EDITORIAL
I
n this year-end issue of ipcm®, more than ever before, we deal with the pre-treatment process and its importance to obtain high-quality products. If the preparation of a surface to be painted is not perfectly suited to the intended use of the object and to the coating quality level required, the film will tend to peel off, chalk, and lose gloss and colour while corrosion will start, regardless of the system applied. Whether a liquid or a powder coating is used, and even if the best products are chosen, a poor pre-treatment always results in a poor final quality level and in low corrosion resistance. As is well known, in the last few years the quality level required by coating specifications has been steadily increasing. Customers in the fields of architecture and aluminium, for instance, are no longer satisfied with five-year or ten-year guarantees: they are starting to demand twenty-year durability and gloss retention guarantees. Some of them even require an insurance, as if they were the only party involved in a process that is actually the result of a joint effort: it works like a classical orchestra, where each instrument has a role and must play in harmony with others. The pre-treatment cycle, the application system, the coating product, the polymerisation curve, and even the line operator are all are factors that must be perfectly adjusted according to the required quality level. A powder manufacturer has recently shared this thought with me: over the years, powder coatings have evolved in terms of quality and technology much more than application systems. It is very common, as well as easier, to blame the paint product for both poor yield and poor quality. Yet, there are so many companies that, maybe also due to the financial difficulties of the last few years, insist on applying metallic, special-effect or Qualicoat Class 3 coatings with systems that are outdated, have no flexibility, and do not allow to adjust any painting parameters. The operator’s professionalism plays a key role, too: proper training is crucial, not only in terms of theoretical notions but also of ability to identify any defects and put them in relation to coating and pre-treatment parameters. This issue ipcm® contains a special focus on the innovations in the field of agricultural and construction machinery finishing as well as a special insert on the workpiece cleaning and preparation processes. However, we have also collected in it the experiences of many coaters that have focussed on automation, Industry 4.0-oriented application systems, and increased pretreatment effectiveness to relaunch their businesses and dramatically improve their coating quality level. Finally, we thought we would give a gift to all of our readers: you will find a brochure attached to this issue, collecting all the major trade fairs in the coating industry as well as in any sector in which surface treatments play a key role for the production processes. This is an indispensable information and planning tool to get the most out of 2018!
Alessia Venturi Editor-in-chief Direttore Responsabile
I wish you a happy reading and I take this opportunity to wish you Merry Christmas on behalf of the whole editorial staff of ipcm®.
international PAINT&COATING magazine - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 - N. 48
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