IPCM n. 75 | May-June 2022

The smart journal for surface treatments

ISSN 2280-6083

ipcm digital on

®

www.myipcm.com

Special issue on ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

2022

13th Year - Bimonthly N° 75 - MAY/JUNE

INTERNATIONAL PAINT&COATING MAGAZINE

1992

2002

2012

2022

Zaniolo CdA-03.22

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TH

P O W D E R

C O A T I N G S

YEAR

S I N C E

ANNIVERSARY

1 9 8 2

EUROPOLVERI S.p.A. - Sandrigo (VI) Italy - Ph. +39.0444.750643 - Fax +39.0444.750653 - info@europolveri.it - www.europolveri.it Branch Office: Cernusco sul Naviglio (MI) Ph.+39.02.92148001 - Erbusco (BS) Ph.+39.030.7704158 - Depot: Iori Colori, Reggio Emilia Ph.+39.0522.327248

LIQUID HIGHTECH WORKS WHATEVER THE WEATHER

et at Let‘s me gy 2022 hnolo c e T e c a Surf h C 08 t o o B , 1 l Hal

Wind industry components are required to withstand tough conditions. Our zinc flake systems are therefore suitable for doubleend bolts and rotor blade fasteners and hug every thread perfectly.

Premium quality that withstands a range of stresses and enables longest maintenance intervals possible. However, we are not satisfied with the best, and are constantly on the look-out for new solutions and innovations - for every problem, for every challenge.

High cathodic corrosion protection Defined coefficients of friction possible System of base- and topcoat

www.doerken.com CORROSION EXPERTS

Dörken Coatings GmbH & Co. KG . Wetterstraße 58 . D-58313 Herdecke . Tel. +49 (0) 2330 63243

1 4 - 1 6 JU N E 2 0 2 2 DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

THE LARGEST LIVE AND IN-PERSON GATHERING FOR THE COATINGS COMMUNITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST 4,000+ attendees

Registration sponsor

exhibiting brands

square meters

REGISTER FOR FREE Gold Sponsor

150+

10,000+

Lanyard sponsor

24

exhibiting countries

www.middleeastcoatingsshow.com #MECOATINGS Airline partner

Hotel partner

Organised by

Thank you Growth Chart 2008-2021 The analysis of the Eurotherm S.p.A. turnover shows a steady positive trend thanks to the growth in recent years. This growth has been supported by the development of international markets, by the creation of a dynamic commercial structure and by significant investments in technologies and machines for the production of coating installations.

+10%

forecast 2022

60%

export share

Eurotherm S.p.A. - Headquarters Volpiano (Torino, Italy) T +39 011 98 23 500 M info@eurotherm.eu

Eurotherm S.p.A. Bovolone (Verona, Italy) T +39 045 71 00 209 M info@eurotherm.eu

Eurotherm France S.A.S. Pélissanne (France) T +33 (0) 4 90 55 20 75 M france@eurotherm.eu

Eurotherm Oberflächentechnik GmbH Sigmaringen (Germany) T +49 (0) 7571/92795-10 M germany@eurotherm.eu

80%

internal production

CONTENTS MAY/JUNE 2022 © Europolveri

16

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

© AMA Industries

40

Europolveri Celebrates 40 years of Research, Enthusiasm and Colours

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

Emotive Finishes on Bioclimatic Pergolas to Experience New Outdoor Spaces in Contact with Nature: The Path of AMA Industries

© ipcm

52 05 06 10 18 20

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

70

AluCoating Chose Catalytic IR Technology to Speed up Powder Coating on Aluminium Coils

EDITOR’S LETTER

22

INNOVATIONS:PRESENT&FUTURE

30

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH PaintExpo: Discussing the Future

BRAND NEW RAW MATERIALS The Sustainable Future, According to Novaresine

ASK JOE POWDER The “Ask an Expert” Column

© ALIT Technologies

34

AutoInspect Takes the Quality of Industrial Inspection Processes to a New Level

Salchi Metalcoat Launches a New Customer Oriented Business Unit

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY Kromoss’ Path to Sustainability: Elimination of Hexavalent Chromium from the Pre-Treatment of Aluminium Bars and Sheets

INNOVATIONS:PRESENT&FUTURE

Fluoride Removal with FLUORIDITE

48

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

58

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

62

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

From a Family-Owned Business to an International Supplier of Pre-Treatment Products: Cooperation and Partnerships as Corporate Pillars

The COOL POWDER Coatings will be Displayed at the Next Fuorisalone 2022

With its New Powder Application System, Anoxidall has Achieved Greater Transfer Efficiency, Faster Cycle Times, and 15% Lower Powder Consumption in the Aluminium Profile Coating Sector

www.infragas.com

INFRARED RADIANT GAS SYSTEMS FOR THERMAL TREATMENTS

CONTENTS MAY/JUNE 2022 © Alubel

80

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

Its Paint Supplier’s Quick and Timely Service Sped up the Delivery Time of Alusteel Coating’s Perfectly Pre-Painted, Customised Coils

© Luxe Coat

94

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

A Two-Step Transition From Chromate Treatment to a Chromium-Free Cycle on an Aluminium Coil Coating Line

© Alastair Gibson

© Venjakob

114

74 86 92

SUCCESS STORIES

118

Reduce to the Max- 3-in-1-Coating System for Mechanical Clock Components

INNOVATIONS:PRESENT&FUTURE Axalta Coating Systems Introduces a New Series of Anticorrosion Solutions for Every Possible Requirement

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY How to Comply with the National Water Discharge Regulations: The Success Story of the Bulgarian Company VIAS Ltd.

INNOVATIONS:PRESENT&FUTURE MICROFREE®: the New Series of Powder Coatings with Antibacterial and Antiviral Properties

100 108 120

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY The first CUBE Plus Installation in the USA: The Successful Choice of International Extrusion Inc.

BRAND NEW THE MARKETING CORNER Social Media Advertising: 4 Trends to Keep an Eye on in 2022

ART WITHIN SURFACES

The Curious Link Between a Shark and a Formula One Car

126

SPECIALIZED TRAINING

130

STANDARD &LEGISLATION

132

ZOOM ON EVENTS

The Advantage of Training Staff in a Targeted Way: More Passion and More Efficiency in the Company

Automated Guided Vehicles in Finishing

The new frontier for the mass painting

The perfect solution For painting and/or coating automatically and quickly small parts (metals and not) in batch, e.g. : buttons, bolts, screws, springs, O-rings and much more.

The new process An automatic precise control of air and paint flow allows you to obtain a perfect wettability of the pieces in any cycle phase.

New temperature control Reliable, accurate, economic.

The Data Management The new control SW stores all process data, for a precise consumption and production costs control, and supports you proposing a plan of preventive maintenance operations.

4.0 Rotover MES Easy and interactive production planning system for one or more machines.

A data-base of working cycles accessible from every machine and easy to be updated: 4.0 interconnection.

Multifunctionality Interchangeable drums of various shapes, sizes and geometries, designed for different possible types of items and for different materials.

Customer Service Send a test batch and Imel will prepare for you the optimized cycle for your production.

All machines are connected to Imel Service Center for a real time support.

On the side of the operator Easy and immediate control software.

New design Ergonomic, user friendly with no exposed cables and pipes.

Find out more, Scan the QR code to add the contact of our product manager to your device.

IMEL SpA – Via Divisione Julia 10 – 33033 Codroipo, UD – Italy – T +39 0432 908578 – info@imelspa.com – www.imelspa.com

THE INVISIBLE PROTECTION Approved by:

SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français) RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) Gütegemeinschaft Anti-Graffiti e. V. London Underground

A NEW FOCUS ON INNOVATION www.adaptacolor.com

EDITOR’S LETTER

Richiedi la versione in italiano a info@ipcm.it

Alessia Venturi Editor-in-chief Direttore Responsabile

A

s is well known, the aluminium surface finishing world is firmly dominated by powder coatings, not only in Europe but also in all markets “colonised” by European technology (let us not forget that the three market leaders in the design and construction of vertical systems for painting profiles are all Italian). North Africa, the Middle and Far East, but also Australia and New Zealand: cutting edge vertical and horizontal powder coating plants for aluminium profiles are springing up everywhere in these markets – ipcm® has often given proof of this with reports from companies in these geographical areas. However, powder coatings for aluminium profiles and sheets still have to expand in one of the world’s largest markets: that of the United States, which is still strongly tied to solvent-based liquid coatings, due partly to its industrial heritage and partly to its still low environmental awareness level, resulting in sustainability not being seen as one of the main drivers of future development.

Currently, players in this market – you can read the success story of one of them, located in the Midwest, further in this issue – estimate that solvent-based paints still account for 60% of the aluminium finishing sector in the USA, but also that powder coatings will overtake very soon, supported by the technological innovations in plant engineering, application, and pre-treatment that you will find described in detail in this edition of ipcm®, which contains a special feature on architecture&design.

In general, however, growth forecasts for the powder coatings market have been positive for years now, and they will be no less so for the five-year period 2021-2026. According to the latest research report “Global Powder Coatings Market – Forecast to 2026” by Irish Research and Markets, it is expected to grow by 3.9%, with its total volume rising from USD 13.8 billion to USD 16.8 billion.

This is proof that powder coatings are increasingly penetrating the surface finishing industry.

Not only are new market segments, such as components for agricultural machinery, earthmoving equipment, and off-road vehicles in general, increasingly opting for powders (in one or two-coat systems), but also sectors previously considered off-limits for these products are currently the subject of much R&D activity with encouraging industrial results. I am referring not only to MDF, but also to composite materials and certain plastics, heat-sensitive materials where the technological limits linked to the curing temperature required for melting and the subsequent hardening of the film can be overcome by developing low-temperature or UVcurable powders.

The increasing use of powders in the automotive sector will also create new and interesting opportunities for players in this market. Just think of the coating of batteries, motors, and energy storage units in electric vehicles, an application in which several powder manufacturers are now investing.

That said, whether organic or inorganic, each finishing technology has its own technical peculiarities and characteristics that are perfectly suited to one material rather than another, to one process rather than another, to one application field rather than another. True production sustainability is achieved not when one chooses the “greenest” technology on paper, but when companies opt for the most suitable solution to achieve maximum durability of their own products and to ensure environmentally friendliness even once it is integrated into their own industrial processes. Over the past twenty years, water-based coatings have made such great strides in terms of quality and durability that they have also conquered markets that used to be a prerogative of solvent-based paints, such as the corrosion protection one.

In any case, this growth dynamic between powder coatings and liquid and water-based coatings is certainly encouraging the technological advancement of the surface finishing industry.

international PAINT&COATING magazine - MAY/JUNE 2022 - N. 75

05

© ipcm

The crowded ipcm®’s booth at PaintExpo 2022.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

PaintExpo: Discussing the Future ipcm® participated in the most important international trade fair for our sector. Perhaps because exhibitors and visitors were returning to an in-person event after a four-year forced stop, one could truly breathe an atmosphere of excitement and readiness for the challenges of the future.

I

What did it mean to attend a trade fair in person after these four

n order to fully understand what it was like to be at the most important trade fair in our industry after a four-year standstill due to

years, for you and for our industry in general?

the pandemic, we asked Alessia Venturi, editor-in-chief of ipcm and

It was exciting. Above all, it was great to see that PaintExpo was at its

®

project manager of EOS Mktg&Communication, the official agency of

best, with numerous exhibitors, well-designed and impressive stands,

some of the most important international trade fairs including PaintExpo

and many visitors. In some ways, this was an unexpected outcome.

itself, about her experience during those four days.

Many feared that this 2022 edition would be a toned-down one.

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HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

© ipcm

and implement new technologies: many visitors had concrete investment projects to discuss with exhibitors.

The pandemic also brought with it a change in PaintExpo’s organising team: how do you rate the new management of Leipziger Messe?

In general, the organisation was good and efficient.

Leipziger Messe could count on the exhibitors’ very high loyalty achieved by the previous ownership and on the experience of its exclusive agencies, such as EOS for Italy, Spain, and Portugal, and Artkim for Turkey and the Middle East, which smoothed out some of the critical issues typical of an organisational transition. In my opinion, there would have been an opportunity to reduce the space left vacant by companies who gave up the trade fair at the last minute, perhaps by offering neighbouring exhibitors larger spaces at favourable prices or by advancing the most backward stands.

Alessia Venturi, editor-in-chief of ipcm® and project manager of EOS Mktg&Communication.

What impressed you most about exhibitors and visitors? Was there widespread satisfaction?

I was struck by the general optimism of the exhibitors from the very first day: they all confirmed

Actually, meeting with customers and seeing the

that the interest level of visitors was very high.

stands full of visitors not at all intimidated by

Although there was a lack of attendees from areas

personal contact was a breath of fresh air, both on a

affected by the current geopolitical situation, there

human and on a business level.

was a good turnout on all four days of the event,

It was exactly what this industry needed.

even from overseas. I would say that the results were excellent and certainly above everyone’s

The pandemics, the crisis in the procurement

expectations: with almost 10,000 visitors, PaintExpo

of raw materials, and the war between Russia

performed at the same level as its last edition in

and Ukraine that is affecting the whole Europe

2018.

do not seem to have shaken the plans of companies in our industry. What was the mood

How do you think the trade fair’s organisation

in the exhibition centre during the fair?

will evolve in 2024?

Energy, dynamism, and confidence in the future

I believe that PaintExpo will continue to grow. Its

despite everything, together with the awareness that

potential is remarkable. The new organisers should

the current problems are not going to be solved any

focus on international promotion and the expansion

time soon and that the willingness to look for new

of the number of exhibitors in order to consolidate it

solutions, new agreements, and new suppliers is

as a benchmark exhibition for the industrial coating

going to be crucial.

sector. The location in Karlsruhe is unavoidable

The current situation is going to radically change

because it is affordable and easily accessible.

the economy. Therefore, being responsive, dynamic,

I would say that the next goal would be to get

and ready to take some risks is becoming essential.

exhibitors back from South American and Far

At the trade fair, there was a clear desire to invest

Eastern countries, which were missing this year.

PaintExpo 2022 - High Levels of Satisfaction at the World’s Leading Trade Fair for Industrial Coating Technology The latest edition of the PaintExpo exhibition, which took place at the end of April in Karlsruhe (Germany), was a successful event.

E

xhibitors and visitors alike were highly satisfied with PaintExpo in Karlsruhe as it came to an end on 29 April 2022. There

was excitement in the air on all four days as the trade fair finally took place again after a break of four years due to the pandemic.

Promising new customer contacts, concrete project plans and signed business deals all contributed to the positive atmosphere at the world’s leading trade fair for industrial coating technology.

Around 430 exhibitors from 27 countries presented ground-breaking innovations and intelligent future technologies. A particular focus was placed on automation, digitalisation and improving efficiency, as well as on sustainability. As a global industry showcase, the event welcomed 9,180 trade visitors from 57 countries.

“We are very satisfied with the huge response PaintExpo has received from both national and international exhibitors and visitors. Our exhibitors have made this event into a global showcase of industrial coating technology with their attractive stands and their innovations and services”, says a pleased Markus Geisenberger, Managing Director of Leipziger Messe. Now that Leipziger Messe has taken over PaintExpo, this was a very successful kick-off edition. Geisenberger continues: “The benchmark is set for coming events. PaintExpo is very well positioned in Karlsruhe and we intend to further develop it in the long-term.”

Essential Get-Together Covering All Industrial Coating Projects Products and services on show at PaintExpo covered the full scope of industrial coating. The spectrum ranged from surface treatment concepts, coatings and spraying lines, powders and the relevant powder coating lines to final quality assurance. From wet coating and powder coating to coil coating, this unique global showcase for industrial coating technology brought together coating solutions for all industries, applications and materials. “This concept ensures the trade fair remains the pivotal platform for all projects involving industrial coating. „Whatever project you are working on, here, you can meet all the necessary manufacturers and service providers in one place and in a short space of time”, says Ivonne Simons. The Project Director of PaintExpo emphasises: “Trade fair participants made use of precisely this opportunity. On the stands, new business © Leipziger Messe GmbH-Tom Schulze

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HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

partnerships were formed, partners discussed new projects and even contracts were signed.”

High proportion of international visitors Visitor quality and visitor satisfaction were also remarkable. According to a survey, the number of top decision-makers as well as professionals and managers was very high. The poll revealed that

“

“First of all, I think the most important aspect is that the event actually took place. After two years of the pandemic and after all the restrictive measures that were taken in both 2021 and 2022, the fact that the Paint Expo was held is in itself something I find extremely positive. The ability to exhibit at a trade fair, travel abroad, and meet potential customers, partners, or competitors in person and not in front of a computer screen had been a given for years and then we suddenly lost it. Having that opportunity again gives us confidence, positivity, and the will to move forward, despite the difficult times we are facing both at a geopolitical level, with the war in Ukraine, and at an economic

around 88 per cent of visitors have a significant

level, with the blatant speculation on raw materials that is causing heavy

influence on investment decisions in their companies.

inflation.“During the four days of the trade fair, we were able to meet several

Over 90 per cent are planning to come back to the

potential customers and dealers. Therefore, our feedback remains positive.

next edition of PaintExpo in two years’ time. The

Despite some difficulties, this year’s Paint Expo was again an important event to

proportion of international visitors was also very

create new business opportunities and reconnect with our industry’s players.

high. One in three guests travelled to Leipzig from

We are now working to turn those contacts into new business. “Compared with

abroad. Switzerland, Italy, France, Austria and Poland

the 2018 edition, as we had widely predicted, we noticed a significant lack of

were the countries with the most trade visitors

international visitors, especially from outside Europe, due to the pandemic and

alongside Germany. “It was noticeable that the trade

war. In any case, we rate our participation in the trade fair as positive.”

fair is growing in international significance. For us

Carlo Guidetti, Chemtec Srl’s CEO

countries in Europe and from the USA who were there directly represent our target group”, happily reports Nicole Mihlan, Head of Marketing at Venjakob.

Dates for PaintExpo 2024 The dates for the next edition of PaintExpo in 2024 are already set. The world’s leading trade fair for industrial coating technology will take place from 9th to 12th April 2024 at the usual venue in Karlsruhe.

For further information: www.paintexpo.de and www.leipziger-messe.de

“Events like this enable companies to catch a glimpse of customer needs and the atmosphere in the industry. We bring home the appreciation of many visitors for being a company that is not only a plant engineering firm, but also a partner that directly follows all project phases, including production at our facilities. Once again, we got more ideas to grow and improve our offer.”

Paolo Ghiazza, Eurotherm SpA’s CEO

“Euromask®’s experience was undoubtedly positive: our stand saw a considerable number of visits, most of which resulted in contacts of particular interest that we will try to develop at best. The general turnout was also considerable: the importance of this long-established event, combined with the desire for a return to normality, played a decisive role in the success of this exhibition.”

Simeone Maitan, Finishing Group - Euromask®’s CEO

“

as an international company, the visitors from many

Perfect.

Engineering and service from a single source.

Turn-key coating systems for manual and automatic application.

Oltrogge has been an engineering partner for technically challenging industrial solutions for over 153 years and realizes projects of any size. Our core competence is the development and manufacture of mixing and dosing systems including color supply.

www.oltrogge.de

BRAND-NEW

PrimaTM 01D100, the Perfect Solution to Feed the Spray Systems Robust, silent, easy to rinse and maintain, the new PrimaTM 01D100 diaphragm pump from SAMES KREMLIN is distinguished by the stability of its spray and attractive price. It is aimed at craftsmen and small businesses who work with pneumatic spraying and are looking for a quiet and effective solution.

W

ith the renewal of its Airspray range started in 2018, SAMES KREMLIN is closing the loop with the PrimaTM 01D100, a diaphragm pump that succeeds the PMP150 and benefits from

significant improvements, as well as a lower price.

A stable stream at all pressures First advantage: the new REGPro combines filtration and regulation which delivers more stability in the spraying application of coatings. The quality of application is guaranteed whatever the inlet pressure, from the lowest flow rates (a few tens of cm3/minute) to the highest. In addition, the engine air distribution and piston position have been redesigned to prevent untimely stalling.

The PrimaTM 01D100 is a pump manufactured at the SAMES KREMLIN facility in France and designed to be operational for many years.

SAMES KREMLIN has ensured this through the choice of materials, the quality of assembly, the test cycles carried out in the factory on a robotic bench. It is very quiet and operates at 69 decibels making it one of the least noisy in the market place.

Ultra-simplified flushing and maintenance The Prima™ 01D100 pump is very stable due to the design of the feet. It is equipped with a 90 degree adjustable inlet and outlet to fit into most workshop configurations. It flushes easily with little solvent: its interior circuits have very few dead zones. Dismantling for maintenance is simple: a single tool to remove diaphragms, distributor, and flanges.

©

The PrimaTM 01D100 is suitable for all paints (solvent- or water-based, enamel paint with anti-abrasion diaphragms, electrostatic applications, etc.). It is compatible with all guns in the Airspray range.

Modularity pushed to its maximum SAMES KREMLIN provides its distributors with an online configurator.

It allows to create tailor-made spraying packages with all required accessories, while benefiting from advantageous prices. It is now possible to set up the spray pack in a few clicks, starting with the pump, through the inlet and outlet accessories, to the nozzle of the spray gun.

For further information: www.sames-kremlin.com

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BRAND-NEW

Evonik Has Received the Platinum Rating from EcoVadis The international rating agency EcoVadis has awarded Evonik for its transparency and sustainability efforts.

T

he manufacturer of specialty chemicals Evonik has announced that it has once again received the platinum rating of EcoVadis for its sustainability performance. The company is now among

the first 1% of businesses assessed by EcoVadis, both in the chemical industry as well as in all other sectors.

“The renewed award of a platinum rating by EcoVadis confirms our

Get more from water Turn key solutions for industrial wastewater treatment Design and manufacturing of plants and chemicals for industrial wastewater treatment Chemical-physical plants Sludge treatment and compactor systems Ion exchange demineralization systems and reverse osmosis systems Oil separators Filtering systems

sustainability strategy. We are driving forward sustainability along the

Batch type systems

value chain in close dialogue with our stakeholders. In addition to our

Flotation units

own production and business processes, we pay special attention to

Chemicals and spare parts for water treatment

the supply chain, especially product benefits and applications on the customer side,” stated Thomas Wessel, the executive board member responsible for sustainability at Evonik.

