It is hard to believe that it has been two years since the last American Coatings Show (ACS). Since the last ACS, regulations, raw material shortages and escalating prices have forced coatings formulators to become even more innovative in their drive to maintain profitability without sacrificing performance. According to an article from NYCO Minerals in this month’s issue (page 40), “In order to capture the same profitability today compared to one year ago, a coatings manufacturer must charge $1.76 per gallon more just to maintain the same level of profitability based on increases from Ti02. The coatings chemist cannot sacrifice performance requirements while remaining under the ceiling of a maximum raw material cost. This approach has coatings manufacturers around the world reformulating in ways they have not done before.”

The American Coatings Show and Conference will surely aid coatings manufacturers in these endeavors. Between the hundreds of exhibits and product presentations on the show floor, and the multitude of conference sessions, attendees will walk away with new ideas to take back with them to the lab.     

Whether you will be in Indianapolis or not, PCI is providing you with information on the new innovations and products showcased at the ACS. Many companies are launching new products just in time for the show. You can get complete ACS coverage on our American Coatings Show page. The website includes the conference schedule, list of exhibitors and booth numbers, online exhibits, photos from the show, and a guide to dining in Indianapolis. Click on “From the Show Floor” for live reports on the products and technology displayed in the exhibit hall. The “Conference News” section includes information about the keynote addresses, awards and papers presented during the three-day conference.

This May issue will be hot off the press and delivered directly to the ACS. We hope the articles in this issue will provide a great supplement to the information you gather at the show. It contains some great new technology, including a new system that measures specimen surface temperature during accelerated weathering testing, self-healing systems for high-performance coatings, and an innovative new test that accurately detects amine blush compounds, just to name a few.

If you are at the ACS, be sure to stop by PCI’s booth, #1327, to say hello to our staff. We hope to see you there!