ offer to acquire SigmaKalon Group, a worldwide coatings producer. PPG and Bain Capital signed a sale and purchase agreement after completing discussions with appropriate employee representative bodies. The total transaction value, including assumed debt, is approximately €2.2 billion.

Victrex plc, a provider of high performance materials through the manufacture of VICTREX® PEEK™ polymer, has opened a new polymer manufacturing plant at its main production facility in Thornton Cleveleys in Lancashire, UK. The new facility, which represents a £32 million investment, has been built to support future demand for VICTREX PEEK polymer and VICTREX PEEK-based products, such as VICOTE® Coatings and APTIV™ Film.

The Society for Protective Coatings has launched a new Applicator Train-the-Trainer Program. The new course is designed to provide in-house coatings trainers and their staff with a standardized curriculum that can be delivered on-site in either a shop or jobsite at their convenience.

Architects, building designers and structural engineers love to incorporate the rich, organic look of weathering steels, such as COR-TEN® Steel, in their work. As demand for these steels grew, United States Steel Corp. (U. S. Steel), headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, faced a challenge that was solved through a coil coating technique.

Shanghai General Motors has awarded BASF Shanghai Coatings Co., Ltd. with the Green Supply Chain Award for its long established partnership in environmentally-friendly technology, as well as for helping Shanghai General Motors become the first manufacturer in the Chinese automotive industry to spray waterborne basecoats in assembly production.