Evonik is a founding member of Together for Sustainability (TfS), the

Technical service, support and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants

chemical industry’s initiative aimed at increasing the transparency and sustainability of global supply chains through uniform supplier audits and assessments and additional training. The partners of the initiative are assessed annually through the EcoVadis Sustainability Assessment, which analyses companies’ sustainability performance related to environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.

For further information: https://corporate.evonik.com/en

Beware of imitations, buy the original!

info@waterenergy.it

www.waterenergy.it

BRAND-NEW

Dürr Expands the Collaboration with Rescoll for Testing EcoPaintJet The private research institute Rescoll allows clients to carry out tests with Dürr’s EcoPaintJet coating technology to check compatibility.

D

ürr has announced a partnership with the private research institute Rescoll to allow its potential customers to test at a

low cost paints, substrates and the corresponding application for compatibility with the EcoPaintJet coating technology, in order to prepare optimally for series production.

Rescoll is a private research institute offering technological services such as testing and industrial research on polymer materials applications for several industries. Dürr started to co-operate with Rescoll during the summer of 2021, to allow clients to test the EcoBell2 equipped ready2spray robot. The partnership has then developed further and customers are now able to have also EcoPaintJet tested in one of the three

© Dürr

The EcoPaintJet is an innovative system for automated, overspray-free paint application.

French site of the research institute – Pessac, Bayonne and Rochefort.

Once Rescoll has received the paint or substrate from the client, it first checks it to verify whether the material is suitable for carrying out the test at all. Then the company proceeds to carry out the test and, finally, sends the material and the results back to the customer, who is eventually able to adjust the paints and substrates in order to ultimately adapt Dürr’s technology. If the results are satisfactory, Dürr will have its equipment ready for operations shipped to the client’s facility.

At PaintExpo 2022, the international trade fair for industrial painting technologies that took place from 26th to 29th April in Karlsruhe (Germany), visitors were able to further experience Dürr’s overspray-free technology EcoPaintJet in a dedicated coating booth.

For further information: www.durr.com

© Dürr

Dürr’s EcoPaintJet complements the test equipment at the private research institute Rescoll in France.

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BRAND-NEW

AGTOS Has Confirmed Its Participation at EUROGUSS At the trade fair EUROGUSS, AGTOS will present the latest developments in shot blasting technology.

A

GTOS has recently announced that it will take

The company will present its latest innovations and

part in the next edition of EUROGUSS, the trade

provide visitors with useful insights on how to increase

fair dedicated to die casting that will take place

the power of existing shot blasting machines, so that

from 08th to 10th June 2022 in Nuremberg (Germany),

turbines specially designed for this purpose work

to present its latest innovations in the shot blasting

more gently and the abrasive consumption is reduced.

technology field.

In addition, it will also showcase the new AGTOS

The requests for the surface treatment of complex

Service APP, via which service technicians can provide

cast workpieces made from aluminium or magnesium

instruction in the case of maintenance and repair

are becoming more and more sophisticated, so the

work and share supplementary documents such as

reproducibility of the shot blasting process for mass-

drawings, illustrations and photos.

produced parts is extremely important.

AGTOS has then designed and developed special shot blasting systems for coherently treating lightweight

For further information:

parts and aluminium and magnesium castings.

www.euroguss.de/en

AGTOS wire mesh conveyor shot blast machine.

© AGTOS

BRAND-NEW

KRÜSS Added the Constrained SD Method to Its Measuring Portfolio KRÜSS expanded its portfolio of optical interface analysis with a special method for measuring surface tension at high temperatures.

K

RÜSS has recently announced that it has expanded its portfolio

an effective remedy: the measurements are fast, require no change to

of optical interface analysis with the Constrained Sessile Drop

the measurement setup and can be seamlessly integrated into daily

(Constrained SD) method, which allows the measurement of

quality routines.

surface tension by using a single sessile drop. This addition will allow to

As a single sample can be melted directly on the sample pedestal,

perform rapid purity checks of contact angle test liquids and analyses of

neither vessels nor high-temperature dosing units are required, so

molten materials at high temperatures.

operators do not need to carry out time-consuming preparations and

The Constrained SD technique observes how the opposing forces of

cleaning operations. In addition, the new Constrained SD technique

surface tension (SFT) and gravity affect the shape of a droplet: if the

added to KRÜSS’ portfolio of optical interface analysis works well under

density and dimensions of a dosed sessile drop are known, then the SFT

thermally isolated conditions, with the maximum temperature that can

can be calculated by image analysis of its contour.

be extended up to 2000° C using special sample platforms made of

Test liquids used for contact angle measurements are strongly

zirconium oxide in combination with a high-temperature measuring

influenced by even smallest amounts of surface-active impurities such

system.

as those left behind by rinsing agents, that could cause false results.

Checking test liquid SFT using the Constrained SD method provides then

For further information: www.kruss-scientific.com © KRÜSS

Analysis of a Constrained Sessile Drop in the ADVANCE Software.

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HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

Europolveri Celebrates 40 years of Research, Enthusiasm and Colours Edited by Europolveri Spa Sandrigo (Vicenza), Italy

Since 1982 Europolveri has been manufacturing powder coatings for the most different sectors and applications. This year the company celebrates 40 years of activity.

E

uropolveri, one of the leading manufacturers of powder coatings,

consolidation, in professional and human terms.

has been operating for over forty years as a reliable partner for

Today’s main challenge is to broaden the horizons starting from the

the supply of high-quality and large diversification coatings both

consistent acquired experience, the knowledge of its own commercial

in terms of applications and sectors. In the course of its history, the

field and the ability shown through years to rapidly adapt to the market’s

company has overcome the main challenges of the sector. It has built its

evolution.

growth on the skills and passion of the people who are part of it.

To plan the future in Europolveri means to programme the research,

In a person’s life, age of 40 is universally considered as a mile stone, a

finalising it to new products’ launches, to technological innovation and

moment in life where the equal balance among experience, awareness

above all to always more qualified human resources.

and energy gives the possibility to carefully analyse what has been done,

The research activity, mainly performed by highly skilled personnel,

and it allows to set new important goals for the future.

coming from the basic chemistry and science world, with the aid of

For the same reasons, this goal is fundamental also for a company

sophisticated instruments has allowed us to manage and solve the

like Europolveri, that has always founded its solidity on respect and

most specific and particular needs in terms of finishing and application,

commitment to value of its working people, who are being celebrated

offering customers a valuable assistance and consultancy service,

today for their fundamental contribution to the Company’s growth and

besides the preparation of specific customized research projects.

© Europolveri

16

N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

© Europolveri

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

Efficient and reliable

© Europolveri

solutions for surface coating since 1988.

electrostatic systems for liquid painting Today the company has reached the third generation and, despite the evolution of its strategies, it maintains the orientation that in 1982 was at the origin of this entrepreneurial challenge.

To make sustainable choices means to think about the future and

electrostatic systems and spraying booths for powder coating

respond to requests coming from people and territory, with an idea of development meant above all as growth that brings with it the living conditions’ improvement and the policies’ implementation, with the aim to preserve the environment and the people.

pneumatic systems for high-, medium-, and low-pressure painting

A further aspect of utmost importance that has characterized these first 40 years of activity is the relationship that the Company has established with its customers and suppliers: a relationship based on professional skills and competence, that has provided specific

IR and UV drying systems

solutions to a wide range of needs and concerns.

The philosophy with which Europolveri has participated in UNICEF’s “Universal Donation” programme in the recent years is to make one’s success a growth reason for those who have had less luck and fewer

robot and reciprocators

opportunities.

Europolveri also this year will commit itself to the long-distance children’s adoption from all over the world, in the context of a TERRE DES HOMMES project, as done on occasion of 25th and 30th anniversary.

In conclusion, the 40-year milestone allows Europolveri to look to the past with satisfaction and to the future with great enthusiasm, with the certainty that this anniversary can become a solid starting point

www.cmspray.it

eosmarketing.it

for new and ambitious goals to be achieved.

CM SPRAY s.r.l.

RAW MATERIALS

The Sustainable Future, According to Novaresine Edited by Novaresine Srl Colà di Lazise (Verona), Italy

info@novaresine.com

When one thinks of a chemical industry, the concepts of environmental friendliness and protection hardly come to mind. However, this is not the case for Novaresine, a manufacturer of synthetic paint resins that has made sustainability its mission.

S

ustainability and social responsibility have been among the

A turning point in the firm’s environmental policy

most popular – and perhaps somewhat abused – concepts in

Novaresine’s new course has been characterised by a forward-

the manufacturing industry in recent years. There are, however,

looking management, focusing on the company’s fundamental values

companies that have already been incorporating these values into

(environmental protection, safety, ethical/social values, etc.) and making

their daily work for a long time now: one of these is Novaresine,

sustainability the guiding thread of its business. “In recent years, our

which produces synthetic resins for paint products mainly for the coil,

company has made a radical change in terms of environmental policy,”

packaging, and wood sectors. It was founded around forty years ago

states CEO Bruno Franceschini, “with the sustainability of our processes

and, over time, it has specialised in the formulation and production of

being the first objective. This has led us to achieve international

alkyd and polyester resins, up to becoming a benchmark in the Italian

recognitions such as the Certificate of Excellence that Certiquality

chemical industry. Today, Novaresine is a high-tech company that has

awards exclusively to companies that obtain the three certifications

transformed its business’ management into an ongoing campaign for a

ISO 9001:2015 (Quality), ISO 14001:2015 (Environment), and OHSAS

more sustainable future, involving all its employees in this mission.

18001:2007 (Occupational Health and Safety), or the Platinum

© Novaresine

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N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

RAW MATERIALS

certification awarded by EcoVadis, the Corporate Social Responsibility

ten million Euros in technological innovation to be implemented over

assessment platform used worldwide by the largest companies to

the next few years.

assess the social, ethical, and ecological characteristics of their partners

“For Novaresine, sustainability is synonymous with constant attention to

and suppliers.

the control and reduction of our production processes’ environmental

“With these values in mind, we continue to look to the future, offering

impact. For example, among other things, we have reduced the CO2 we

our customers increasingly innovative and green products, involving our

produce by over 3.8 tonnes by planting native trees on our 80,000 m2

suppliers in this effort, and contributing to the creation of widespread

production site.”

well-being for the community.” Novaresine is also a transparent company: in 2021, it published its first Sustainability Report “in order

Social responsibility

to inform more and more stakeholders, so that they do not stop

Finally, sustainability is also attention to the welfare of workforce, a key

at appearances but are fully aware of the quality and values of our

resource for Novaresine. Referring to the company’s code of ethics,

business,” Franceschini notes.

Franceschini confirms: “We are committed to creating long-term

The most important projects

sustainable value for all our stakeholders and we firmly believe that respect for fundamental human rights is a requisite for achieving this.

Many projects have characterised Novaresine’s most recent R&D activity,

Novaresine has always adhered to the Universal Declaration of Human

starting with the creation in 2018 of Nova Lab, a new laboratory now

Rights, the OECD Guidelines, and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental

recognised in the industry for its ability to meet any type of request, its

Principles and Rights at Work.”

willingness to support customers in the realisation and formulation of

Novaresine is truly the chemical company with an ethical and green

products, and the effectiveness of the results it obtains while always

soul.

focusing on sustainability, of course.

“Another relevant project realised recently,” adds Francesco Tamburrino, Commercial & Marketing Manager of Novaresine, “was the construction of a new co-incinerator, collecting waste water from all our reactors.

© Novaresine

Sized for the amount of by-products created in our factory for internal disposal only, it does not harm the environment and, after a period of great uncertainty, it has also been accepted by the community living near our plant. On that occasion, we deployed all our resources, including the support of all our employees, to overcome mistrust and convince the city of the sustainability of the project.”

The latest venture of the Veneto-based company was the first shipment of NPG mass balance exported to Europe by Korea’s LG. “This is a key raw material for Novaresine’s products,” indicates Tamburrino. “It will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of our resins, of our customers’ paints and, ultimately, of the products that will use them.”

This is part of a long-term strategy including investments of more than

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09.05.22 10:48

ASK JOE POWDER

The “Ask an Expert” Column Kevin Biller

kbiller@chemquest.com

being clean shaved, wouldn’t adequately block out the harmful / deadly microscopic components that can be found in powder paint.

A couple of our painters have very slight facial hair, most not more than a stubble <3mm to 5 mm, which is one of the primary reasons why we went to using painter’s socks. The socks made the use of the respirators more comfortable and allowed the painters to wear the respirators tighter.

Every painter is expected to perform the standard pre-use fit test as outlined on the large manufacturers posters we have posted in English & Spanish on the wall next to their lockers.

Having painted powder myself using this PPE configuration I find it extremely hard to believe that this configuration wouldn’t be considered adequate to protect our painter’s respiratory system from exposure to powder being sprayed in a flow-through style Joe Powder comes back with an interesting analysis of personal protective

booth. I know harmful contaminates are microscopic, but visibly,

equipment (PPE) for powder coating.

using this configuration of PPE’s, we’ve never had a painter exit the booth with any powder residue on the area protected by the

Good morning,

painter’s sock, respirator, or area protected by the full body suit

I was wondering if you could forward this email to the

when the PPE’s were worn correctly.

appropriate party.

We don’t powder coat with anything other than the typical types

We are a powder coater and I’ve contacted you before and you

of powders, mostly polyester or epoxy based. We only paint in

have always been extremely helpful. Yesterday our company

a well maintained, clean, pass-through cartridge style Nordson

brought in a Health & Safety Consultant to evaluate all the

booths with air flow readings that are within the manufacturers

company’s operations & practices. When observing our powder

recommended parameters.

coating operation, I was informed that our painters could not use

I’d appreciate any comments or suggestions you might have.

what is commonly called a painter’s sock under their respirator.

From what I have observed on the internet, & I’ve looked at

All of our painters use well maintained Honeywell / North

hundreds of videos, we far exceed what I typically see in powder

Full Face Respirators, Model 5400 with P100 Respirator Filter

coating videos, even those videos produced by the major powder

Cartridges. The painters wear full 3M Tyvek suits with hoods &

gun & powder manufactures.

boots.

By the way, none of the Health & Safety Consultants that

I was told that this combination of PPE’s (personal protective

evaluated our operation had never been to a powder coating

equipment) wouldn’t be considered acceptable to OSHA

facility. The auditors have yet to issue their findings, I just

(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) because it didn’t

want to find out as much as I can before the findings &

provide enough respiratory protection from the various harmful

recommendations come in.

& dangerous components listed on the powder paint safety data

Any assistance or information would be greatly, GREATLY,

sheets the auditors asked to review.

appreciated.

I was told the use of a painter’s sock, in conjunction with the

My most sincere thanks,

other PPE’s we use, as shown above, with or without the painters

Alan Russell, New Mexico

20

N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

ASK JOE POWDER

Hello Alan,

booth) significantly reduce exposure to airborne particulates and proper PPE

Thanks for your message and thorough explanation. The PPE policy

ensures adequate protection of the operators. It is evident that your shop

you have, and its implementation are impeccable and perfectly

provides adequate measures for both.

in compliance of a responsible and safe measure to protect your

Another PPE option to consider is the use of Powered Air Purifying Respirators.

operators. Kudos to your team for establishing such a thorough and

These use headgear that incorporates a filtered air supply which provides

well-thought-out PPE system. A few salient points:

adequate respiratory protection with the added benefit of air movement that

• The full-face respirator and Tyvek suits are totally adequate PPE to

can keep the operator cooler than other PPE. Here is a link:

protect your operators from incidental exposure to powder coating

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/respiratory-protection-us/products/papr/

particles. In addition, the use of the painters’ socks is a thoughtful and acceptable measure for operator comfort and to ensure best fit

Regardless it is my professional opinion that the measures that your company

of the respirator. Furthermore, the stubble issue is being addressed

are currently using to protect their operators from exposure to powder

with your fit program. No need to change any of this policy.

coating particles are acceptable and in compliance with industry standards.

• The description of powder particles as “harmful/deadly” is patently

Please let me know if I can help you further.

wrong. Exposure to some powder coating particles can pose health issues - skin irritation and in some cases potentially mutagen

Kind regards,

compounds, however in the sixty years plus of powder coating

Joe Powder

usage worldwide, these is absolutely no evidence or documentation of any fatalities from exposure to powder coating particles. Indeed,

2 0 ye a r s

there is no evidence historically of any personnel that was ever exposed to powder coatings contracting cancer.

• Regarding the toxicological properties of any given powder coating, please refer to Section 11 of the Safety Data Sheet of the powder coating being used. This lists the toxicological potential per IARC, ACGIH, NTP, OSHA guidelines.

• Protecting your operators from powder coating particulates

Competence in Shot Blast Technology

requires a two-part strategy. Mechanical system controls (adequate exhaust and air flow at powder discharge points, i.e. application

As a full-range supplier, we design and manufacture shot blasting machines including filter and transport technology.

AGTOS | GmbH | D-48282 Emsdetten info@agtos.de | www.agtos.com

international PAINT&COATING magazine - MAY/JUNE 2022 - N. 75

348-10/21-4c-GB

➜ New shot blast machines ➜ Second hand machines ➜ Service and spare parts ➜ Reparation & maintenance ➜ Inspection & consulting ➜ Performance improvement

21

© Fraunhofer

In the AutoInspect demonstrator, the car body is transported to the inspection stations on a conveyor system. The picture shows the deflectometry portal: the software can detect surface defects based on the reflection of the striped patterns displayed on the monitors.

INNOVATIONS: PRESENT&FUTURE

AutoInspect Takes the Quality of Industrial Inspection Processes to a New Level Edited by Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB Karlsruhe (Germany)

The quality of industrial production processes is ensured by a large number of sensor-based individual inspections. This generates large amounts of data. However, until now, the information from the individual sensors has generally only been looked at in isolation. The AutoInspect solution from the Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB over-comes this issue by linking all of the data to create a consolidated overview. Now, for the first time, linking the measured values is facilitating intelligent evaluation and the detection of hidden faults. This increases efficiency and ultimately improves product quality. A demonstrator has been presented at the Hannover Messe 2022 from May 30 to June 2 at the joint Fraunhofer booth.

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N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

INNOVATIONS: PRESENT&FUTURE

Q

uality inspections are an integral aspect of industrial

if a certain temperature limit value is exceeded during a previous

manufacturing. Sensors at various inspection stations

machining step. The inspection team on the shop floor can then

measure the properties and quality characteristics of the test

follow up on this tip, analyse the cause and ultimately fix the problem.

object. In automotive manufacturing, for example, this could be gap

This in turn is reflected in altered data and measured values in the

dimensions, the quality of the paintwork or the strength of certain

3D mesh. By taking this approach, inspection and production merge

parts, to name just a few examples. Over the course of the numerous

seamlessly into an optimized and highly efficient overall process.

inspections, some of which are sensor-based and some manual, a

“In this way, we are helping industrial customers to gain a better

large amount of data and measured values are generated, providing

understanding of what are often complex production quality issues

accurate information about the characteristic measured in each case.

and to get to grips with them more quickly by enabling them to

But there is one problem: all these data are usually stored separately

intelligently analyse all of the linked inspection data throughout the

from each other.

entire process,” Schulte summarizes. The requirement here is that

Recently, a team of researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute of

the Autoinspect software, which collects all of the sensor data and

Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB

enables evaluation with graphical tools, is configured correctly.

developed AutoInspect, a solution that combines a wide variety of inspection modalities in a single system and links all the results. The

Standard interfaces for sensors

researchers have brought together a wide range of sensors, interfaces

The team at Fraunhofer IOSB developed and tested the technology

and software to create an easily adaptable all-in-one solution.

with sensors for a 3D scan as well as deflectometry and ellipsometry.

AutoInspect project manager Henning Schulte says: “The wealth of

Ellipsometry, for example, is able to determine the thickness of a

data generated at the sensor-based inspection points constitutes a

surface coating by registering the polarization state of reflected

valuable treasure trove of hidden information. By linking them, we are

light. Deflectometry measures and inspects the shape of specular or

able to unearth this treasure.” AutoInspect provides a consolidated overview and enables intelligent evaluation of all relevant inspection data and measured values. In this way, previously unrecognized interrelationships in the manufacturing process suddenly become visible. This makes it easier to identify the causes of faults, which in turn makes the entire production process more efficient. Ultimately, this also improves the quality of the products.

Sensor data and location information A highlight of AutoInspect is the ability to combine the inspection results with the respective location information: the first step is to create a 3D mesh of the test object based on existing CAD models of the product. However, this depiction in the software goes much further than a conventional 3D computer graphic of an object. This is because every measured value is stored with reference to this 3D mesh, i.e., with the precise location of the measurement position on the test object. This creates a digital twin that contains all relevant sensor data, including the associated location information, plus metainformation such as the batch number of the material used or the time of inspection.

In this way, a consolidated overview of all inspection data is created, which, assuming the relevant inspection stations are in place, can cover the entire production process. From clamping the first piece of sheet metal, shaping the sheets and various bonding and welding processes right through to applying the paint. By linking the measured values in the AutoInspect software, it may now be possible to identify, for example, that a gap dimension is always too large at a certain point

international PAINT&COATING magazine - MAY/JUNE 2022 - N. 75

23

© Fraunhofer

In the AutoInspect demonstrator, the car body is transported to the inspection stations on a conveyor system. The picture shows the deflectometry portal: the software can detect surface defects based on the reflection of the striped patterns displayed on the monitors.

high-gloss surfaces such as painted sheet metal. These measurement

inspection results within AutoInspect can be analysed beyond the

techniques and the further development thereof have been a

current batch or manufacturing process.

separate object of research at Fraunhofer IOSB for years now.

This makes it possible to observe the product life cycle of machines or

However, the Fraunhofer solution is not tied to specific sensors,

vehicles across maintenance and inspection intervals.

relying instead on the open OPC UA (OPC Unified Architecture)

For example, measurement data from previous inspections could be

interface.

taken into account when inspecting the chassis and wheel tires on an

“Any sensor or measuring device that is compatible with OPC UA can

ICE train in order to better understand the latest measured values.

be easily integrated into AutoInspect via plug and play,” says Schulte.

