EDITOR’S LETTER
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diting an international magazine in the field of surface treatment means having the opportunity to explore, discover, and understand how “things” are created. The noun “things” used to describe the world around us is typical of the most basic or childish language, but it is also the only term that is so generic and non-descriptive as to be the most appropriate to indicate the extreme variety of objects, artefacts, parts, components, and structures – indeed, things – that are subjected to some kind of surface treatment, be it functional, aesthetic, or simply protective. In these twelve years at ipcm®, I have seen the biggest trucks in the world and the smallest dentures being made. I have witnessed the forging of magnesium wheels for racing cars and the metalworking of bodies for some of the fastest cars in the world. I have watched the aluminium profiles for the façades of some of the most iconic buildings of our time being painted, and I have caressed the shiny, freshly produced hardware of some of the world’s most famous it-bags. Being in the surface treatment business means getting to the essence of objects. No other industrial sector has such a vast impact, ranging from furniture, appliances, heaters, and clotheslines to nuclear reactors, aircraft, trains, excavator shovels, shoe heels, surgical instruments, screws, bolts, and perfume caps, in an extraordinary whirlwind of surfaces, colours, effects, textures, and functions. It is easy to grasp the vastness of the world of surface treatments, if we think that an object’s finish represents its interface with the outside environment. Such interface can be functional, enabling it to perform tasks in addition to the primary one for which it was designed; protective, extending its service life and reducing its need for maintenance; aesthetic, satisfying the desire for beauty; or emotional, capturing attention and making a product desirable. This consideration stems from two opportunities I had at the turn of the summer and autumn: one, alas, partly missed and one fully seized. On 23 September, I was due to open the Powder Coating Summit in Columbus (Ohio, USA) with a talk on smart coatings. Unfortunately, I could not be there due to the impossibility of travelling to the United States for non-essential business reasons. I solved the problem by sending a video recording of my presentation – thanks to which I realised for the first time how much paints can enrich a product with their chemical complexity and how much smart they have become, up to being able to interact with their surroundings. The second opportunity, this time taken, was to visit Milan’s Salone, the world’s most important meeting point for designers and architects, returned after more than a year’s break. Most exhibitors kept their major product innovations in reserve for the next edition, to be held just six months after this one, and they left it to finishes to surprise, foster technical discussion, and provoke emotions. In turn, I suggest you to let this September/October issue of ipcm® – which as per tradition includes a focus on innovations in finishing applied to design and metal architecture – stir some emotions in you. I will not bore you with the usual summary of the most important contents. Suffice it to say that this issue is a container of inspiration, of many “wow!” articles for insiders, and of numerous innovations in the field of chemistry. I will simply wish you a lot of emotions.
Alessia Venturi Editor-in-chief Direttore Responsabile
international PAINT&COATING magazine - SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 - N. 71
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