Particularly when inspecting safety-relevant components, the ability

Moreover, it is possible for a worker to carry out manual inspections

to consider all of the maintenance cycles, including all of the data in

assisted by augmented reality.

AutoInspect, means that the causes of defects can be traced more

Ideal for inspections on machines and vehicles

quickly.

Ideally, problems can even be detected in advance using AI-based

Evaluation of the measurement results is not limited to the current

data analysis and the safety of the respective machine or plant can be

production process or the one just completed. The history of the

quickly restored.

24

N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

LEADING EVOLUTION SINCE...

ALWAYS!

Manufacturers of all sizes are benefiting from automation. Complete your automated paint line with spray guns and mixing systems that easily integrate with robots and reciprocators.

Thanks to Automation you can:

Lower operating costs by reducing material waste by up to 30 percent

Reduce labour costs while dramatically improving quality

Protect employees from dangerous conditions and repetitive tasks

W W W. G R A C O . C O M / A U T O M AT I O N

Achieve higher transfer efficiency

ON THE ROAD TO ipcm

®

n. 75

international PAINT&COATING magazine - MAY/JUNE 2022 - N. 75

27

WHERE VISION BECOMES INNOVATION. ALUMINIUM 2022.

27 – 29 September 2022 Exhibition Center Düsseldorf, Germany

Scan here and get your free ticket!

Code: ALU2022_ipcm

© Adobe Stock

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

30

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

34

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

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FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

48

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

52

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

58

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

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FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

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INNOVATIONS:PRESENT&FUTURE

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INNOVATIONS:PRESENT&FUTURE

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FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

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FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

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INNOVATIONS:PRESENT&FUTURE

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FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

100

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

Salchi Metalcoat Launches a New Customer Oriented Business Unit

Kromoss’ Path to Sustainability: Elimination of Hexavalent Chromium from the Pre-Treatment of Aluminium Bars and Sheets

Emotive Finishes on Bioclimatic Pergolas to Experience New Outdoor Spaces in Contact with Nature: The Path of AMA Industries

From a Family-Owned Business to an International Supplier of Pre-Treatment Products: Cooperation and Partnerships as Corporate Pillars

AluCoating Chose Catalytic IR Technology to Speed up Powder Coating on Aluminium Coils

The COOL POWDER Coatings will be Displayed at the Next Fuorisalone 2022

With its New Powder Application System, Anoxidall has Achieved Greater Transfer Efficiency, Faster Cycle Times, and 15% Lower Powder Consumption in the Aluminium Profile Coating Sector

Fluoride Removal with FLUORIDITE

Axalta Coating Systems Introduces a New Series of Anticorrosion Solutions for Every Possible Requirement

Its Paint Supplier’s Quick and Timely Service Sped up the Delivery Time of Alusteel Coating’s Perfectly Pre-Painted, Customised Coils

How to Comply with the National Water Discharge Regulations: The Success Story of the Bulgarian Company VIAS Ltd.

MICROFREE®: the New Series of Powder Coatings with Antibacterial and Antiviral properties

A Two-Step Transition From Chromate Treatment to a Chromium-Free Cycle on an Aluminium Coil Coating Line

The First CUBE Plus Installation in the USA: The Successful Choice of International Extrusion Inc.

international PAINT&COATING magazine - MAY/JUNE 2022 - N. 75

29

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Salchi Metalcoat Launches a New Customer Oriented Business Unit Edited by Salchi Metalcoat Srl, Burago di Molgora (Monza and Brianza) - Italy

info@salchirh.it

Salchi Metalcoat Srl is an Italian company with a worldwide presence. Since 1993, it has developed into one of the main European players for the production of coatings and inks for coil, foil, and metal packaging. The Company’s manufacturing plant is located in Burago di Molgora, near Milan. It has recently invested into a new production unit dedicated to the manufacturing and processing of small/medium batches for coil coating, named “Unit 34”.

Unit 34 at a glance At Salchi, customers always come first. Having this purpose in mind,

coating – ranging from 100 kg to 1800 kg – from the processing of the

the company has invested into an entirely new production unit and

order to the production, quality control, and the final shipment.

line located within its manufacturing site in Burago di Molgora, Italy.

The company believes that the concentration of all the operational

The new production unit, which has been named Unit 34, is completely

functions related to the production process in a single dedicated unit

dedicated to the manufacturing of small/medium batches for coil

and line is key to ensure operational excellence.

© Salchi Metalcoat

30

The core of Salchi Metalcoat’s new production unit is the fully automated dosing unit by Dromont®.

N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

© Salchi Metalcoat

The no. 1 in energy-efficient waste water treatment due to the latest evaporator technology

Highlights:  50% less energy consumption (compare to vacuum evaporator)

The supply of raw materials is ensured by almost 2 km of stainless-steel pipelines.

 > 200 h continous operation (20% more efficient process)

 max. concentration Unit 34 is designed to allocate the production of the

supply of raw materials is ensured by almost 2 km of

 highest distillate quality

full range of paint systems: PES, PVDF and PUR as

dedicated stainless-steel pipelines.

well as textured products Wrinkled and PUR/PMD.

Preliminary data show that, thanks to the immediate

 fully automatic process

The new production unit also has a completely

availability of raw materials and the very precise

dedicated team, who has acquired a strong

dosing, the production lead time is reduced by

experience with small batches for coil coating over

approximately 40% with respect to standard

the years, and manages the entire process.

operations, with a noticeable increase in quality and

Enhanced operations

distillate

batch to batch reproducibility.

This allows to increase the productivity of small

The new 1.300 m2 integrated production unit has

batches by around 50%, a percentage that is

been built according to the highest industry 4.0

expected to grow further in the years to come.

construction standards. It includes 1.200 m2 of

waste water

production area, and 100 m2 of a new fully equipped

Search for continuous improvement

laboratory dedicated to quality control.

“The growing desire for customization of coating

The core of the new system is the fully automated

systems has led us to think of how we could

dosing unit by Dromont® with its high precision

concretely adapt our production to offer the best

weighing system (in the order of the gram). The

and fastest possible service to our customers”

Always the perfect solution for your waste water problems! www.mkr-metzger.com

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

© Salchi Metalcoat

Unit 34 can manage small quantities of product by meeting at the same time the increasingly strict requests for accuracy, adaptability, and colour reproducibility.

© Salchi Metalcoat

Today’s coated flat product market is requesting fast deliveries and small batches excellence, together with consistency and quality.

states the company. “We already offer a wide range of products in

“Our Customer’s Success: Our Success”

small batches. But we wanted to do more, and better. This has driven

Salchi always encourages its people to be bold, to challenge the status

us to invest in a stand-alone production unit that could manage small

quo, to be advocates of change for the better. “We are passionate

quantities of product by meeting at the same time the increasingly strict

about our customers, and we make their goals our goals” it affirms.

requirements for accuracy, adaptability, and colour reproducibility” – it

Today’s coated flat product market is asking for fast deliveries and

concludes. The completely automatic dosing unit enables to reach and

small batches excellence, together with consistency and quality.

reproduce all the required shades complying with the quality, colour

“Unit 34 is our answer to this need: it is an additional way to support

and gloss specifications.

our customers’ growth in an everchanging world. Together, we shape the future of our industry” – it concludes.

32

N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

COMPLETE AIRSPRAY LIQUID SPRAYING SOLUTION THE PERFECT AIRSPRAY SYSTEMS FOR HIGH FINISHING RESULTS FStart

FPro

Nanogun

PRIMA 01D100

™

• Modularity of spray packages : from the pump to the nozzle of your spray gun • Professional finishing for all • High transfer efficiency • Pulsation-free with REGPro solution • Reliability and robustness

www.sames-kremlin.com

© ipcm

The application of special wood-effect finishes on aluminium profiles, using either powder-on-powder or sublimation technology, is the main strength of Kromoss (Aielli, L’Aquila).

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Kromoss’ Path to Sustainability: Elimination of Hexavalent Chromium from the Pre-Treatment of Aluminium Bars and Sheets Alessia Venturi ipcm®

Kromoss, one of Italy’s largest and longer-standing specialists in the coating of aluminium profiles, has successfully replaced traditional chromate conversion coating with a trivalent chromium-based cycle thanks to an exclusive partnership with SurTec Italia. By doing so, Kromoss has managed to retain excellent anti-corrosion performance but at the same time has solved many problems, including those related to bath management and waste water treatment.

34

N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

T

he final phase-out of hexavalent chromium from industrial production is set for 2024. If this deadline is not further postponed – and so we hope, not only

because of the hazardous nature of this chemical product, but also because this will be a driver of innovation and change for the entire chemical industry – all aluminium pre-treatment coating lines that still use chromate treatments will have to be converted to the use of more modern and environmentally friendly surface passivation/conversion products. This will represent a big step towards even greater sustainability of the whole aluminium profiles coating process, which in Europe is already among the most sustainable, as it uses powder paints and 100% dry technologies and releases no VOC emissions into the atmosphere.

Such transition to fully chromium-free cycles calls for the use of pre-treatment operations with surface conversion products © ipcm

that still contain low percentages of trivalent chromium, which provides extraordinary corrosion resistance without the toxicity, carcinogenicity, and all others risks of Chromium VI. One of the companies in the aluminium industry that has successfully replaced traditional chromate conversion coating with a trivalent chromium-based cycle is Kromoss, one of Italy’s largest and longer-standing specialists in the coating of aluminium profiles. As part of this process, which began in 2016 and was gradually fine-tuned up to today’s results, Kromoss has chosen to start an exclusive partnership with SurTec Italia, which supplies it with a fluorozirconate product containing Chromium 3+ called SurTec 650 Chromital® TCP, which is Qualicoat and GSB certified and has excellent corrosion resistance properties.

A thirty-year history at the top of the aluminium industry

© ipcm

For thirty years now, Kromoss has been successfully treating profiles and powder-coated aluminium sheets, providing the metal architecture sector with a service at the highest level of quality, reliability, and efficiency.

From top to bottom: - Kromoss is one of Italy’s largest and longest-standing specialists in the coating of aluminium profiles.

- A press for producing effects on aluminium profiles using sublimation technology.

- A series of special-effect finishes on aluminium sheets and profiles.

© ipcm

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SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Headquartered in Aielli (L’Aquila, Italy), in the heart of the Marsica

“Only through serious partnerships with its suppliers can a business

region, this company has a 45,000 m2-wide facility devoted to the

seek solutions and synergies – in a word, it can face the market

painting of profiles and the application of special wood-effect finishes

competitively. “Two years ago, we chose to strongly reduce the number

with both powder-on-powder and sublimation technology, as well as

of our suppliers, opting for a few but highly qualified partners. This

the production of metal sheets in various sizes.

approach has given us positive results, enabling us to overcome the

The division dedicated to pre-painted aluminium rolled products is

problems related to price and supply fluctuations. On the pre-treatment

equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including a flattening and

side, we have been relying on SurTec Italia as our supplier since 2016,

cutting line, which guarantees great production flexibility and excellent

when it was still Italtecno1: we renewed our commercial agreements in

bending and forming performance. Kromoss’ finishing departments

2020 and we are in the process of renewing them again. We are very

have two coating lines, i.e. a vertical one for profiles up to 7.20 m in

satisfied with our collaboration with SurTec in terms of technology,

length and a compact, horizontal one for sheets up to 6 m in length

because it has allowed us to eliminate our chromate treatments

and 1.5 m in height.

without sacrificing product performance and, above all, to simplify bath

Currently managed by Federico Piccone, the Kromoss group also

management and water treatment operations, but also in terms of the

includes Kopen, a company manufacturing entrance doors with

excellent service they provide. We also chose to set up partnerships for

sophisticated design and excellent performance that are suitable

the purchase of powder coatings – with Akzo for RAL colours, metallic

for both residential and commercial buildings, and a firm producing

finishes, and sublimation bases and with Europolveri and Pulverit

aluminium windows.

for wood-effect decorations with powder-on-powder technology, a

“Over the last three years, made complex and troubled for the industry

field in which these two Italian companies boast great expertise and

by the pandemic, then by the lack of raw materials and the logistical

experience. The main aims of these partnerships, especially with regard

difficulties, and more recently by the rising energy costs and the fallout

to paints, are to avoid to stock large quantities and to shorten delivery

from the sanctions against Russia, partnerships have proved of greater

times.”

significance than ever,” states Federico Piccone while explaining the industrial choices of Kromoss.

“Green Chemistry and Customer Service: The Birth of SurTec Italia” in ipcm® Vol XII, no. 70 July-August 2021, pp. 22-24

1

© ipcm

The pre-treatment area of Kromoss’ vertical coating plant.

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© ipcm

Powder application on aluminium bars up to 7.20 m in length within the automated booth.

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

© ipcm

Overview of the Kromoss profile coating area.

Kromoss: aluminium coaters and decorators

proper pre-treatment, neither of these technologies, let alone powder

Powder-on-powder decoration represents excellence in wood-effect

coating with RAL colours, could give the quality results our customers

aluminium finishing because it can faithfully imitate wood both visually

expect and are accustomed to.”

and tactilely with high, clean, and realistic definition. Sublimation, on the other hand, guarantees maximum outdoor resistance thanks to

Pre-treatment as the key to coating quality

the exclusive use of Class 2 polyester powders. “Although Kromoss

Kromoss uses a Qualicoat Seaside certified pre-treatment process that

is still more of a coater than a decorator of aluminium, wood-effect

does not only improve surface cleanliness, but also increases adhesion

decorations account for a significant share of our turnover in terms

of the paint film to the metal substrate. Applied to the aluminium

of volumes, close to 50 per cent out of about 60 tonnes of extruded

profile coating and decorating field, this is the ideal pre-treatment cycle

aluminium treated per day over 3 shifts, with an average of 80 colour

for profiles exposed to highly industrialised areas, urban environments,

changes every day,” indicates Piccone. “This is why we have invested in

and seaside areas, due to its ability to limit the aggressive action of

both decoration technologies, with two sublimation transfer machines

atmospheric agents. It consists of a chemical process including alkaline

and two powder-on-powder deposition machines. However, without

degreasing and acid pickling on the aluminium profiles’ surfaces, aimed

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

at providing greater protection

sublimation powders have a

against filiform corrosion.

high transparent content, so

“On our vertical system, the

the colour left by hexavalent

pre-treatment process begins

chromium greatly affected the

with mechanical brushing of

final aesthetic result, precisely

profiles, followed by degreasing,

because the tone of the wood-

deoxidation, and passivation,”

like effect tended to turn yellow.”

explains Emilio Morgante, quality

“With a deposition layer of 0.06-

laboratory manager at Kromoss.

0.12 g/m2, SurTec 650 guarantees

“We actually use the same SurTec

excellent corrosion protection on

product, specifically SurTec

both coated (aluminium, alloys,

650 Chromital® TCP, on both

but also zamak) and uncoated

the vertical system for profiles

materials,” says Ernesto Zizi,

and the horizontal system for

SurTec’s local seller for Central

sheets. The only difference lies

Italy. “It is an easy-to-handle

in the degreasing phase, which

product for both spray and

is alkaline/acidic for profiles (to

immersion treatments. It gives excellent flexibility and bending

meet the Seaside standards) and acid-only for sheets.”

In detail, the pre-treatment cycle includes as follows: • Custom alkaline degreasing

results on sheets, which are

© ipcm

Emilio Morgante from Kromoss (left) with Ernesto Zizi from SurTec Italia and an employee from Kromoss.

post-formed and therefore need coatings with good mechanical properties. It also achieves excellent results in chemical

with Itaclean KR • 2 rinses with mains water

tests and it guarantees 1000-hours resistance in acetic salt spray

• Customised acid deoxidation with Itadox KR (on profiles only)

environments.”

• 2 rinses with mains water • 1 rinse with demineralised water

Sustainability in water treatment too

• Passivation with SurTec 650

“Another major advantage we have obtained with this product is the

• 1 rinse with demineralised water

reduction of the workload on our water treatment plant,” indicates

• Drying.

Morgante. “Designed and installed by CIE (San Zenone al Lambro, Italy), this chemical-physical plant, which collects and treats both coating lines’

“While replacing chromate conversion coating with this new product

pre-treatment water, was revamped a few years ago with the addition

based on trivalent chromium, we have managed to retain excellent

of a second treatment line to improve fluoride removal. Now, with

anti-corrosion performance, since its effectiveness is fully comparable

the elimination of CrVI, not only have we eliminated the use of certain

to that of CrVI, but at the same time we have solved many problems,

water treatment products, such as sodium bisulphite, thus simplifying

including those related to bath management and water treatment,”

the cycle and increasing process safety, but we have also decreased

notes Morgante. “Moreover, the fact that the conversion layer

the workload of the demineralisation plant. It now requires one resin

deposited by SurTec 650 Chromital® TCP is practically colourless, as

regeneration per month, whereas a weekly regeneration was required

opposed to the iridescent yellow left by CrVI, forces us to carry out

with chromate treatments. Since we began using SurTec 650, this water

much more thorough quality controls. Such absence of colouring

treatment plant has allowed us to discharge to surface water in full

even solved an issue we had with our wood-effect decoration process:

compliance with regional parameters.”

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VISIT US ·Xylexpo 12-15 0ctober 2022 Milan

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Emotive Finishes on Bioclimatic Pergolas to Experience New Outdoor Spaces in Contact with Nature: The Path of AMA Industries Gabriele Lazzari ipcm®

AMA Industries has chosen to reposition itself on the aluminium awnings and pergolas market with its Collezione Nove, a range of products that it designs, builds, and coats entirely in-house and that it promotes in the high-end market segment as a tool to create an intimate, relaxed environment in close contact with nature.

Finishing quality is key to convey these sensations. Therefore, the company has chosen to insource these products’ coating process, relying on Euroimpianti, Gema Europe, and Pulverit to develop suitable technologies to meet the quality requirements of its target market.

Iconic is the exclusive bioclimatic pergola with slats adjustable from 0° to 120°, designed by Anna Fendi and Christian Grande for AMA Industries’ Collezione Nove. It was conceived to offer the most advanced functionality, the best performance level, and the most original style.

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© AMA industries

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FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

© ipcm

Overview of the Komby semi-automatic coating system supplied by Euroimpianti.

“L

iving more in touch with nature is the dream of many people:

namely Collezione Nove, conceived exclusively by designers Anna

we tried to realise it.” This is how Anna Fendi, a fashion

Fendi and Christian Grande. This is a family of pergolas with excellent

designer with a foot in interior design, presented the launch

mechanical performance, power, and stability. Their structures’

of Collezione Nove, the first range of pergolas designed, produced,

shape easily adapts to different styles: simple and classic, modern

and marketed by AMA Industries (Legnago, Verona, Italy). Since 2001,

and particular, outside the box. “A new way of experiencing space,

this company has been a benchmark in the design and production of

through emotions,” says Christian Grande emphasising the lightness,

awnings, aluminium pergolas, and bioclimatic pergolas marketed under

transparency, and brightness of the Collezione Nove pergolas, designed

third-party brands, putting its expertise at the service of customers,

to create new spaces to live in and new spaces for the soul.

which it supports in every phase of product design. Technological

Indeed, an important feature of these products is their finish: the

innovation, style, and design merge with AMA’s experience to turn

post-machining powder coating technology used leaves no room for

every idea into a project and every project into a successful product:

imperfections, creating impeccable chromatic effects that are destined

functional, aesthetically refined, respectful of the environment, and

to last over time. In order to obtain such painting quality, AMA Industries

intended to last over time.

– totally lacking in knowledge and experience related to coating, as

As repeatedly addressed by ipcm® in our “The Marketing Corner”

it had always relied on contractors for finishing its products – chose

section, brand identity is becoming increasingly important in helping

to insource the powder coating of the extrusions and accessories

companies differentiate themselves from competitors and better

necessary for the construction of the Collezione Nove pergolas. It

position themselves in their target markets. This is precisely the reason

found in Euroimpianti a reliable partner capable not only of providing

why, in 2020, AMA Industries chose to strengthen its corporate and

an extremely flexible and easy-to-use semi-automatic system, but also

brand identity by launching a business growth strategy that included,

willing to train AMA’s staff to master its coating cycle and achieve its

among other things, the launch of its first range of high-end products,

quality objectives.

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Plant structure Komby, Euroimpianti’s semi-automatic modular system installed at the premises of AMA, consists of a multi-metal spray pretreatment area with six cleaning stations, a drying oven, a powder coating booth contained in a clean room, a curing oven, a cooling zone, and an unloading station. The plant is completed by a one-rail overhead conveyor with two double overhead cranes operating in the pre-treatment area. The whole line could be easily modified and expanded with additional modules, should AMA wish to expand its production capacity.

As for the powder application equipment, AMA relied on Gema for the supply of automatic guns and a feeding system with Venturi injectors, whereas the range of 45 colours for the matt or wrinkled finishes of

© ipcm

the Collezione Nove pergolas was custom The loading area and, behind it, the curing oven made of sound-absorbing and heat-insulating EcoFusion panels.

designed by Pulverit. Thanks to the Komby plant and advice received from its industrial partners, the Verona-based company can now give its aluminium profiles the desired aesthetic and corrosion resistance properties, as well as having reduced logistics costs while repositioning itself in the market as the ideal choice for those seeking high-quality outdoor products.

AMA Industries’ growth strategy With Collezione Nove, the firm has chosen to focus on the elegance of details, the uniqueness of design, and the quality of sustainable materials, abandoning the use of plastic components and investing in increasing its know-how and verticalising its production process – which included insourcing coating among the processes it performs. “For two years now, we have been developing an industrial expansion plan that includes a more solid brand identity strategy: in addition to a high degree of ease of use and practicality, our brand products also offer © ipcm

a high aesthetic value. For example, for our 1/ The pre-treatment area. Its six treatment stations and the two double overhead cranes are clearly visible.

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9.1 Iconic bioclimatic pergola for outdoor use,

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

© ipcm

Components inside the clean room created by Euroimpianti to contain the coating area and thus increase the quality of finishes.

we have designed the Baia Blu colour, a shade that

the whole country and we are planning to expand

creates a reassuring atmosphere connected with the

outside the Italian borders as well.”

sky and the surrounding nature. Clearly, the quality states Filippo Fabbi, the CEO of AMA.

From an artisan workshop to a smart, interconnected factory

The AMA plant, which covers an area of over 15,000

For every project, after an initial phase of study,

of finishes is essential to convey these sensations,”

m , includes a specialised tailor’s shop, automatic

research, and design of the required awnings and

cutting and machining lines, a robotic warehouse

pergolas, the company acquires the necessary

for the storage of fabrics and aluminium profiles,

extruded aluminium profiles, manufactured

and, for some time, a coating department capable of

externally but with its own matrices and based

meeting any product customisation need according

on its directions. The profiles are taken from the

to AMA designers’ directions.

robotic warehouse to the machining area, where the

“AMA has always been ready to support its

machine scans them and automatically activates the

customers, using its technologies to design and

production processes required for every type of end

produce awnings and pergolas tailored to their

product, such as cutting and milling. Then, they are

requests. Now, we can take advantage of such an

pre-treated to remove any oils and contaminants,

extensive expertise. We have invested 4 million

coated on the Komby system provided by

Euros to optimise our moulds, add 63 new extrusion

Euroimpianti, assembled, packaged, and shipped.

matrices to customise our products, and install a

“The concepts of Industry 4.0 have proven crucial

powder coating system. In fact, our growth strategy is

for us, because we have moved from artisanal

already showing results: previously only active in the

production to connected and smart production. As

Veneto, Lombardy, and Emilia regions, now we serve

a result, we pursued a strategy of de-personalising

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SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

our processes and invested in the development of a management system for both the tailor’s shop and the aluminium profiles’ treatment departments. By means of the QR codes matched with individual parts, our machines can implement the required type of processing without the operator having to set it and they provide all the necessary information very quickly.

This also allows us to intervene in the event of any anomalies and carry out preventive maintenance,” explains Fabbi.

Pre-treatment and coating: the importance of corrosion resistance After machining, the profiles are subjected to pre-treatment with both alkaline and acid attack, as per the Qualicoat Seaside standard.

“This phase is very important in order not

© ipcm

The powder application area equipped with Gema’s powder centre and automatic guns.

only to remove oils and machining residues, but also to give our parts excellent adhesion and corrosion resistance properties, as some profiles are intended for awnings and pergolas installed in marine environments, where aluminium’s resistance to filiform corrosion is crucial,” notes Fabbi.

Euroimpianti’s semi-automatic Komby plant performs a multi-metal spray pre-treatment operation on six cleaning stations connected to two double overhead cranes, one for the first three cleaning chambers and the other for the following three and the drying oven. Each station performs two stages and each stage can include one or more cycles depending on the pre-treatment recipe. The first chamber contains a bath with a pH-10 alkaline product at 50 °C for degreasing the profiles. Then, the components move to the second stage, which involves two rinses with mains water. The third one includes an acid attack in a very aggressive pH-1 bath at 50 °C and a rinse with mains water. The fourth stage includes two further rinses with

© ipcm

mains water, whereas the fifth one includes Coated profiles exiting the spray paint booth before curing.

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one rinse with recirculated demineralised

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

water and one with pure demineralised water. The sixth and last stage involves passivation with a no-rinse nanotechnology product.

The pre-treatment area is followed by a storage zone to better manage logistics and part handling. After drying in a hot-air recirculation oven, the pre-treated profiles reach the coating booth in the clean room, made up of sound-absorbing and heatinsulating EcoFusion panels that make the work environment more comfortable, via a one-rail conveyor designed to be easily modified and expanded in future, should AMA decide to add new spray paint booths or further pre-treatment stages.

The coating booth has a size of 8x2x2 metres and it can handle four load bars with a maximum load capacity of 500 kilograms

© ipcm

each per hour.

The plant control PLC.

Although the majority of AMA’s production consists of aluminium profiles, the coating plant is also suitable for treating iron components and sheet metal. The entrance to the booth features a station for manual pre-finishing, while the booth is equipped with six Gema OptiGun GA03 automatic guns per side, fed by the Powder Centre OptiCenter OC08 to ensure quick colour change operations.

“It is very important that the powder is delivered in a uniform way, to avoid excessive consumption and achieve the excellent aesthetics level that distinguishes our products on the market. In addition, we specifically requested a quick colour change system, as we use an average of five different tints per shift,” notes Fabbi.

The colour collection of the Collezione Nove range was customised by Pulverit according to the specific requirements of AMA and in collaboration with designers Fendi and Grande. It includes Qualicoat class 1 and 2 polyester powders, mainly in the range of whites, greys, and browns.

© ipcm

Coated parts in the curing oven.

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© AMA industries

The finishes and colours of Collezione Nove, including the special Baia Blu tint of the 1/9.1 Iconic pergola, were developed in collaboration with Pulverit (Milan).

Cooperation and flexibility

the volume of profiles to be coated, which would have required

The choice of the pre-treatment and coating equipment was the

excessively slow and costly logistics.

result of the continuous cooperation among AMA, Pulverit, Gema, and

Therefore, the company also invested in expanding its workforce and

Euroimpianti. “We had no direct experience in finishing aluminium

improving its knowledge in this field. “We trained our staff with the

profiles, so we relied on the partners we had chosen for this project.

help of Euroimpianti and we now have a team entirely dedicated to the

Initially we were afraid of the potential difficulties we could encounter,

pre-treatment and coating of products. Moreover, the Komby plant

but they were all very helpful and flexible: they listened to our needs,

features a simple and user-friendly technology, which has enabled us to

provided us with the most suitable solutions to our requirements,

increase both production volumes and coating quality while achieving

and even supported us with advice on how to improve the efficiency

the aesthetic properties specified by our designers. We had considered

of production processes. For example, they suggested optimising the

two other suppliers, but Euroimpianti was the company that could

arrangement of parts on the load bars and decreasing the degree of

guarantee the fastest and most accurate installation. We are currently

inclination in order to achieve even higher coating quality,” says Fabbi.

working in two shifts and process up to 64 load bars per day, but we

Previously, as mentioned, AMA relied on a third-party coating service,

are getting ready to work in three shifts in order to fully utilise the

but the implementation of the company’s growth strategy also increased

plant,” Fabbi says with satisfaction.

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HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

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From a Family-Owned Business to an International Supplier of Pre-Treatment Products: Cooperation and Partnerships as Corporate Pillars Interview with Nils Monreal and Stephan Zegers Alufinish GmbH & Co. KG – Andernach (Germany)

Cooperation, global partnerships, and flexibility: these are the key elements that allowed the German developer of surface treatment products Alufinish to succeed in its field. During the celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of its foundation, we interviewed the managing directors Nils Monreal and Stephan Zegers to better understand the growth strategy of the company.

A

nniversaries are a joyful time and are also a good moment to

anniversary. In the last issue of this magazine, we dedicated an article

reflect on both the past and the future.

to the company’s history.

This is especially true for the foundation anniversary of

So, this time we have visited their site to interview Nils Monreal – the son-in-law of one of the original founders – and Stephan Zegers,

to provide an overview on the past accomplishments as well as to

the managing directors of Alufinish GmbH & Co. KG. They provided

plan for the future. Alufinish GmbH, a developer and manufacturer of

interesting insights into the strategies that ensured the success of

chemical pre-treatment products and processes for aluminium, steel

Alufinish, the current developments of the surface treatment industry

and zinc surfaces based in Andernach (Germany), is celebrating its 50th

and the future trends that the company foresees.

© Alufinish

companies, that can transform the celebration into an opportunity

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HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH Your Leaders in Zero Liquid Discharge How do you feel when thinking about the 50th

but the core of our services has remained the same,”

anniversary of Alufinish? Do you consider it a

clarified Zegers.

very important landmark?

“The expectations of our customers have become

“It makes you feel old,” jokes Stephan Zegers, the

increasingly higher, so we acted accordingly. When

first who started to answer to our questions. “But

we started the operations, we delivered the products

seriously, I think it’s a great achievement for a

by bike”, remembers Monreal. “Nowadays we

privately-owned company, which is quite rare these

have a global network of suppliers and we ship all

days. The founder Otmar Monreal understood that

over the world, so we now obviously rely on more

the pre-treatment of metal surfaces needed quality

sophisticated logistics processes. But our corporate

products and processes, because this sector offers

mission and, therefore, our services are the same: to

a lot of opportunities for several industries. So, fifty

provide the best and high-performing solutions for

years ago he entered this niche market and tried to

the quality pre-treatment of metal surfaces.”

Industrial Wastewater Treatment

provide the best solutions available at that time. The celebration of this anniversary means that his actions

However, we guess both you and the industry

and vision have been successful. I am very proud of

as well have faced several obstacles and

that.”

challenges. How has Alufinish overcome them?

Zegers: “There have been undoubtedly some

What do you consider to be the company’s

difficulties, such as the 2008 global economic crisis

greatest successes over the past 50 years?

or the recent increase in the price of raw materials

“Our company has established its success on several

and their shortages, but our two corporate pillars

small activities that ensured its growth over the

have allowed us to overcome them. First, we decided

course of fifty years. We started as a small family-

to differentiate our production and offer solutions

owned business that manufactured standardised

for several sectors. When the automotive market

products through standardised processes and, over

dropped down, we focused more on architecture-

time, we innovated and grew bigger and bigger until

related services, as we were also specialised in

we reached the global diffusion and the production

processes for aluminium facades with ENVIROX NR.

capacities of today,” continued Zegers.

Second, we have also valued the human capital as

“There is not a single key success, although we

the most important resource of our company. The

are very proud of our achievements such as the

greatest challenge we have ever faced is to create

improvements in the quality of the products,

a successful team and retain it. Thus, we have been

their carbon footprint, and our efficient and

able to optimise our pipeline. The communication

environmentally friendly production processes. Our

and the data flow between the teams is excellent and

greatest success is then a combination of all the

the production stages are perfectly interconnected,

activities that allowed us to become what we are

so every aspect of them is carefully planned and

today,” added Nils Monreal.

executed: from the development and design phase to the production, from the quality control to the

Both the world and the industry of surface

post-sales assistance. This does not only include

treatments have changed a lot since the

our personnel at the Andernach site, but also our

foundation of Alufinish. How have your services

suppliers as well.”

changed over the past fifty years?

Monreal: “Or we should say, partners. Answering to

“They have not, that is another important aspect. Let

the new requests of the clients quickly and efficiently

me explain better: we have been able to anticipate

is very difficult, so we rely on a global network of

the evolution of the market, we innovated and

partners that distribute our products but also help

modified our production processes, we improved

us to stay in contact with the customers, to listen

our internal organisation and adapted the business

to them and act promptly as soon as they need

to the new emerging customers’ needs and requests,

our help. Just supplying products is not enough

Simple Principle

Effective Result Leading companies rely on vacuum distillation systems for the sustainable treatment of industrial wastewater.

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Visit us at IFAT Munich!

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SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

© Alufinish

Stephan Zegers (left) and Nils Monreal.

to succeed in the market, you should also

its market in new areas of the world, as

by our partners, they believe in our activities

interact with the customers, understand their

aluminium can be a very useful material

and products as the best solutions to treat

processes and develop together the most

for several sustainable applications. For a

surfaces and excel. We listen to both our

suitable solutions.”

company operating in the pre-treatment

partners and final clients, so we are able to

“Let me add something here. Mr. Monreal

industry, the key for a successful industrial

improve the processes involved and save

rightfully said that we really value the efforts of

expansion will be to identify what will be

costs for everyone. The core value we stand

our team. As a matter of fact, we also focus on

included in the surface treatment sectors in

for is that we are more than just a supplier,

improving the know-how of everyone involved.

the next years: there might be new bio-based

we are the partner you can trustfully rely on:

When, for instance, a technician is planning

raw materials, new packaging solutions, new

service-orientated, flexible and adaptable. It is

to retire, we will have them flank a younger

process technologies. It will be important

a big responsibility, so cooperation is the key.”

operator not just for a couple of months,

to stay up-to-date with the evolutions. In

but for years. We want to provide a natural

addition, also energy efficiency and the

Finally, can you introduce our readers to

overflow of competences. In this way, also the

recycling rate (second and even third usage of

the latest developments of Alufinish?

customers find themselves comfortable with

materials) will likely play a very important role.”

Monreal: “We are focused on environmentally

the new staff of Alufinish. The same happens

Zegers: The sector needs also to find efficient

friendly chrome-free and boron-free products

with our partners. We have been working

ways to handle procurement and shipping,

based on titanium and zirconium, suitable

together for several years, we share valuable

in order to have positive effects on the entire

not only for aluminium but also for steel and

information and knowledge and we keep

carbon footprint. To do so, it is important to

hot dip-galvanised surfaces, as well as on

updating each other. Different countries have

develop successful business relationships

new and optimised handling and cleaning

different laws, regulations, materials, climate,

with suppliers and all the other partners.

properties. We are also working to help our

temperature and water quality. Obviously, a

Creating a trustworthy network can help to

clients on the anodising site to improve their

single product developer cannot know them

better manage all the aspect of the business

etching processes with our additives that

all, so cooperation is extremely important,”

operations. From the procurement of raw

ensure better drainage and low foaming, and

explained Zegers.

materials to the shipment of the products and

we increased our efforts on sealing products

the post-sales assistance”.

that are more environmentally friendly: nickel-, cobalt- and heavy metal-free systems. Since

We talked about the past, now let’s focus on the future: how do you think the

That is why Alufinish motto is “Build on

2018, we started a partnership with a supplier

aluminium surface treatment sector will

Trust”, isn’t it?

for a full range of organic dyes, from those

change in the next 5 to 10 years?

Zegers: “That is correct. If we build the future

dyes many are also heavy metal free.”

Monreal: “This is a very interesting question.

together, we can successfully face all its

I think that the aluminium sector will expand

challenges. We really value the trust given

50

N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

AXALTA COATING SYSTEMS

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© ipcm

The continuous-flow powder coating plant for aluminium coils.

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

AluCoating Chose Catalytic IR Technology to Speed up Powder Coating on Aluminium Coils Monica Fumagalli ipcm®

Making a coil coating line more compact through the most advanced plant innovations: AluCoating, a company specialising in the powder coating of aluminium coils, has chosen the catalytic IR technology developed by Infragas Srl to speed up its process without over-expanding its plant.

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FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

I

n the coil coating industry, where the volumes of materials to be

A compact coil coating line

processed are extremely high, line speed is simply crucial. In order

AluCoating’s production department is equipped with a modern

to understand its importance within a production cycle, exactly one

continuous-flow plant for powder coating aluminium coils and a line for

year after our previous meeting1, we returned to visit AluCoating Srl

roll flattening and cutting the end products into different formats.

in Corzano (Brescia, Italy), which was among the first companies to

This compact line carries out the following treatment process:

specialise in the powder coating of aluminium coils.

• levelling by means of a 17-roller sextuple machine;

“We coat our coils at a speed of 7 m/min, but we aim at increasing it

• surface cleaning by spray pre-treatment with alkaline and acidic

even further,” states AluCoating owner, Paolo Di Massimo. “However,

products to prepare the coils for further processing;

one of the bottlenecks we encounter is related to the drying phase

• conversion by a chem-coater with the application of no-rinse

needed after pre-treatment and to the powder coating’s curing phase:

chromium-free products (fluotitanation and fluozirconation);

the size of the oven that would be required to accommodate our

• electrostatic application of powder coatings specially developed for

production speed is not acceptable for the space we have available.

post-bending processes;

This has prompted us to look for a solution that would guarantee very

• powder curing by gas catalytic infrared irradiation;

fast drying and curing phases without expanding the length of our line

• application of a UV-resistant clear or white/black self-adhesive film

with the installation of large-sized ovens. Eventually, we found it in the

to protect the coated surfaces during subsequent processing and

catalytic infrared panels manufactured by Infragas Srl (Mappano, Turin,

installation phases.

Italy), capable of optimising the heat treatment of powder-coated coils.”

“From the earliest processing stages to the latest ones, when we prepare our pre-coated coils for shipment to customers,” emphasises 1

https://www.ipcm.it/en/open/ipcm/2021/69/52-58.aspx

Di Massimo, “each station is designed to minimise the equipment’s

© ipcm

The movable platform with the two Gema booths.

international PAINT&COATING magazine - MAY/JUNE 2022 - N. 75

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SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

footprint while maintaining maximum process efficiency.

From the pre-treatment system onwards, we have tried to keep our line compact and effective by doubling the number of rinses for more effective cleaning operations.

In fact, we carry out an initial cleaning phase followed by two rinses to remove grease residues, an acid cleaning phase to remove surface oxides remaining on surfaces after lamination, two further rinses (one with mains water and the other with demineralised water), and the final conversion stage using a chem-coater. The waste water is filtered and recirculated by the closed-loop water © ipcm

treatment system and the sludge disposed of every three months.”

Comparison between liquid and powder coating processes “As already mentioned during your visit last year,” adds Di Massimo, “the shift from liquid coil coating to powder coating, which has been the trend of the last few years, is still in full swing. At the same time, new powder application and curing systems are being developed that do not compromise the compact design of coil coating plants with the integration of oversized heat treatment systems.”

The drying phase of liquid paint applied to coils is very different from that of powder paint. “In the case of liquid coatings,” explains Di Massimo, “air flow and air pressure parameters can be adjusted in order to achieve optimal © ipcm

heat exchange with drying times of up to 30 seconds, precisely thanks to the higher temperatures. With powder, on the other hand, a higher airflow might remove a part of the applied coating, as it is a very volatile product; in this case, therefore, the two parameters must be set to lower values, although this leads to longer process times.

This is why we looked for a solution that would allow the fastest heat transfer to the top of coils – and we found it in Infragas’ IR catalytic panels. We installed them both in the drying station after pre-treatment, where they operate at temperatures of 70 °C, and in the curing station, where they operate at temperatures of 240 °C for a cycle time of 2 ½ min in a 20 m long oven.”

From top to bottom: The set of dispensers in operation, the nitrogen generator module and the powder centre, the curing oven.

© ipcm

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N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

The two IR technology stations The two stations with IR technology, therefore, were installed for drying the treated coils after conversion with the chemcoater and for curing them after powder application, as Di Massimo indicates: “After conversion and before the application of the first layer of paint, the coils are dried using IR technology; after powder coating application and before curing, the second Infragas system helps us significantly reduce our drying and curing times.”

“The devices installed at AluCoating’s premises,” says Francesca Marabotti, marketing manager at Infragas, “belong to our Boostercat 25K series, representing the enhanced (Booster) model of Infragas’ catalytic IR panel family, characterised by a built-in ventilation system located on the back of the burner. In other words, these catalytic infrared gas panels are complete with rear flanges connected to the air inlet pipes on the back of the machine, in order to © ipcm

enhance gas oxidation and combine the infrared effect with the convective effect.

The infrared panels positioned after the entrance to the curing oven.

eosmarketing.it

A L UMI N IUM

vertical and horizontal plants

over 60 years of experience in surface finishing lines

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pre-treatment | spray applications | electroplating | vertical & horizontal plants | enameling | aluminium | white goods | automotive | general industry

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

The power density of the Boostercat devices is 30 kW/m2 and the maximum surface temperature is 650 °C.” One of the advantages of installing these panels is the uniformity of the heat treatment carried out on the coils’ surfaces. “We have equipped the

Technical specifications of the BOOSTERCAT 25K system with rear flanges Dimensions: 492 x 1841 x 311 mm Electricity consumption for pre-heating: 1210 W

panels with three gas inlets in order to expand

Supply voltage for pre-heating: 230 V

the inlet capacity and make the radiating area

Pre-heating control: type K thermocouple, 2 m long cable

of all sides of the coils as uniform as possible,”

Pre-heating time: 10’

adds Marabotti. “Powder coating is ideal for

Wattage: 25.0 kW max – 15.0 kW min

this technology, because the organic material

Natural gas pressure: 20 – 8 mbar (200 – 80 mmH2O; 2 – 0.8 kPa)

absorbs infrared rays very well. A further benefit

Natural gas consumption: 2.5 m3/h max – 1.5 m3/h min

is that, with catalytic IR technology, the coils do

Propane pressure: 37 – 15 mbar (370 – 150 mmH2O; 3.7 – 1.5 kPa)

not overheat and they can be subjected to final

Propane consumption: 1.87 kg/h max – 1.12 kg/h min

rolling immediately after curing, without the need to wait for them to cool down.”

Energy benefits The ability of catalytic technology not to heat the air and to concentrate its action on the workpiece means that no energy is wasted. “One of the most important requirements of recent times is precisely that of energy consumption,” states Marabotti. “Infrared technology actually represents an optimisation of metal heat treatment.”

“During pre-curing,” confirms Di Massimo, “it also has the advantage of ‘locking’ the powder onto the surfaces, thus preventing contamination between coils – an aspect not to be underestimated, in an industry that is becoming increasingly demanding in terms of thicknesses and surface quality.”

Recently, the IR system by Infragas has been upgraded with Radiant High Temperature gas burners to further speed up the coils’ curing phase. “They are pre-mixed infrared systems that reach a surface temperature of 950 °C and have a power density 10 times higher than that of catalytic panels, which have 30 kW/m2 power compared to RHT burners’ 180 kW/m2. This solution requires several trials in order to find the perfect balance of the heating parameters, but with sustained speeds such as those of AluCoating and considering that the coil coating industry is always aiming at maximum line speeds, it could be the ideal solution.”

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N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

© ipcm

From the left: Alessia Venturi, Ivan Verzella (Infragas), Paolo di Massimo (AluCoating), Francesca Marabotti (Infragas), Pino G. Martella, owner and president of Ventcor Systems, one of the most reliable painting systems manufacturer, located in Toronto (Canada), with his son, and Maria Contrini (AluCoating).

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HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

The COOL POWDER Coatings will be Displayed at the Next Fuorisalone 2022 Enrico Dall’Igna ST Powder Coatings SpA – Montecchio Maggiore (Vicenza), Italy enrico.dalligna@stpowdercoatings.com

ST Powder Coatings will display the COOL POWDER coatings’ series at Fuorisalone 2022 from 6 to 12 June as part of the Urban Matter(s) collective exhibition, curated by Materially.

T

he studies conducted by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panelon

This is also the path chosen by ST Powder Coatings, a company

Climate Change) have clearly and unambiguously established that

specializing in the powder coatings manufacturing, which will display its

the reduction of CO2 emissions (as envisaged by the Kyoto protocol)

COOL POWDER series developed with a sustainable approach during

is a mandatory path to ensure a liveable world for future generations.

the next Fuorisalone in the Urban Matter(s) collective. Urban Matter(s) -

Manufacturing companies are the first to be called up on to implement

Material Reduction for a Lighter City is the concept as well as the name

new production processes and/or use new materials that allow a

of the collective exhibition curated for the next Milano Design Week by

reduction in the energy consumed, and therefore a reduction in the

Materially, a social enterprise that helps companies in the development

amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere, a sign of responsibility and

and promotion of sustainable innovation starting from materials, and of

respect for the environment.

which ST Powder Coatings is an exhibitor partner.

© ST Powder Coatings

© ST Powder Coatings

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N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

Interior of the ST Powder Coatings plant.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

POWDER COATING

Color-on-Demand

The COOL POWDER’s features The powder coatings of the COOL POWDER series are distinguished by a curing temperature starting from 140 °C, while maintaining excellent mechanical properties and, for polyesters, excellent resistance to weathering and UV radiation.

The reduction of the polymerization temperature brings with it three advantages: • Economic: professional powder coaters can reduce the consumption of electricity or gas needed to bring the powder coating to complete hardening; • Environmental: reducing consumption means reducing CO2

emissions;

• Technical: coating of very thick items, with a high thermal mass, which can hardly reach 180 °C in the oven.

The above-mentioned properties do not negatively impact on the performances of this powder coatings’ series. Its excellent outdoor performances are summarized in the graph, which shows the gloss retention of several RAL tones in the accelerated aging test. Its mechanical properties also fully meet the traditional market standards.

The “Energy Transition” at Fuorisalone “We have chosen to represent our commitment to the research and development of eco-sustainable products through the composition of a mosaic of coated metal sheets. An immersive cascade of colours arranged to simulate a thermal trace, from top to bottom, a metaphor for the decrease in temperature, made visible through the transition of the tones of which the setting is composed, with their progressive

Maximum flexibility – any color, any time Nordson’s Color-on-Demand® powder coating system provides automated ultra-fast contamination-free color change. It enables efficient production management, minimizes work-in-progress by dynamically adapting to production requirements.

The system can accommodate up to 28 colors at one time for more color changes per shift, higher throughput, and just-in-time manufacturing for zero inventory and improved production efficiency.

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The gloss retention of several RAL tones in the accelerated aging test.

ics.eu@nordson.com www.nordson.com/powder

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

cooling”, says the company.

Thanks to the COOL POWDER series the ST Powder Coatings’ energy transition will be displayed at the Urban Matter(s) exhibition from 6 to 12 of June at the SuperStudio Più in via Tortona 27 in Milan.

About ST Powder Coatings The ST Powder Coatings group operates in the chemical industry by producing a wide range of powder coatings, in polyester, epoxy-polyester, epoxy, polyurethane and silicone systems, also offering accessory products, complementary to them, such as sprays and customizable color charts. © ST Powder Coatings

Founded in 2004, the group has grown considerably and is now present with its own commercial network throughout the European Union, to which it exports about 50% of its turnover, which in 2021 exceeded 40 million euros.

The group’s strategy aims to combine its organic growth, through the strengthening of its brand, and external growth, through targeted mergers and acquisitions. Headquartered in Italy, in Montecchio Maggiore (VI), the ST Powder Coatings group now has two production sites (one in Italy and one in Spain), and a distribution network in 20 countries of the European Union.

All company structures are involved at various levels in the perspective of Lean Production, an effective system

© ST Powder Coatings

that has created a unique standard of work to ensure quality at every stage of the product production and distribution process, and to achieve a single common goal: excellence.

The curing temperature of COOL POWDER coatings starts from 140 °C. The mosaic of coated sheets that visually represents the energy transition. © ST Powder Coatings

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N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

COOL POWDER coatings have excellent resistance to weathering and UV radiation.

Protection upgraded

Specialità chimiche per il trattamento delle superfici Lavaggio Industriale

Pretrattamento metalli alla verniciatura

Lavaggio di precisione

Processi di conversione esenti

Sgrassanti interoperazionali

Cromo e Fosfati

Miscele di tensioattivi

Fosfatanti a bassa temperatura

Protezione temporanea

Passivanti per acciaio zincato a caldo Passivazione conduttiva su Alluminio TCP

Galvanica Funzionale

Galvanica Decorativa

Zinco e leghe di zinco

Rame, Nichel e Cromo

Passivanti e Sigillanti

Deposizione su plastica (POP)

Rivestimenti resistenti all'usura

Stagno e leghe di Stagno

Pretrattamento

Pretrattamento

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FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

With its New Powder Application System, Anoxidall has Achieved Greater Transfer Efficiency, Faster Cycle Times, and 15% Lower Powder Consumption in the Aluminium Profile Coating Sector Gabriele Lazzari ipcm®

Anoxidall has always been characterised by its innovative drive and will to research into new processes and equipment to ensure excellent finishes. The most recent investment it made in its paint shop was a Gema MagicCylinder EquiFlow booth with a powder feeding unit featuring OptiSpray AP01 pumps with SIT-Smart Inline Technology, which has enabled it to optimise its material and resource consumption, environmental impact, and load bars speed.

© Anoxidall

The showroom of Anoxidall S.p.A. (San Vito al Tagliamento, Pordenone, Italy).

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N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

© Anoxidall

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

D

ifferentiating its services and production

© ipcm

processes is a recommended strategy for a company to remain competitive in

its market and avert the most negative effects of any crises that might hit its sector. Anoxidall has more than seventy years’ experience in the field of aluminium surface treatments: currently, it is capable of offering a wide variety of processes, from coating to anodising, polishing, and grinding of sheet metal. Over the years, it has implemented new processes and upgraded its anodising, electro-colouring, and coating plants, while also starting to sell aluminium profiles for the construction and architectural sectors in order to offer different services and meet all its self-imposed requirements for providing excellent finishes.

Already familiar with the reliability and quality of Gema’s equipment and solutions, in December 2021 Anoxidall installed a MagicCylinder EquiFlow coating booth with an OptiCenter powder centre and OptiSpray AP01 pumps

The immersion pre-treatment tanks.

with SIT-Smart Inline Technology, with the aim of further improving its production. In just five months, it has already noticed a clear reduction

© ipcm

in its powder consumption and an increase in its finishing quality degree.

Seventy years of experience and continuous advancement Anoxidall S.p.A. (San Vito al Tagliamento, Pordenone, Italy) was founded by Umberto Re in 1967. It currently specialises in the contract surface treatment of aluminium profiles and components and the direct sale of a wide range of aluminium products and building systems, manufactured in-house or by other brands.

It employs around 80 people and its 17,000 m2-wide factory (which includes the production site, the sales offices with a showroom, and the consignment warehouse with raw and finished products ready for delivery) houses both its anodising plants and the pre-treatment and coating line that features the Gema booth.

Anoxidall also offers additional services such

The anodising plant for aluminium profiles.

as polishing, satin finishing, grinding, matrix design, pre- and after-sales technical assistance,

international PAINT&COATING magazine - MAY/JUNE 2022 - N. 75

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SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

product packaging, and delivery. In order to always guarantee the highest quality and efficiency for designers, architects, and door and window fitters, it combines more than seventy years of know-how and experience with technology 4.0.

“I approached the window and door fitting profession in the 1950s and I even spent three years in Switzerland to further my skills. Then, I decided to set up my first carpentry company in Fossalta di Portogruaro (Venice, Italy), because the maritime market was developing around the resorts of Bibione and Lignano Sabbiadoro and the entire region was offering many prospects for growth. In 1958, when I was only twenty-three, I already had twenty-five employees,” says Umberto Re, who is still the president of Anoxidall today. “In those years, one of my partners and I also started producing the first windows and doors in aluminium – although at the time the glazing beads were © ipcm

still made of iron – because we realised that it The loading area of the Gema Europe coating booth.

would be the material of the future.” However, Re noticed that his own business had a logistical issue: outsourcing the anodising of windows and doors required a lot of time and effort. This is why he established Anoxidall.

Initially, its factory was located in Fiume Veneto (Pordenone) and only housed an entirely manual anodising plant. “Lorries were unloaded by hand because there were no forklifts, and the process tanks were still made of concrete.

When immersing the basket manually, one had to time the operation because there was no other way to control the process,” Re fondly recalls. Still, the decision to invest in aluminium anodising proved to be a winning one and it allowed Anoxidall to expand, by adding two additional anodising plants linked to an overhead crane in its new 10,000 m2-wide building in San Vito al Tagliamento, opened in 1974. Such expansion continued with the implementation of a further anodising plant and an electro-colouring one supplied by Italtecno. “We have been experimenting for

© ipcm

Aluminium profiles entering the MagicCylinder EquiFlow booth.

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N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

almost ten years to optimise our anodising

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

process and be able to continue to meet the increasingly severe requirements we had imposed on ourselves. In order to cope with the growth in our production volumes, we installed two more systems for electro-colouring with selenium and copper. In addition, we have never stopped upgrading our existing systems, so that they could always guarantee maximum performance,” adds Roberto Re, the son of Umberto and Anoxidall’s vice-president.

Powder coating as a new growth opportunity Anoxidall’s growth came to a temporary halt in the 1990s due to the crisis in the architectural sector. This was the reason why it decided to further differentiate its services, by having a powder coating plant with a static oven installed in its original Fiume Veneto building.

© ipcm

A cloud of powder envelops the workpieces inside the booth.

Later, in 2002, this was left in order to expand

© eosmarketing

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SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

© ipcm

© ipcm

From left to right: - OptiSpray AP01 pumps with SIT-Smart Inline Technology.

- Gema’s powder centre.

- The coating booth’s control panel.

the San Vito al Tagliamento one, which was equipped with a horizontal

possible to replace this chemical pre-treatment with a treatment called

powder coating plant with a Gema application system fed with Venturi

FLASH (5-6 micron anodic oxidation without fixing), suitable for marine

technology. “That investment has enabled us to enormously increase our

environments or where there is the possibility of a high and aggressive

production flow: the old system took an hour and a half to change colour,

corrosion of the material. After one of these processes, the two-rail

the new one only five minutes. This enabled us to carry out as many as

conveyor designed by Conveyors Nord S.p.A. takes the horizontally-

fifteen colour changes per shift and start working in three shifts per day.

hanged workpieces to the MagicCylinder EquiFlow booth, where six

We would have liked to install more application booths, but unfortunately,

OptiGun automatic guns per side apply the powder coatings in the several

we did not have enough space available in our plant,” explains Roberto Re.

colours that make up Anoxidall’s offer, thanks to the rapid colour change

However, investments and innovations did not stop. In December 2021,

managed by the automatic powder centre.

Anoxidall replaced the line’s application system with newer Gema devices,

“The MagicCylinder booth (diameter of 2,500 mm) is made entirely of

including the OptiSpray AP01 pumps with SIT-Smart Inline Technology.

a sandwich plastic structure. Its circular conformation combined with

“The previous Gema booth had been definitely helpful in increasing the

EquiFlow technology provides the highest quality among the rapid colour

volume of our coated parts, but at that point we wanted to optimise the

change systems. EquiFlow technology ensures intelligent air distribution

entire process even more. Therefore, we decided to take advantage of

by creating perfectly balanced suction. Three suction slits on the bottom

the incentives offered in Italy for Industry 4.0-related investments and

of the booth ensure excellent powder containment and gentle ventilation

upgrade the whole plant. As we were pleased with the cooperation with

in the manual application area. An extremely uniform air flow creates

Gema Europe – that started in 2000 – we turned to them again and, after

the ideal conditions for perfect control of the application process and

a needs analysis phase, they presented us with their new application

for obtaining excellent coating results. It also avoids accumulations of

technology: the MagicCylinder EquiFlow booth,” explains Roberto Re.

powder on the bottom and its adhesion to the walls, thus allowing the

The MagicCylinder EquiFlow booth

operator to perform a quick internal cleaning process during the colour change phase. This also improves the overall healthiness of the working

The painting cycle begins with a chemical immersion pre-treatment in

environment,” notes Pier Paolo Gentilini, sales engineer at Tecnospray

nine stages (one alkaline degreasing, one washing stage with mains water,

S.r.l. – the official Gema distributor for Friuli Venezia Giulia and part of

one acid deoxidation, another stage with mains water, two rinses with

the Veneto region (Treviso and Venice provinces) – who will take care of

demineralised water, one passivation phase, one further rinsing with

technical assistance and spare parts. The heart of the coating lies in the

demineralised water and oven drying) with SurTec products to meet

twelve guns inside the booth, designed to ensure high transfer efficiency,

Qualicoat Seaside AA Chrome Free quality standards. However, it is

uniform application of the powder and perfect penetration into any

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N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

© ipcm

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type of piece. The gun, thanks to the drop-shaped body made with low-friction materials, cleans itself automatically and is immediately ready for a new use. This is essential in order not to slow down the production of Anoxidall, which calls for up to seven colour changes per shift.

15% powder saving “We had planned to install the booth during the Christmas break, but in that period we were lacking some essential operators due to Covid.

Fortunately, however, we still managed to complete the installation and start production by the end of 2021,” says Re. Anoxidall’s new plant is in operation twenty-four hours a day and it is capable of applying an average of 450 kg of powder per day on 150 load bars. In just three and a half hours, raw products are pre-treated, coated, cured at 180 °C,

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packaged, and stored.

The first result achieved with this investment has been greater uniformity in the thickness applied, which has also translated into further time optimisation, as the company’s previous system required an operator to manually adjust the speed at which the profiles were moved, depending on the batch, in order to allow the powder coating to be applied correctly. “Sometimes manual retouching was still necessary, whereas in other cases as much as 40 microns more than our standards were applied. Now, the speed is pre-set at 2,10 mt./min.,

1 OPERATOR REQUIRED EUROPEAN ASSISTANCE

and between 80 and 90 microns of powder coating are applied on all profiles. The MagicControl 4.0 touch-screen control and management panel allows to connect and control all the components of the booth and to monitor and manage the adjustments of the application

info@Lesta.it

www.Lesta.it

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

parameters (powder flow, voltage, current, etc.). Within

© ipcm

the panel, we have created and stored various coating programmes, which can be recalled according to the profile to be painted. In this way it is possible to have a correct repetition of the powder application operations. It is very user-friendly and easy to use, so much so that even our operators have praised it.”

The resulting higher transfer efficiency has enabled the company to save about 15 per cent powder coating per month. “The line speed could also be increased without affecting coating efficiency, but Anoxidall is not equipped with any storage buffer after the booth, therefore the curing oven can fully satisfy the current production rates, but in the future it will have to be enlarged in order to increase the company’s production capacity,” indicates Gentilini. As well as increasing coating quality, production time, and savings, Anoxidall has also lowered its environmental impact: the

© ipcm

MagicCylinder booth has a high recovery efficiency, thus generating less waste of powder, that is conveyed to the final filter. The company currently disposes of one 1,000-kg big bag less per month compared with the previous system.

Future prospects “We have been working in three shifts, including Saturdays, for more than nine years: this means that we use large quantities of powders and that our system is always in operation. Although we only installed it five months ago, we are going to see a return on our investment very soon. In general, our company has always stood out for its innovative drive and, over the years, it has changed, replaced, and updated numerous plants and processes; for example, we are considering replacing the flooring throughout our factory. The Magic System equipment are easily configurable

© ipcm

in terms of size, volume of air sucked in, and number of guns and manual touch-up stations, so they fit perfectly into our philosophy. Moreover, as Gentilini has rightly pointed out, our coating process is now perfect, but the oven should be improved as well. Indeed, in the short to medium term, we plan to work on this aspect and also to further expand our paint shop,” states Roberto Re.

The unloading area of Gema Europe’s MagicCylinder EquiFlow booth.

Aluminium profiles exiting the curing oven.

Anoxidall’s founder and current president Umberto Re with his son Roberto.

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N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

SISTEMA COMBINATO PER LA PULIZIA DELLE SUPERFICI E VERNICIATURA CON AZOTO

Combined system for surface preparation and painting

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INNOVATIONS: PRESENT&FUTURE

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Fluoride Removal with FLUORIDITE Edited by ALIT Technologies Srl San Bonifacio (VR) – Italy

M

info@alit-tech.com

any production fields have the technical need to use

A standard purification cycle, based mainly on an acidification phase

particular chemical formulations with high concentrations

(when necessary) followed by a neutralisation phase with lime, is very

of specific elements. For some specialised sectors in the

often not sufficient to achieve such low concentrations of fluorides,

surface treatment of steel, glass, and aluminium, for example, the use

even with considerable dwell times in the line.

of products with high fluoride concentrations is unavoidable.

In order to provide a truly effective solution to this problem without

Fluoride is the monoatomic anion of the fluorine atom. Due to their

necessarily having to intervene at the plant engineering level, ALIT has

high mordanting capacity and their affinity with metals (above all

developed FLUORIDITE, a liquid product that can be used directly on

aluminium and iron) and silica, its salts are key constituents of many

existing waste water treatment systems.

surface finishing products.

For example, in a three-tank purification line with a final sedimentation

However, there exist legal limits for the concentration of fluorides in

tank, a typical process involves adding FLUORIDITE in a concentration

surface and sewage water, which vary from country to country. For

of 500 to 3000 ppm in the first tank, where the acid and possibly

instance, in Italy, except for some stricter local regulations, the limit is

alkaline rinsing water and concentrates are conveyed. In the second

12 ppm for sewage and 6 ppm for shallow discharge.

tank, neutralisation with lime water to about pH 8 takes place. In the

In the specific sector of aluminium coating, however, the continuous

third and last tank, once the anionic polyelectrolyte has been added,

demand for higher productivity and pre-treatment quality has led to an

flocculation occurs.

increase in the use of chemicals, also resulting in critical issue in terms

The treated water then reaches the final sedimentation tank, where

of waste water management.

suspended sludge falls to the bottom and is then sent to the filter press

© ALIT Technologies

FLUORIDITE POLYELECTROLYTE

RINSE WATER

LIME/CHARCOAL

ALKALINE CONC. ACID CONC.

pH

pH

SEDIMENTATION TANK

DRAIN T3

T2

T1

FILTER PRESS Figure 1: Key elements of a standard purification process.

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INNOVATIONS: PRESENT&FUTURE

© ALIT Technologies

The key elements of a standard purification

Case Study n. 1: Discharge of water into the sewerage system

process are showed in the Figure 1.

Working on an eight-hour shift, a company located

to be collected, while clarified water is discharged.

FLUORIDITE at a glance

in Northern Italy coats around 15 tonnes of aluminium per day.

This system has been developed to decrease the

Its pre-treatment line performs three stages,

concentration of fluorides in waste water below

namely alkaline treatment, acid treatment, and non-

the legal threshold.

chromium passivation.

Its very high efficiency allows easily using it also

The purification plant must treat approximately

in already-existing systems, without changing

7 m3/h of water from the cleaning operations.

the plant layout or the waste water circuit.

In the first tank, where the acid and alkaline rinsing

Once installed, with a few simple adjustments

water and concentrates are conveyed, FLUORIDITE

it guarantees discharge concentrations values

is dosed at a concentration of approximately 800

below 2 ppm. The use of such a reliable fluoride

ppm. This is followed by neutralisation with lime to

suppressor, therefore, mitigates all the production

a pH value of 8 and by a flocculation phase.

problems caused by the limitations in the use

Thanks to FLUORIDITE, the clarified water to be

of products containing hydrofluoric acid and its

discharged maintains safe values of around 9 ppm

derivatives.

of fluorides, below the limit of 12 ppm of fluorides imposed by law for discharge into the sewage system.

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Table 1: Complete analysis of the waste water generated over a working week.

DATE

FLUORIDES (<12 ppm)

TOTAL PHOSPHORUS (<10 ppm)

SULPHATES (<1000 ppm)

ALUMINIUM (<1 ppm)

pH (5.5-9.5)

CONDUCTIVITY (mS/cm)

29 Nov

8.7

<2

491

0.155

7.2

2.55

30 Nov

11.2

<2

536

0.326

7.3

2.52

1 Dec

10.5

<2

482

0.115

8.1

2.66

2 Dec

6.5

<2

312

0.043

7.8

1.28

3 Dec

9.5

<2

396

0.069

7.5

1.55

Table 1 shows a complete analysis of the waste water generated over a

The waste water treatment line collects water from both plants,

working week.

with a total volume of 6 m3/h. Given the 6-ppm limit, the dosage of FLUORIDITE is about 3500 ppm, necessary to achieve a fluoride content

Case Study n. 2 Surface water discharge

of about 4-4.5 ppm in the discharge water.

FLUORIDITE product can be used directly in existing waste water

The object of this second case study is another Italian company,

treatment systems, often achieving excellent results in terms of fluoride

active in the coating of aluminium profiles and sheets, which needs

removal without requiring any major plant engineering changes.

to discharge to surface water and not into the sewage system and, therefore, has to comply with a fluoride limit of 6 ppm instead of 12.

This firm, which processes around 60 tonnes of aluminium per day in three eight-hour shifts, is equipped with two surface pre-treatment lines. The first one performs a degreasing/acid deoxidation phase and a non-chromium passivation phase. The second line performs three stages, namely alkaline degreasing, acid deoxidation, and nonchromium passivation.

© ALIT Technologies

Scan or click the QR Code to know more about FLUORIDITE

© ALIT Technologies

The depuration tanks.

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© Adobe Stock

INNOVATIONS: PRESENT&FUTURE

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Axalta Coating Systems Introduces a New Series of Anticorrosion Solutions for Every Possible Requirement edited by ipcm®

Sustainability, cost, life cycle, and material efficiency – these are all issues our industry must face now to be future-ready. Whitin the sustainability issue, the fight against corrosion plays a fundamental role because it affects the durability of assets: this means costs for maintenance or premature replacement of the asset.

According to the WCO (World Corrosion Organization), corrosion accounts for 3.4% of global gross domestic product. Axalta Coating Systems anticorrosion technologies portfolio has been recently updated with a bunch of new anticorrosion solutions for every possible requirement.

C

orrosion is an electrochemical process that consists of cathodic

• the specific environment and type of corrosion your project will

and anodic reactions produced by electrons and ionic diffusion.

encounter;

A proper and accurate surface pre-treatment and applying a

• the metallic substrate in scope;

first-rate, optimised anti-corrosion system extends the life of coated

• the surface pre-treatment used;

surfaces.

• the coating product selected.

Axalta’s coating technologies inhibit at least one of these reactions.

With a comprehensive thermoplastic, thermosetting and electrocoating

The cathodic reaction is halted or reduced because the coating acts

technologies portfolio to choose from, Axalta is well equipped to match

as a barrier; it markedly reduces the diffusion of the elements involved

your project to the best coating. These technologies empower you to

in the corrosion process (H2O, O2). At the same time, Axalta coating

combat the maximum range of corrosion challenges in every climate.

inhibiting anodic reaction. Consequently, no electrochemical action or

The importance to identify the substrate

electrons are generated.

Where powder coating is concerned, substrates are divided into

Efficient corrosion protection is intrinsically linked to four main factors:

degassing substrates and non-degassing substrates. Substrate

technologies maintain strong adhesion and prevention migration,

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INNOVATIONS: PRESENT&FUTURE

identification is crucial and depends on the substrate’s nature or

industry stakeholders were given a sneak preview of the latest ground-

design. And often, both need to be carefully considered in advance.

breaking additions to the Axalta range of anticorrosion solutions. These include:

Non-degassing substrates

• Alesta® ZeroZinc Uniprime – a universal primer that enables the use of

• Steel with low carbon content

a single primer for any substrate;

• Alloyed steel

• Abcite® 2060 - a single-layer anticorrosion solution that can be applied

• Zinc electroplating

with flame spray technology;

• Sendzimir

• AquaEC™ 3500 EP- the latest generation of cathodic tin-free

• Aluminium

electrodeposition coatings which offers superior corrosion protection performance for sharp edges;

Substrates prone to outgassing

• Plascoat® PPA 742 primer - a single layer thermoplastic that can be

• Cast Iron

used as primer and is specifically designed to be overcoated with Alesta®

• Hot dip galvanised steel

topcoat.

• Zn or ZnAl metallised steel

These latest product arrivals build on the success of its existing anticorrosion product portfolio, which comprises a full suite of solutions

During the curing process, substrates prone to degassing may cause

across its Abcite®, Plascoat®, Alesta® ZeroZinc, and AquaEC™ ranges,

surface defects. For that reason, adapted coating is required to

to accommodate an increasingly specific variety of anticorrosion

counteract the effect of these substrates. Another critical element

requirements.

to consider is sharp edges. These tend to be particularly vulnerable

Pascal Nicard, Senior Global Technology Manager at Axalta, commented:

to corrosion and require custom coating to prevent degradation.

“This announcement is a pivotal moment within the anticorrosion

Standard surface treatment and coating does not suffice.

industry. We recognise that customer needs are continuously changing

Axalta Technologies: Thermoplastic - Thermosetting - Liquid

and have developed an environmentally friendly all-in-one anticorrosion offer that can accommodate the requirements of any project, no matter how harsh the environment. Drawing on 150 years of expertise within

Axalta’s innovative technological approach and solid resources

industrial coatings and insights from our global customer base, we are

give it a competitive corrosion protection edge. It stands out for its

the only business that can provide the full range of protection through

powder coating treatments uniquely produced with thermoplastic,

our portfolio of thermoplastic, thermosetting and liquid anticorrosion

thermosetting and electrocoat technologies. These technologies

solutions, which offer full compliance from an international regulatory

provide the customer’s project with the best corrosion protection

standpoint.”

solution based on its unique circumstances.

Those in attendance were introduced to Axalta’s full suite of digital tools

Thermoplastic and thermosetting applications are powder coatings

and educational resources aimed at providing the clearest and simplest

with distinct properties that derive from the chemical and physical

route to optimal surface coating results. By providing customers with

performance of the material while Axalta’s high-performance

the full range of information on the technical aspects of Axalta’s product

electrocoats are designed to provide reliable mechanical strength

range, Axalta is making the process of identifying and implementing the

and superior corrosion protection. Every product is also water-

best possible solutions as streamlined as possible.

based, making them environmentally friendly and more sustainable.

Pascal Nicard continued: “Our goal is to partner with our customers

At the same time, they’ve been formulated to ensure superior

throughout the entirety of their anticorrosion journey, helping them to

performance across a wide variety of substrates, including hot-rolled

navigate their way to exceptional surface coating by equipping them

steel, cold-rolled steel galvanised steel, aluminium, and magnesium.

with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed. We believe in

Axalta also supplies a diverse mix of e-coat formulations, including

making this journey as straightforward as possible and are committed to

lead-free and tin-free products, low VOC and HAPS-free systems, as

supporting customers through a combination of educational materials,

well as formulations with unique benefits such as improved edge

training programmes, and dedicated technical support. In doing so, we

protection, low-temperature bake capability, and improved throwing

empower them to apply products in a way that maximises productivity,

power.

efficiency, and quality. The event also highlighted the importance of

Last April Axalta kicked off a European roadshow to announce new

sustainability within the context of anticorrosion. An increased focus

additions to its all-in-one anticorrosion portfolio. The first leg of this

on the environment has played a significant role in the design of this

European roadshow at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in the French

latest range of anticorrosion solutions, all of which are ISO 12944-6/9

city of Lyon, where a select group of customers, journalists and

accredited and provide exceptional performance and aesthetics without

international PAINT&COATING magazine - MAY/JUNE 2022 - N. 75

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SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

the use of solvent materials”.

metal structures on site, in most weather conditions and easily repair

Pascal Nicard concluded: “The importance of meeting the sustainability

unplanned damage without dismantling the structure.

requirements of the market cannot be overstated and we believe

Abcite® 2060 possesses exceptional anticorrosion performance: this

our solutions can play an integral part in the preservation of the

1-layer system is certified CX for extreme corrosive environments in

planet and its resources by extending the life of surfaces in a range of

accordance with the ISO 12944-6/-9 standard for galvanized and grit-

demanding environments. Providing greater levels of surface protection

blasted steel.

is more cost-effective and efficient for our customers in the long term, eliminating the costly requirement for materials to be replaced.

Applications

Effective anticorrosion coatings must not come at the expense of the

• Corrosion protection in highly corrosive marine, agricultural and

environment, which is why our solutions offer full compliance with

industrial environments;

environmental regulations across the globe, giving customers peace

• Pipes, bridges, metal structures, water-proofing, offshore installations.

of mind from both a performance and environmental compliance perspective.”

Typical coating thickness: 400μm-3000 μm

Let’s have a deeper look into Axalta’s new additions to its all-in-one anticorrosion portfolio.

Key features and benefits • Application in situ with no need for a coating line

Abcite 2060 ®

• Specially designed for large structures

The Flame Spray Technology is the only system which can apply powders

• Outstanding corrosion protection and best in class for salt

on site and with no need for a coating line. It involves depositing semi-

• Excellent resistance to alkaline and acid chemical attacks

molten polymer particles onto a heated surface, a process whereby heat

• Impermeable barrier, even in case of permanent immersion or

causes the particles to flow and fuse into a complete cohesive polymer

condensation

coating. Abcite 2060 has been specially designed for this coating

• Performance unchanged by UV exposure and weathering

technology, combining the exceptional anticorrosion and mechanical

• Service temperature from -60°C to 75°C

performance of Abcite with the simplicity of use and mobility of the

• Tough and flexible for high impact and abrasion resistance

Flame Spray Coating technology.

• No primer, self-adhering mono layer

By using Abcite® 2060, the end-user will be able to protect large

• Excellent edge and corner coverage BPA, VOC and halogen free.

®

®

©Axalta

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AquaEC™ 3500 EP AquaEC™ 3500 EP is the latest generation of cathodic tin-free electrodeposition coatings from Axalta.

This new product shows superior corrosion protection performance at sharp edges.

Customers benefit from a highly efficient system due to a low dry film density. On top, the modular mixing concept allows to customize the optimum cost solution whilst maintaining the performance.

The product does not contain organic tin compounds and is compliant with REACh regulations. The new e-coat technology offers an energy saving potential due to its full cure even at a baking

www.cmautomazione.it

hi-tech

INNOVATIONS: PRESENT&FUTURE

conveyors

temperature of 150°C and has excellent chemical and corrosion resistance in combination with very good mechanical properties and adhesion on various substrates.

Manufacturers in many sectors are looking for solutions that will improve performance and meet increasingly complex market demands that reflect different substrates, parts designs, and pretreatment options. The technology behind the new AquaEC™ 3500 EP is specifically formulated to meet those requirements.

Market segments • Automotive parts and accessories • Agriculture and construction equipment • General industry • Industrial job coaters.

Key features and benefits • Excellent edge corrosion protection • Free of tin and toxic heavy metals • Low curing temperature • Robust operation window • Superior corrosion protection performance • Stable UF flux rate • REACh and Haps compliant.

Plascoat® PPA 742 primer Plascoat® PPA 742 is a single layer thermoplastic that can be used as primer and is specifically designed to be overcoated with Alesta® topcoat. Even for parts with strong differential of thermal mass or with sharp edges Plascoat® PPA 742 will bring optimal protection.

Key features and benefits: • Improved edge covering • Excellent compatibility with Alesta® topcoat • Excellent intercoat adhesion • Strong stability during curing of Alesta® • Good impact and sand abrasion resistance • Excellent adhesion to metallic substrate • Will not crack, chip, flake or fracture.

CM AUTOMAZIONE srl - FA Ganci

Uffici e produzione: Via Monte Bianco 20 - 20833 Giussano (MB) - IT p. +39.0362.314075 - f. +39.0362.861222 - info@cmautomazione.it

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Applications

• Coating areas that are hard to reach

• Urban furniture, fencing, construction, lamposts, metallic structures

• Excellent anti-corrosion performance (to the ISO 12944-6 standard)

• Metal parts with strong differential of thermal mass

• Degassing performance.

• Recommended Coating Thickness: 170-300μm • Appearance Smooth/Glossy – Gloss: 60.

Primer Alesta® ZeroZinc Uniprime: The universal primer - entirely safe

Digital Tools to help the customer choose the perfect solution Axalta has come up with a range of digital tools and resources to keep the customers informed of the latest developments in coating

Products from the Alesta ZeroZinc range are formulated in accordance

technologies and products. That way, end-users can have rapid access to

with the High-Density Crosslinking (HDC) technology and provide a

anti-corrosion-related information that’s always accurate and up to date.

®

solution tailored to every substrate, including degassing metals, and for demanding shapes: expanded metal, perforated sheet steel, sharp

Website

edges.

The website www.axalta.com/anticorrosion provides the customer with

Alesta ZeroZinc Uniprime is THE multi-function primer: it meets the

the latest, accurate information about anti-corrosion facts, tips, advice,

most stringent anti-corrosion requirements, regardless of the shape

products and services. Even better, the website is constantly updated.

and type of the part. It covers the areas that are most difficult to reach.

That means that the end-user can stay on top of the latest anti-corrosion

Owing to its versatility, Alesta ZeroZinc Uniprime enables the use

technology solutions and learn about the latest colours and trends.

®

®

of a single primer, whatever the nature of the substrate (black steel, galvanised steel, metallised steel, aluminium, etc.) offering ease of

Product Selector

application, better stock control and increased productivity.

The user can select and configure its project’s criteria, and Axalta

Owing to these properties, Alesta® ZeroZinc Uniprime is the first-choice

product selector will match it to the system that offers the best

primer which meets the construction (e.g. metal structures, exterior

corrosion protection. The tool provides detailed specifications and

claddings, wrought iron), transport (e.g. chassis, systems), industrial

product information so that the customer can make its decision fully

machinery, agricultural equipment and all those industries which

informed of every product’s pros and cons.

demand high quality, anti-corrosion protection, with all the advantages of a powder paint.

Videos

Alesta ZeroZinc Uniprime, formulated from epoxy resin, is

Axalta website features a library of technical videos, including some

Qualisteelcoat approved and has been designed to meet the following

about powder coating products undergoing various lab tests. That

criteria:

provides the customer with the visual proof it needs to choose a

• Stability and robustness in application (application and oven-baking)

product.

®

©Axalta

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5

O

1972 2022

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Its Paint Supplier’s Quick and Timely Service Sped up the Delivery Time of Alusteel Coating’s Perfectly Pre-Painted, Customised Coils Monica Fumagalli ipcm®

Suppliers considered not as simple partners, but as protagonists of the production process: with this concept in mind, Alusteel Coating has revolutionised its corporate philosophy and included Condoroil Chemical, specialising in the formulation of pre-treatment products and paints for coils, among its long-standing suppliers.

The reasons for this were the quality of its products and above all its precise and rapid service, which has contributed to reducing Alusteel Coating’s delivery times and given it a strategic competitive advantage over the large industrial groups in the sector.

C

needs with very fast production and delivery times and the ability to

interest of many paint suppliers, as it entails treating large

customise and diversify processes and finishes.

volumes of metal workpieces. This market is made up of

This is the case of Alusteel Coating Srl, a company based in Somaglia

multinational companies and industrial groups that handle the largest

(Lodi, Italy) that has been active in the liquid pre-painted metal sector

batches, together with some SMEs capable of responding to customer

since the 1980s.

© Alubel

oil coating is a long-established technology that attracts the

The coils coated by Alusteel Coating Srl have been part of some of the most significant architectural projects of the last few years.

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FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

© Alusteel Coating Srl

The Alusteel Coating headquarters in Somaglia (Lodi).

© ipcm

The warehouse with coils: one of the most recent problems in the sector concerns the procurement of materials.

One of the main problems in the sector last year was the difficulty in

“Moreover, the gradual addition of new managers has led our company

sourcing raw materials: the purchase of large quantities of coils by the

to reassess its mission. The processing of Alusteel products now

major industrial groups created a short circuit in the industry, which

accounts for more than contract coating, whereas aluminium, initially

was no longer able to meet all demands.

considered secondary compared with steel, now accounts for 80% of

“In that particular critical phase, smaller businesses like ours had to

our output. Contract steel processing still accounts for the remaining

quickly find alternatives and look for new suppliers to replace and/or

20%. Such diversification allows us to optimise our production flows, so

join their long-standing ones,” notes Alusteel general manager Alberto

that the line never suffers any downtime.”

Merello.

Alusteel’s coil coating line now produces 10 million m2/year, also

“At that time, it was once again proven that trust between customers

intended for foreign markets. “We have grown from 7% of exported

and suppliers should be gained with facts, by showing up in a timely

products in 2019 to 50%, distributed in particular in European

and professional manner when needed. We have always applied

countries such as France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Poland,

this same principle in the selection of our paint suppliers, to which

Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, and Tunisia, both directly and through our

Condoroil Chemical, a company from Casale Litta (Varese, Italy)

sales subsidiaries,” says Merello.

specialising in the formulation of chemicals, including pre-treatment

Alusteel Coating’s growth story is also reflected in the attention paid to

products and coil paints, was added about two years ago.”

the “factory system” as a whole. “Over the past year, we have invested 2

The growth story of Alusteel Coating

million Euros to equip our factory with new systems aimed at reducing consumption. Such revamping project has obviously also affected our coil coating line. Metal transformation requires a high energy

“Our company began its activity with the contract coating of semi-

consumption, but we have managed to reduce it thanks to a new LED

finished steel products, specialising in the processing of panels

lighting system, a battery of photovoltaic panels that will be installed

for doors, gates, and other building elements. In the 2010s, the

later this year, and the insulation of our factory roof. With this all-

change of management led to a substantial change in our corporate

encompassing project, we are improving in terms of both structure and

structure, as well as a new market approach model. We decided to

sustainability.”

focus on the processing of rolled steel for large industrial groups, such as Marcegaglia, which at the time had not yet implemented its

The “atelier of coated metal”

own production lines, and on the differentiation of our production,

The ability to serve the numerous sectors in which aluminium is in

integrating our contracting services with the processing of Alusteel

demand and a flexible production structure capable of meeting the

Coating-branded products to be offered directly to customers. That

need for small batches of rolled products with customised and special

is how we began to deal with a material that will soon become the

finishes are Alusteel’s trump cards. “The coil coating market has

protagonist of our industry: aluminium. This choice has enabled us

transformed and gradually opened up to new solutions,” states Merello.

to penetrate new sectors besides construction, such as the general

“The construction sector used to dominate it, but now our rolled metal

industry, transport, and automotive ones.

is also in demand in other previously excluded sectors. In fact, in order

international PAINT&COATING magazine - MAY/JUNE 2022 - N. 75

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SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

to stand out from larger groups, we have chosen to work for

© ipcm

niche sectors characterised by small volumes and peculiar requirements.

“We distinguish and differentiate from our competitors especially thanks to our delivery speed, on which we have placed great emphasis, by creating a structure focused on fast painting and delivery times and on the possibility of customising and diversifying our machining processes and finishes according to each request. It is a sort of “atelier of coated metal”, which, by not dealing exclusively with large batches, can quickly customise products with special colours and coatings, while also offering the best chemical resistance performance degree in specific, harsh environments and perfect reaction with the other end customers’ product components, including polyurethane foams, glues, or profiling oils. Our coatings are unlimited and fully customisable and © ipcm

so are our coil machining processes: we are structured to perform customised embossing and cutting, from transverse and longitudinal cuts to coil reduction.”

For its rolled metal, Alusteel uses polyester, super polyester, PVdF, polyamide, and polyurethane coatings.

“Until a few months ago,” notes planner supply chain manager Davide Foglio, “we used mainly PVdF paints. However, the short circuit triggered by the difficulty of procuring raw materials, which has also involved the surface treatment sector, has prompted us to immediately find viable alternatives. In particular, we have chosen super polyester coatings, characterised by very high resistance to sun rays and classified as long-life products due to their excellent resistance to chalking and colour retention over time.

Finally, in addition to standard coating systems, we offer our customers special systems: thanks to the use of a range of

© ipcm

state-of-the-art top coats, our portfolio includes Plastisol, LTF, BeckryTherm, antibacterial, photocatalytic, Lumiflon, and antigraffiti paints.”

From top to bottom: - Alusteel Coating’s coil coating line.

- Alusteel Coating’s coil coating line runs at a speed of 50 m/min.

- In addition to the classic range of RAL colours, the Alusteel Coating portfolio includes finishes with the most particular effects.

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FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

When suppliers and customers become protagonists

way precisely thanks to the joint collaboration of its suppliers and

In both the aluminium and steel sectors, Alusteel can meet any

customers.”

coating specification. As Foglio says, “When the technical requirements are very specific and particular, we carry out a thorough analysis

A constantly upgraded line

and numerous tests: this is why, especially in the design phase, the

Some parts of the coating line, such as the flattening machine, have

paint supplier’s advice can be crucial. If the tests are successful at the

recently been upgraded in order to optimise its operation and bring

customer’s or paint distributor’s premises, we start mass production.

it up to maximum speed with any type of product: the line runs at a

Recently, we have been specialising in wrinkled finishes, given their

speed of 50 m/min. and it handles thicknesses ranging from 0.30 to

success over the last period. Our customers are very impressed by

3 mm, depending on the type of coil. “Our line is operational from

the quality we can deliver on special-effect rolled metal.”

Monday to Saturday for 15 shifts,” confirms Foglio, “but we aim at

In other words, the cooperation of the three main players – the paint

making it active 7 days a week. We produce between 75 and 100

supplier, the coil coater, and the end customer – from the early stages

tonnes/day, or 1500-2000 tonnes/month. This means that we can

of a new project is crucial for Alusteel. “I am convinced that this is

“bypass” the times of our large-sized competitors that prefer to serve

the right direction for the coil coating industry,” says Merello, “that is,

customers with large batches, sacrificing the orders of customers

meeting the needs of customers by involving them in the production

with smaller batches, for which waiting times can sometimes

process. The exchange of know-how is essential and it can even lead

reach 18 weeks. Alusteel, on the other hand, aims at meeting all

to unpredictable results: just think of the previously unthinkable

customer needs equally, with very competitive delivery times. In

substrates that we can paint nowadays, such as copper or stainless

order to continue on this path, however, we require two ingredients:

steel. To do this, however, we need trustworthy and consistent

an adequate and flexible company structure and highly qualified

suppliers. The coil coating processes are constantly evolving and

suppliers that support us even with the most unlikely demands in

Alusteel adapts its production to such changes in the best possible

terms of both product characteristics and finishes. Response speed

SMART SOLUTION FOR POWDER COATING - NOW EVEN MORE POWERFUL. E-Line Plus • Economical entry into automatic coating • Optimized powder recovery with Energy Efficiency Package (EEP) • Easy and fast color change

www.wagner-group.com

• Combination with PXM powder center: Automatic fresh powder supply and integrated system control via 15.6 inch touchscreen

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

and accuracy are the two elements we value most when

© ipcm

choosing and keeping relying on a supplier.”

Condoroil Chemical’s service keeps its promises “We have noticed that many paint manufacturers are looking at our sector with interest, since the volumes we handle are huge,” explains Merello. “However, they must be able to guarantee high performance levels, because any customer complaint could translate into significant losses for a company like ours. Most of our coated coils are intended for façades and, therefore, we need to ensure perfect uniformity of the buildings’ cladding.”

“We have a few long-standing suppliers with whom we collaborate,” emphasises Foglio, “but we are always ready to test new ones. This is how we started a collaboration with Condoroil Chemical, our current supplier of polyester products, with whom we have been working for a couple

© ipcm

of years now and whose excellent commercial service is particularly appreciated in terms of advice quality and response to our requests. We would rather be told that a product cannot be delivered in the time frame we request than receive it late and have to reschedule the processing of a batch – which, on a line like ours, means having to move tonnes of metal. In fact, their consistency is what impressed us most and made them rightfully one of our four trusted suppliers.”

“Our polyester paints,” explains Condoroil laboratory manager Sara Ponti, “meet all the basic technical requirements of a high quality pre-painted product, namely UV, corrosion, and chemical resistance. They can be made in any colour requested by customers and their surface hardness, flexibility, and adhesion characteristics favour the

© Condoroil

forming and bending processes necessary to transform a pre-painted panel into the required end product.

From top to bottom: - Coils painted in different colours, ready for shipment.

- Condoroil’s Paints BU laboratories.

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Our collaboration with Alusteel started with the sampling of their most used colours. Once they had assessed the quality of our range and service, this has then lead to a mutual and profitable exchange relationship for the development of further products: we have already gone from the supply of three types of standard polyesters to eight, with the intention of developing others.”

Foglio points out: “Currently, we are only using their three-coat, smooth finish-effect paints. The four-coat system is very rare and only employed for PVdF finishes.”

A big dream comes true Alusteel Coating’s future projects include the creation of a new coil coating line. “It is our big dream,” states Merello, “and it reflects our willingness to adapt to market developments. A few months ago we expanded our range of finishes on offer up to 1200 shades and we submitted it to our four paint suppliers,

 

because we believe that not only the paints used, but above all the end result must live up to our own and our customers’ expectations. This is why we involve our suppliers and make them feel an active part of our production process. In addition to quality, however, we must guarantee a reliable and fast service – and that is a consequence of the good service provided by our suppliers. Having the same vision and the same approach to the market is what convinces us of the feasibility of working with a partner. That is why we know that our relationship with Condoroil will continue in future, especially in view of the new coating line we want to build.”

© ipcm

Sara Ponti and Paola Zavattoni from Condoroil Chemical with Davide Foglio from Alusteel Coating.





FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

How to Comply with the National Water Discharge Regulations: the Success Story of the Bulgarian Company VIAS Ltd. Francesco Stucchi ipcm®

When we think about waste water treatment (commonly referred to as WWT) we probably recall a process made to purify water in order either to re-use it or to discharge it, of course complying with the environmental regulations related to this aspect.

B

eing used to living and working in a European Community, where most of the rules and standards are common for all countries, what we probably do not know is that every nation

has its own local regulations and limits for water discharge. These vary from one country to another, with some nations having limits which are inexplicably restrictive. Bulgaria is one of these countries.

Let’s see how a Bulgarian company working in the aluminium industry as a supplier of architectural and industrial aluminium has faced the challenge of treating waste water coming from the rinsing stages of the powder coating and anodization lines, choosing a chemical-physical system supplied by Simpec (Milan, Italy), a company specialized in the design, construction, installation and after-sales service of water treatment plants and wastewater treatment plants.

VIAS new vertical powder coating system is currently the biggest one for aluminium profiles in the Balkans.

© VIAS

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About Vias – Fast reaction, premium quality, wide product range

• a second vertical powder coating line, engineered and manufactured

Vias Ltd. is a privately owned company located in Shumen, Bulgaria.

maximum length of the coated profile of 7 m;

Since 2006 Vias is one of the leading European manufacturers of

• a fully automated anodising line by MONTI Engineering with a capacity

PVC profiles for doors and windows. In 2015 the company decided

of 60.000 ampere with a full range of finishes and a brightening

to expand its product scope in order to provide industrial and

process.

architectural aluminium profiles to the market.

To complete the new equipment, Vias chose a chemical-physical waste

Following an extensive project analysis, Vias completed the installation

water treatment system to purify and discharge water coming from

of an extrusion line and a finishing shop, which featured a 7 inc./18

both the anodising and the powder coating lines. For this system Vias

MN front loading press by Presezzi Group; a powder coating system by

has relied on the proved technology offered by the Italian Simpec.

Euroimpianti and a sublimation line by Viv Decoral for the wood-effect

by Euroimpianti, with a capacity of 4 tons profiles per hour and a

Due to the great success of Vias products in the aluminium market, in

Main characteristics of the powder coating and the anodising lines

2021 the company decided to further expand its aluminium business,

Vias’ new vertical powder coating system is currently the biggest

building a new modern factory for aluminium extrusion and finishing,

powder coating line for aluminium profiles in the Balkans.

featuring:

Engineered, manufactured and installed by Euroimpianti (Valeggio sul

• a Presezzi 10 inch / 40 MN extrusion press with maximum extrusion

Mincio, Italy) at the end of 2021, it consists of a cascade pre-treatment

length of 12 m;

tunnel to provide high performances of surface preparation of the

finishing to provide the customers with a complete service.

© Simpec

One of the two closed loop ion resin exchange systems for DI water installed by Simpec. The capacity is 15 m3/h each.

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SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

© Simpec

aluminium profiles, as the solution of water and chemicals runs down on the extruded profiles as a waterfall, thus completely and homogeneously covering the entire surface. The process cycle – which is Qualicoat certified – is made of degreasing, alkaline etching, acid etching and chrome free passivation and the related rinsing stages. After pre-treatment, the profiles travel along a ventilated oven, made of first-class galvanized steel with a section of iron reinforcements, until their surface gets completely dry. Then they proceed to the self-cleaning application booths by GEMA. These booths automatically clean themselves at the touch of a button in less than 5 minutes, which allows to easily and quickly change the used colours. The highly efficient cyclone unit with a diameter of 1500 mm allows to use up to 98% of the powder.

Each booth is equipped with 22 electrostatic automatic guns by GEMA and a powder centre. The powder coating capacity is 4000

General overview of the waste water treatment system (30 m3/h) supplied by Simpec.

kg/h (900 profiles per hour on average).

After application of the powder coatings, the aluminium profiles proceed to an

© Simpec

indirectly heated convection oven for the complete curing of the powder coating film. The natural gas-fired ovens are very energy efficient and provide the optimum environment to cure the powder coatings.

Indirectly heating the oven eliminates the concerns about possible contaminants from the burner and helps providing excellent control over the temperature of the profile within the oven.

Thanks to one of the best available chemical pre-treatment cycles with Alufinish products and the fully automated coating systems of Euroimpianti powered by GEMA equipment Vias can guarantee a perfect finish, with long-lasting paint adhesion, application quality and top-in-class productivity. All the powder paints applied are Qualicoat certified.

The anodising line engineered and installed The double lamellar separator.

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by MONTI Engineering consists of 42 tanks for a maximum length of the profile of 8 meters. It performs 4 different types of inorganic finish: traditional anodising, electrochemical colouring, dye colouring and electro-brightening process.

The final steps of the anodising line are cold and hot sealing.

The whole anodising process employs Alufinish chemicals and produces premium quality appearance and long-lasting corrosion protection. To round off the offer of finishes, Vias has installed three machines by KARMA ITALY for brushing, sand blasting and polishing of the metal surface.

“With such plant equipment we needed a high performance WWT system able to comply with the strict national regulation for water discharge”, says Nina Ivanova, Quality Manager at Vias Ltd. “In Bulgaria industrial activities using process water are subject to very tight limits for water discharge. Probably we have one of the stricter regulations in Europe, in particular for © VIAS

sulphates. That is why we chose to rely on Simpec’s technology to treat the waste water coming from the rinsing stages of both the new vertical powder coating line and the anodising line”.

General view of the Euroimpianti vertical powder coating line chosen by VIAS.

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

© VIAS

The anodizing system supplied by Monti Engineering.

Simpec WWT system: how it works

However, the overall capacity is higher, as the two lamellar separators

“The system we supplied to Vias is a traditional chemical-physical WWT

installed are able to treat 30 m3/h each.

system in automatic mode”, Andrea Bottini, Simpec Export Manager,

“When we started searching for a supplier of a WWT system, our

explains. “The system treats all water coming from the rinsing stages

partners in Italy recommended the company Simpec”, concludes Nina

of both finishing lines – powder coating and anodising. Waters are

Ivanova. “Our goal was to find a company that could install a WWT

collected in an underground pit then pumped in the continuous

system able to comply with Bulgarian strict limits of water discharge,

treatment where we dose several chemicals to precipitate pollutants

but that was also easy to use, with a good price, the best technical

like aluminium salts, and sulphates. Then, these waters go to a double

service, and a low consumption of chemicals. In Simpec we have found

lamellar separator in order to efficiently separate the pollutants

a high-level technical assistance and a very good partner”.

(sludge). At this stage of the process, the clarified water is pumped to

“Simpec’s approach is to provide a traditional solution, avoiding to

the final filtration stage while the resulting sludge is pumped to the

create unnecessary sludges by precipitating non dangerous salt and

thickener; then it is treated by an automatic, high performance filter

avoiding, when possible, to install an evaporator, which is too energy

press where the sludge cake is collected”.

consuming”, Bottini states. “This is what we have offered Vias”.

“The WWT treats also the eluate of the ion exchange equipment”, adds Bottini, as Vias bought from Simpec a double-line type ion resin

Europe leadership

exchange system, one for the vertical powder coating line and one for

With a completely equipped laboratory in order to meet the

the anodising line. Both ion resin exchange systems can produce up

international quality specifications, a very quick time-to-market (3 to 5

to 15 m3/h of DI-water in closed loop to the service of demineralized

working days) and a high production capacity, Vias is one of the leading

rinses. Once one of the two ion resins exchange system is saturated, it

players in the Eastern Europe aluminium markets.

automatically switches to the second system and the eluate is treated.

“With 16 warehouses in Bulgaria and an established trade network in

The WWT is completed by two additional underground pits that store

the whole country, Vias is very strong on the local market as well as on

the concentrates. In Bulgaria it is not easy to find companies able to

the international markets, in particular Germany, Netherlands, Italy,

treat and dispose of the concentrates externally. For this reason, the

France, Canada, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia and

exhausted concentrates are dosed into the WWTP.

Ukraine, accounts for almost 60% of the total sales”.

Simpec WWT system supplied to Vias has a current capacity of 30 m3/h.

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© ST Powder Coatings

INNOVATIONS: PRESENT&FUTURE

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

MICROFREE®: the New Series of Powder Coatings with Antibacterial and Antiviral Properties Edited by ST Powder Coatings SpA Montecchio Maggiore (Vicenza) - Italy

enrico.dalligna@stpowdercoatings.com

ST Powder Coatings launched the revolutionary MICROFREE® series, a new sanitizing powder coatings’ range with antibacterial and antiviral action.

C

onsidering the recent health crisis, which has compromised

is MICROFREE®, the revolutionary series of powder coatings with

modern economic and social contexts, ST Powder Coatings

antibacterial action and MICROFREE® V the series of powder coatings

wanted to engage in the search for an innovative, practical

with antibacterial and antiviral action.

and durable solution to create a series of powder coatings that could

The antibacterial and antiviral properties of the MICROFREE® series are

contribute to the reduction of pathogens on treated surfaces like

activated immediately after coating and occur quickly in a short time,

no other powder coating would have been able to do before: here

continuously and constantly, automatically, without the need for manual

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INNOVATIONS: PRESENT&FUTURE

cleaning or disinfection operations. By reducing

(Good Laboratory Practice) against the following viral

the bacterial and viral load, the risk of infection is

strains:

consequently reduced.

• Human coronavirus (OC43)

The MICROFREE action is permanent on the surface

• Influenza A (H1N1).

of the treated product, helping to improve and

After 24 hours, it was detected a reduction of the viral

support the achievable sanitizing result, in addition

load of more than 95%.

®

to the traditionally recommended good sanitation practices. It is in this context that the innovation

Also, in an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory in

developed by ST Powder Coatings fits: while cleaning

accordance with ISO 21702: 2019 requirements

operations act only in the contact area and on a

against the SARS-CoV-2’s viral strain. After 24 hours,

temporary basis, thus offering a time frame within

it was detected a reduction of the viral load of more

which the infectious risk can rise again between one

than 99%.

cleaning cycle and the next one, MICROFREE®, on the

The surfaces coated with the powder coatings of the

other hand, has a lasting and uninterrupted effect,

MICROFREE® and MICROFREE® V series are particularly

not subject to any decrease or dispersion over time.

suitable for reducing the risk of infection in:

MICROFREE® resists and persists in its antimicrobial

• Medical facilities and equipment

function even after regular cleaning operations

• Kindergartens and schools

that can be performed using the most common

• Door and window handles

hygiene products for the home or for the outdoors,

• Furniture in very busy facilities (airports, stations)

providing antimicrobial properties to objects coated

• Public transport (trains, buses, planes)

with this new series, reliably and for their entire life

• Street furniture

cycle. To guarantee durability over time, even after

• Accessories for shops

weathering, the MICROFREE® products formulated

• Fitness equipment

for exteriors have been subjected to the acceptance

• Lockers (in changing rooms or in companies)

criteria provided for by the GSB standards:

• Control panels, vending machines, ATMs, etc.

MICROFREE® powder coatings are therefore suitable for application on sports equipment, rides and garden games, furnishing elements and support structures.

© ST Powder Coatings

The antibacterial efficacy of the MICROFREE® series has been tested and validated in an external

COMPLETE SOLUTIONS for

ACCREDIA-ILAC accredited laboratory in accordance

HANGING

with the ISO 22196: 2011 requirements against the following bacterial strains:

and

• Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 • Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538

MASKING

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 • Enterococcus hirae ATCC 10541.

Already after 2 hours (120 minutes), it was detected a reduction of the bacterial load of more than 99%.

The antiviral efficacy of the MICROFREE® V series, which integrates and does not replace the antibacterial efficacy characterizing the entire MICROFREE® series, has been tested and validated in an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory in compliance with the requirements of ISO 21702: 2019 and GLP

ST Powder Coatings headquarters in Montecchio Maggiore (Vicenza, Italy).

www.rostirolla.it

© Luxe Coat

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

A Two-Step Transition From Chromate Treatment to a Chromium-Free Cycle on an Aluminium Coil Coating Line Giorgia Ricchiuti ipcm®

Five years ago, its entrepreneurial vision led Luxe Coat, a company specialising in the development and production of aluminium components and pre-coated coils, to start a collaboration with DN Chemicals (Milan, Italy) for the supply of chromium-free pre-treatment chemicals. Recently, continuous research into development and innovation and its ever-vigilant eye on market trends have convinced Luxe Coat to once again rely on the Milan-based company to renew its pre-treatment stage in terms of both process and product used, with a view to greater sustainability, quality, and repeatability.

“R

educing production time and increasing product quality:” this is

experience in the design, development, and production of all types of

the philosophy with which many entrepreneurs aim at growing

aluminium components for façade cladding, in particular pre-coated

their businesses – the same that has helped Luxe Coat Srl

aluminium alloys, interior panels, roller shutters, sealing panels, sectional

in Bazzano (L’Aquila, Italy) establish itself in the pre-coated aluminium

doors, and insect screens.

market over the last five years. Founded by Luxe Perfil (Valencia Spain),

Over the past three years Luxe Coat, which ipcm® visited in 2018 on the

this firm is part of a strong group formed by Alu Cofer (Albacete, Spain),

occasion of its “Aluminium Special” No. 53, has expanded its departments

Luxe Perfil, and Luxe Coat. These three companies have many years of

and increased the number of its employees. “In 2018, there were 12 of

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us: currently, we are a team of 65 people and we are in the process of hiring 20 more,” says Alfredo Calvano, the technical and plant manager of Luxe Coat. “After a few ups and downs, we were able to acquire the entire Bazzano factory at the end of last year and we are now officially the owners of both its buildings and assets,” he adds. “In addition to many organisational changes, we acquired a 60-tonne melting furnace, a non-reversible rolling mill with a production capacity of 60,000 tonnes, and a tension levelling machine capable of detensioning material with thicknesses from 0.2 to 4 mm,” the technical manager indicates.

In 2016, in order to penetrate the Italian and international markets, the company also equipped © ipcm

itself with two coil coating lines, which have recently underwent a revamping process. The first line carries out liquid coating on metal coils with thicknesses between 0.25 and 1.5 mm and the second one is a unique hybrid system performing both liquid and powder coating processes, capable of treating coils up to 3.05 mm thick. As for the pre-treatment phase, Luxe Coat immediately chose a process that would suit both its product quality requirements and the different technical configurations of the two lines.

Thanks to the collaboration with DN Chemicals (Milan, Italy), specialising in the production of chemical products for the treatment of metal surfaces, it was able to implement a pre-treatment phase with chromium-free products, guaranteeing the same cleaning efficiency, corrosion resistance, and paint adhesion properties as traditional chromate

© ipcm

treatments. In 2018, DN Chemicals integrated Luxe Coat’s lines with prototypes of spraying bars for the passivation product used in the last stage of this pretreatment cycle.

From top to bottom: - Overview of the continuous-flow hybrid (liquid + powder) coating line installed at the premises of Luxe Coat in Bazzano, L’Aquila.

- The 60-tonne melting furnace. © ipcm

- One of the two continuous casting casters.

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NEW YORK, US

SOLAR CARVE TOWER

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

© ipcm

The two spraying bars of the nebulization module installed at the chromium-free nanotechnology conversion stage, supplied by DN Chemicals.

These devices offer numerous advantages, including uniform and consistent application of the conversion product, optimisation of the product (always applied fresh and not recirculated), increased © Focchi Spa

corrosion resistance performance, and full control of dosing and mixing parameters.

Recently, Luxe Coat’s strong focus on continuous improvement and

TIGER 075/70258 highest UV stability 4000 hours of weathering zero VOC emissions 96% recovery

on enhancing the corrosion protection action of its chromium-free product have led it to invest in a further upgrade of its coil coating lines’ pre-treatment process. It have thus confirmed its partnership with DN Chemicals, with whom it is now assessing the implementation of a new, advanced pre-treatment product with scalable properties, and it has installed a special device for atomising the surface conversion product, developed in line with the plant’s revamping requirements and the special features of DOLLCOAT TZ 73 and other products under development.

A new pre-treatment method and the importance of sustainability The deep understanding that has characterised the collaboration between the two companies for years has led Luxe Coat to integrate the Soft Rain atomising system into its pre-treatment line in order to achieve consistent pre-treatment quality and minimise waste water consumption and disposal costs. The process installed in spring 2021, therefore, perfectly combines effectiveness, efficiency, and

www.tiger-coatings.com

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

© ipcm

The Soft Rain device’s circuit that feeds the ever-fresh passivation product to the spraying bars.

sustainability: as explained by DN Chemicals sales director André Bernasconi, “We installed this final conversion product atomisation system to avert any kind of pollution issue due to dragging or reaction by-products, thus guaranteeing constant quality, well-defined

WHEN IT HAS TO BE

PERFECT CHOOSE

consumption, and the possibility to use even higher-performance products in the near future. This is the first time in the world that an atomisation module has been installed on a continuous-flow coating line. It has already proved that it can offer the same advantages – in terms of reduced product and water consumption as well as consistent pre-treatment quality without any degradation of the bath’s effectiveness – that it has always offered on conventional coating systems. ” “Replacing chromate treatment with DN Chemicals’ chromium-free process has meant that we no longer have to employ toxic products in our factory, without having to step through the use of trivalent chromium cycles (a path chosen by many aluminium processing companies, Ed.). The inclusion of the atomisation module has further enhanced the sustainability degree of our new pre-treatment process, in line with our goal of greening the company within three years,” explains Alfredo Calvano. “We are increasingly becoming

HIGH

PERFORMANCE POWDER COATINGS

accustomed to associating the term ‘sustainability’ with a corporate context, focusing on the impact companies have on the environment and the well-being of the people who work there,” states Luxe Coat’s technical manager. “In fact, our goal is to become a zero-impact

www.tiger-coatings.com

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

factory – a complex goal, given the heavy machining operations we perform. I am referring to sustainable use of energy, water, and chemicals, with the latter in particular being certainly not easy,” says Alfredo Calvano.

“We would like to soon be running a system wasting less and less drinking water through the recirculation of process water. Of course, pre-treatment greatly influences the ‘workload’ of a water treatment plant, and the fact that our cycle is already chromium-free is a big advantage,” states Luxe Coat’s technical manager.

A successful partnership: the second phase of the pre-treatment process’ innovation © ipcm

“Until two years ago, we used to export 80% of The layout of the nebulization module’s working circuit.

the products we produced,” explains Alfredo Calvano. “For the past two years, thanks to an agreement with company Alluminio di Qualità, to which we have given exclusive sales rights for all our products in Italy, sales have increased by 120% and Italy now accounts for about 30% of our market. Our target sector, on the other hand, remains metal architecture.

This year, we will be exhibiting at the Aluminium trade fair in Düsseldorf, the world’s most important event for the aluminium production and processing sector, which will be held on 27-29 September.”

Luxe Coat is well aware that, in order to best compete with its competitors, it must necessarily and constantly innovate. This is why, together with its partner DN Chemicals, it is already in the process of developing a second innovation. “We are very soon going to replace their final conversion product, Dollcoat TZ 73, with Dollcoat TZ 75, a newly developed product containing activators that guarantee higher conversion weight and higher corrosion protection within the same pre-treatment time,” explains André Bernasconi. “Moreover,

© ipcm

The synoptic table of the coil pre-treatment tunnel, with the detail of the nanotechnology passivation and demineralised water production stages.

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unlike all conversion products that call for pH correction in order to work in the proper acidity range, this one is ready-to-use: it simply

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

has to be diluted to the desired concentration

© ipcm

without any pH correction operation – and the conversion result will be better with all parameters being equal. Finally, in the near future, Luxe Coat’s plant will be able to use the two-component products that are currently at an advanced stage of development.”

A partnership can be considered successful if the two parties are willing to collaborate again for future projects and developments, and this is certainly the case with Luxe Coat and DN Chemicals. “We have been collaborating with this supplier for years now. In addition to offering the best solutions for all our needs, it also acts a true partner that helps us make the right choices and supports our company’s growth,” states Alfredo Calvano.

DN Chemicals placed all devices related to the Soft Rain Avantgard system in a container on board the line.

Say goodbye to masking Overspray-free paint application with EcoPaintJet Revolutionary precision in automatic application brings efficiency to product customization.

Dürr’s solution EcoPaintJet applies sharpedged paint lines on surfaces, pushing the limits for efficient and resource-saving coating: No overspray, no more masking of your product. www.verind.it

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

The First CUBE Plus Installation in the USA: the Successful Choice of International Extrusion Inc. Alessia Venturi ipcm®

To reduce lead time, improve quality and lighten the tasks of the workforce, Michigan-based aluminium manufacturer INTEX installed CUBE Plus, the latest generation of the CUBE powder coating line developed

by SAT – the first installed in the USA.

© INTEX

The CUBE Plus technology installed at INTEX is the first one by SAT in the USA.

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U

nlike in Europe, Middle and Far East, in the United States 60%

“INTEX is committed to employ visionary technology that keeps us

of the aluminium profiles market still accounts for liquid paints.

on the leading edge and Black Widow is a perfect example of our

For powder coatings to become the preferred choice for

unmatched passion to delivering quality to our customers” Nicholas

aluminium finish in the building industry architects and specifiers would

Noecker states.

need to change their viewpoint.

“25 years ago, there was a fire in our factory due to liquid paints. The

“I started to work at INTEX 29 years ago and for 29 years people in

only possible solution was to switch to powders or to deal with a lot of

the field told me: ‘in 10 years liquid paints and the application will

problems of handling the chemicals used in the factory. This transition

completely disappear’. Now approaching 30 years, people in the US

proved to be very good for us as one of the first market to adapt to

keep saying the same thing”, says Nicholas Noecker, INTEX President.

powder coatings was the residential fence market, which accounted

“Nonetheless, I am sure that this future is finally beginning to arrive, and

- and still accounts – for a big part in our production. We became

that application solution like the one provided by SAT will speed up the

immediately committed to powder coating. I haven’t even thought

process even further”.

about going back to liquid. INTEX continues to invest in the best people,

International Extrusion Inc (INTEX) in Garden City, Michigan has installed

in the best technology and in the best equipment available to exceed

the first CUBE Plus powder coating line in the US market by the Italian

our customers’ expectations. To me, SAT CUBE Plus powder coating line

company SAT. Referred to as “Black Widow”, this powder coating line

is one of the best powder coating application technologies currently

is not only nice to look at but also a smart model of efficiency and

available in the world”.

production consistency.

© INTEX

Profiles’ hanging at the loading station of the CUBE Plus system.

international PAINT&COATING magazine - MAY/JUNE 2022 - N. 75

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SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

About INTEX “Since its foundation in 1937, International Extrusions has led the

I chose to shut down all the windows and doors operations and focus

way in high-quality aluminium manufacturing offering a wide range of

on extrusion and painting. INTEX was a very small company at the time,

deliverables in variable extrusion sizes for industrial or commercial

about 5 million dollars in revenue. We battled through the Nineties and

applications.

we really started growing again during the Great Recession in 2008.

In addition, the company also provides fabricated custom extrusions

Transition to powder coating happened in the Nineties.

utilizing the latest CAD-assisted technology and powder coating for

Our team of technicians have over 80 years of experience fabricating

any kind of aluminium product”, Noecker recounts. “Purchased by

quality aluminium extrusion applications for a wide variety of clients

my father in 1949 from the original founder, it soon became involved

worldwide”, states Nicholas Noecker.

with the building trade: they did commercial windows, residential

“Our in-house facilities include a full fabrication plant, CAD-assisted

windows, doors entrances.

precision equipment, and a quality assurance team that’s second to

The fast evolution of the company prompted my father to buy a small

none. In addition, we house a state-of-the-art powder coating facility

extrusion press and to start painting residential products in the 70s.

that can give your aluminium the look and protection it needs to

Over time, the company grew quickly until the early 90s.

remain durable for a lifetime”.

© INTEX

Application of powders with Gema GA03-P automatic spray guns.

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FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

© INTEX

Powder coated profiles before curing.

The Midwest’s premier powder coating specialists “We started looking at different options for a new powder coating line in 2020 and we chose SAT”, says Noecker. “We started a conversation with them in the first 2 months of Covid and we signed the contract to purchase the line a few months after. It was a big leap of faith from our side: considering the pandemic and the international travel situation we could not be sure that SAT would be able to supply the line in a reasonable time. In summer 2021, we started to put the new line into place and we immediately had problems due to Covid. SAT sent over one of their installation teams and the US Immigration sent them back saying they were not “necessary workers”. Despite all the difficulties, SAT did a really good job in finding a way to get over Covid problems and the powder coating line started up the 3rd of January of this year.

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

© INTEX

The unloading station.

Covid, SAT could have ended the installation in only 3 months.

CUBE Plus – the latest generation of the CUBE installation

We chose the CUBE Plus because all the other lines we considered

SAT introduced CUBE, the first vertical powder coating compact line in

buying in the meantime had space requirements that were too large

the world, in 2013. Requiring a small space, and having low operating

for our buildings. SAT proposal convinced us because it was very

costs and a competitive price, CUBE soon turned out to be a game

flexible: it was incredible how they could adapt and reconfigure their

changer in the aluminium powder coating market. Since 2013, CUBE

machine to the available space”.

has continued to evolve with updated process control and supervision

“We currently offer powder coats up to 24.5 ft in length as well as

software to provide advanced automation capabilities. SAT designed

standard and customized colours, indoor and outdoor finishes with

CUBE to be an intelligent system with the addition of modern

an environmentally-friendly application process. Our quality powder

technological components that streamline the aluminium finishing

coating provides a stunning finish to aluminium extrusions, and it can

process in order to achieve the increasing repeatability requirements

protect them from discolouring, UV damage, scuffs, and scratches. We

of the coating industry.

use state-of-the-art equipment to ensure our coatings consistently

Compared to the original line of the cube, the CUBE Plus can run at

cover every inch of your product. We also guarantee long term

a higher speed similar to other vertical standard lines. At the end of

sustainability of the powder-coated product by offering anodizing in

the belts of the loading, there is a table featuring plastic curves which

lineals p to 24 ft. Our range of powder coatings includes clear finishes,

guide the profile up to the vertical position. The pre-treatment tunnel

satin finishes, a wide variety of colours and bright dip finishes”.

has PP tanks for chemicals and PVC walls. The drying and curing oven

It was a two-year process but I am relatively confident that, without

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FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

are combined in a very efficient solution working with just one burner.

INTEX CUBE Plus line has a conveyor speed of 5 ft/min. It features an acid pre-treatment cycle with cascade technology and one “V” shaped powder coating booth with: • 1 Gema OptiCenter OC07 powder management centre; • 16 Gema OptiGun GA03-P automatic guns;

OptiCenter® All-in-One

• 16 Gema AP01 dense phase application pumps; • 16 Gema OptiStar CG12-CP for the individual control of the guns; • 1 Gema CM40 for the group control of the guns; • 1 Gema Gap Control.

The SAT Visicoat system for the automatic setting of the guns is a cutting-edge, optically controlled vision system that automatically adjusts the pressure of each paint gun when new shapes are introduced into the line, assuring consistent coating on every profile.

The first powder center combining electrostatics and powder feeding

© INTEX

INTEX team call the new CUBE Plus system “Black Widow”.

The powder center is equipped with OptiStar All-in-One® gun controls, in which the injector technology is directly integrated. This ensures the fastest powder output response times for reliable coating quality. The fully automated application and cleaning process ensures efficient color changes.

Gema Europe Srl | Via Goldoni, 29 20090 Trezzano s/N | Italy T +39 02 48 400 486 F +39 02 48 400 874 gemapowdercoating.com

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

© INTEX

The control panel of the CUBE Plus powder coatings line.

CUBE Plus benefits for INTEX

of my choice. We have reduced our lead time, we can do a lot of

“The real value of this SAT CUBE technology is that it allowed us to go

small batches with a lot of colour changes, and quality has improved

from having a full-time painter on every shift to only one painter that

dramatically. In addition, our powder consumption has lowered. One

works during the day and helps controlling the line but with no need

of the most important things to me is that my workforce is happy and

for a skilled technician on the line. In addition, we have total control

fine with its job. In the US, workforce is a tough issue and companies

on the coating thickness applied. Our target is 2.2 (gr/f2) and with the

are competing for labour. I needed an installation that could help my

old installation we were somewhere between 3.2 and 2.1. Now, with

workforce in handling the profiles and that could lighten their tasks.

the CUBE Plus, we are between 2.1 to 2.4, reducing by an average 30%

With how we have organized things now, everything is more ergonomic

the powder we were using with an improved coverage of the coated

and the machines do all the tough work of lifting and lowering the

surface”, Noecker concludes.

profiles. What we have achieved is being more productive and making

“After running the plant for about 5 months, I am extremely happy

people’s tasks less hard”.

Scan or click the QR code to see “Black Widow” working

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Your surface protection.

We care.

Surface treatments and nanotechnologies

dn-chemicals.com

BRAND-NEW

BYK-Gardner GmbH Launched the New byko-visc RT Rotational Viscometer The new versatile viscometer line of BYK-Gardner offers robust measurement and repeatability.

B

YK-Gardner GmbH, a manufacturer of quality control instruments and tools for colour, appearance and physical properties, has recently announced that it has

developed the byko-visc RT Rotational Viscometer.

The new solution allows precise measurement results with each test condition recorded and offers detailed results analysis and review.

The Rotational Viscometer has been specifically designed to test the viscosity of liquids and pastes in compliance with ASTM D2196, ISO 2555 and ISO1652 standards. It is then suitable to test the viscosity of lacquers, paints, primers, resins, lubricants, pharmaceuticals, creams, lotions, liquids soaps, beverages, dressings and sauces.

The product is available in two different models: the byko-visc RT and byko-visc RT Lite. They both feature versatility and compatibility with three different sensitivities and optional accessories. In addition, the company supplies an ISO 17025 calibration certificate with each instrument, in order to confirm its performances.

The byko-visc RT offers an intuitive navigation thanks to its colour touch-screen display – that features pre-set buttons to quickly recall often used measuring parameters – and several other control options, allowing to reduce operation times.

Furthermore, it includes an easy snap-on spindle attachment to protect the instrument and an adjustable stand to allow the operator to easily raise and lower the viscometer head.

The precision of the measurement is repeatable day-to-day and instrument-to-instrument as the new line developed by the company is also compatible with many other rotational viscometer models in terms of results, measurement parameters and accessories.

As well as the new byko-visc RT Rotational Viscometer, BYKGardner offers also a wide range of viscosity instruments, such as flow cups, bubble viscometers, the digital stormer viscometer and cone and plate viscometers.

For further information: © BYK-Gardner GmbH

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www.byk-instruments.com/en

BRAND-NEW

Dr. Lan Deng Is the New Director of ChemQuest Deng will work on improving the sustainable innovations and growth of ChemQuest.

T

GLOBAL SOLUTIONS FOR WATER TREATMENT

he ChemQuest Group, an international business strategy and external technology development firm focused on the specialty chemicals markets, has recently announced that it has

appointed Lan Deng as director.

Deng has obtained a B.E. in polymer materials and engineering from the University of Science and Technology of China and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California - Berkeley. In addition, she has co-authored six journal articles and holds sixteen granted patents.

More recently, she received the R&D 100 Awards and the EPA’s Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award.

with a complete service that includes system design manufacturing installation technical support chemicals

The new director of ChemQuest has over fifteen years of experience in the chemical industry, as she covered several leadership roles in Dow Chemical, Sherwin Williams and PPG. Before joining the company, she has been in fact the Global Technical Director for Automotive OEM business within PPG, where she oversaw the development of pre-treatment products, E-coat, primers, basecoats and clearcoats, as well as adhesives and sealants.

“Our society is at a point when the next innovation wave is starting to pick up and accelerate. There are tremendous opportunities in health care, sustainable energy and digital transformation. The companies that can seize the opportunity to ride these waves will have long-lasting competitive advantages in the decades to come. As a technology leader, I want to help more companies, public or private, to catch and ride these waves; I also want to help the capital market find the right growth opportunity to invest so that our whole economy can benefit,” stated Deng. “ChemQuest can provide me an opportunity to do just that. I look forward to partnering with my colleagues and clients to create sustainable innovation and growth for the society.”

“We are fortunate to have someone with Dr. Deng’s depth of experience and capabilities join our team. Her passion for innovation, growth and job creation, and her strength in partnering with customers to create mutual value will help both ChemQuest and

SPRAY BOOTHS WATER SLUDGE REMOVAL RESIN DEMINERALIZATION SYSTEMS REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SITES BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS BATCH TREATMENTS PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL SYSTEMS ADSORPTION FILTRATION REVERSE OSMOSIS MEMBRANE SYSTEMS EVAPORATORS BIOGAS BIOMASS SYSTEMS OIL SEPARATORS DESANDERS DESALINATION SYSTEMS PYROCHAR OTHER SYSTEMS CHEMICALS

our clients to create win-win,” also declared Dan Murad, the CEO of ChemQuest.

For further information: www.chemquest.com

Via E. Torricelli, 79 - Z.I. Fossatone 40059 MEDICINA (BO) Tel +39 051 856263 info@hydroitalia.com www.hydroitalia.com

BRAND-NEW

British Coatings Federation Reports Negative Impact of Brexit on Coatings Industry According to the latest report by the British Coatings Federation, Brexit has had a negative impact on the coatings sector’s trade with the EU.

A

ccording to a new survey of British Coatings Federation – which

additional trading costs due to customs paperwork (59%); the impact of

set out to measure its member companies’ experience of the

future divergence of UK REACH from EU REACH (59%); and the impact UK

UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) – while a few

REACH could have on raw material prices in the UK (61%).

firms managed to retain or increase exports, the majority of survey

“The Government needs to work harder with businesses to help make

respondents saw exports to the EU fall over the past 15 months.

exporting to and from the EU easier, ideally looking to enhance the terms

Members also reported they had experienced a significant increase in

of the TCA. Instead, it looks as though things are moving in the opposite

operating costs due to the various new rules, procedures, and knock-on

direction with threats to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland

effects of the UK-EU TCA.

Protocol which could collapse the whole trade agreement. That would be

Conversely, there was, as yet, little sign of compensating growth in

a disaster for industry, especially given we are in the middle of the worst

trade elsewhere in the world due to new FTAs. Moreover, there is still

global raw material and supply chain crisis seen for a generation”, says

substantial concern about the future UK chemicals regulation regime,

Tom Bowtell, CEO of the British Coatings Federation.

particularly UK REACH, and how this will impact on future business

“Looking beyond the EU, we need to see more support for UK businesses

competitiveness.

growing their exports to the rest of the world. At the moment, despite new FTAs being signed and talked about there seem to be few

Some data

opportunities developing for our sector. BCF will be playing its part by

Nearly one in six members (59%) reported increased operating costs

working with the Department for International Trade, most imminently

due to Brexit of more than 4%. Nearly a third (32%) said it had added

through a joint export seminar in Manchester next month”.

more than 6%. One in ten had experienced additional costs of more

“Finally, we must not take our eye off the regulatory ball. Our survey

than 15%. Nearly four in ten (39.5%) reported that exports to the EU

showed problems and concerns about UK REACH have slightly

had decreased, with a plurality losing between 6-10% of exports over

diminished since this time last year. This is probably because Defra

the last year or so, although some

has said they are looking at a new

significantly more.

model that should hopefully be

Logistics remains the biggest issue

less burdensome on industry.

for members: availability of hauliers

However, those concerns about

(69%), delays to shipments of raw

REACH are still substantial and loom

materials coming into the UK (67%),

large over our members’ future

and cost of shipping (64%) are the

business competitiveness. We need

most commonly cited ongoing

to see Defra come up with a new

problems due to Brexit.

approach for UK REACH as quickly

Nearly a quarter of members

as possible to provide businesses

(23.1%) reported that EU suppliers

with the certainty they need to plan,

no longer wanted to export to the

and the ability to access a full range

UK, up from 19% last year.

of necessary substances to aid

Looking ahead, regulatory issues still

innovation in future”, he concludes.

loom large in terms of worries over For further information:

future business competitiveness.

The top three concerns cited were:

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N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

www.coatings.org.uk

BRAND-NEW

Anton Paar Will Construct a New Technology Centre The headquarters of Anton Paar in Graz (Austria) will be expanded to include a new technology centre.

A

nton Paar, the manufacturer of measurement instruments and

Anton Paar celebrated the beginning of the €60 million construction

technologies, has announced that it intends to expands the

works, that are carried out by the architectural office KFR ZT GmbH and

company’s headquarters in Graz-Straßgang (Austria) to include a

are expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

new technology centre.

The new technology centre will cover an area of 26,800 m2 and

The solar thermal ice energy storage system

will include all business units as well as the central research and

The new technology centre of Anton Paar will employ an innovative ice

development department, while the three oldest buildings of the site

energy storage system with heat pumps for almost half of the cooling

were demolished. The expanded site will be characterised by an open

and heating needs of the site. It is composed by an underground basin

space concept to serve natural ventilation and will also include two

with a diameter of 19 m and a depth of 6 m, corresponding to a water

atriums that allow the interior rooms to be supplied with natural light.

volume of about 1.7 million l. Before the summer, the water is frozen.

“The planning for the new technology centre began back in 2014.

The melting heat and then the cold water are used to cool the building.

However, a development plan obligation and restrictions on the height

Heat pumps are used to transfer the heat from the building to the

of the building delayed the project by year. 650 employees will move

storage tank, which is then heated over the course of several months.

into the new building in 2024. With the construction, we have not only

At the beginning of the cold season, the storage tank is then warmed up

created more space for growth, but the building is also technologically

and can be used to heat the building in the winter until it freezes again

state-of-the-art,” stated Dominik Santner, the COO of Anton Paar and

at the end of the winter. In addition, the company will have photovoltaic

head of the construction project.

and solar thermal systems installed on the roof.

There are currently around 1,400 employees at the Graz site, but the expansion will allow to host up to 1,000 workplaces. On 25th April 2022,

For further information: www.anton-paar.com

© Anton Paar

international PAINT&COATING magazine - MAY/JUNE 2022 - N. 75

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BRAND-NEW

GEINSA Supplies the Paint Booth for Metro Bangkok’s Vehicles GEINSA supplied a paint booth to Design&Project for coating Metro Bangkok’s vehicles.

D

esign&Projects International is a company specialized in providing

About GEINSA

railway maintenance projects and acquired from GEINSA a paint

GEINSA was founded in 1967 and has developed advanced technology in

booth for Min Sen Machinery, leader in machine tool distribution

more than 2000 installations worldwide. Its activity consists of the design,

in Thailand for the Bangkok subway red line project.

manufacturing, assembly and Technical Assistance Service of installations

The painting and drying process of Metro vehicles is carried out in the

and booths for surface treatment and subsequent painting. We provide:

supplied cabin. The cabin has a dimension of 30 m. long, 5 wide and

the design and engineering project, both in the planning and in the

5 high and is equipped with pneumatic painter platforms, application

manufacturing, assembly and after-sales, and in each of these stages all

equipment and a paint preparation laboratory.

the personnel belong to GEINSA.

It has lighting with LED technology and frequency inverters in impulsion and extraction motors.

For further information: www.geinsa.com

© GEINSA

View inside the spray booth installed in Min Sen Machinery, Bangkok.

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Spray booth 3D image.

Future-proof and reliable overhead

and floor MONORAIL and P+F CONVEYOR systems that can be perfectly integrated into your production processes.

We take care of all your requirements and create a tailor-made and cost-optimized concept for you.

SUCCESS STORIES

Reduce to the Max- 3-in-1-Coating System for Mechanical Clock Components Germany’s most prestigious maker of clocks and clockworks has high demands for the coating solution used for its delicate and highly varied small clock components. The system has to run like clockwork. It has to offer extreme accuracy while also remaining flexible and easy to use. In the search for a suitable system concept, the two long-established companies Hermle and Venjakob got together.

I

n this place, time never seems to stand still. The production site and company headquarters in Reichenbach am Heuberg in the German state of Baden-Württemberg is where the

medium-sized family company Hermle, which looks back on 100 years of clockmaking, manufactures its clocks and clockworks.

Hermle runs one of the most modern clock production facilities in the world and is one of the last remaining clock manufacturers. Where production of mechanical clockworks for large clocks is concerned, Hermle is the only full range supplier in the whole world.

Request for a compact system made to measure The clockmaker wanted a new solution for coating mechanical clock components to be installed in the facilities built in Reichenbach in 2021. The plan was to have this system replace the previously used but now dated machines. These included a manual spraying bench for special components, an automatic coating system with an overhead conveyor for coating clock frames and a spindle chain conveyor for coating rotationally symmetrical clock components. “Ideally the new system should combine all the different solutions we were using before,” was the customer’s request. But Heiko Dreher, Purchasing Manager at Hermle, only had a vague idea of what such a 3-in-1 solution could look like. Following detailed discussions, Kornelius Berg, the Venjakob Sales employee responsible for Hermle, submitted three different concepts for the new system, each offering different functions. “We came to an agreement quickly,” says Berg. The main differences affected the conveyor system. Heiko Dreher seemed taken by the ideas and the precise details of the concepts. In the end, Hermle chose the concept featuring a small, compact, fully automatic coating system with ABB coating robots and a floor conveyor with a rotary drive. The conveyor system accommodates the carrier frames that carry the clock © Venjakob

View of the compact fully automatic coating system with painting robot and a floor conveyor with rotary drive for 360° coating in one pass.

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components and is intended for cycled transport through each of the processing stations.

SUCCESS STORIES

Set-up, install, and go

per item carrier) but an increase by approx. 20 percent remains

The selection criteria also included the available space. The function

possible. The entire system is designed to be flexible and as easy to

and design of the system were adapted to the dimensions of its future

use as possible. Venjakob’s software engineers programmed a special

installation site. To facilitate quick commissioning, which was another

input interface for controlling the coating robot, giving the customer the

customer request, the coating system was delivered in only a few

simplest possible option for creating recipes of their own.

separate parts. That way, only the platform for the supply and exhaust

“You simply copy the recipe, then enter the different parameters such

air and the spray booth had to be attached.

as dimensions of the coated component, the coating speed or the

“The customer even agreed to remove two walls from the room to

angle of the coating gun,” Kornelius Berg explains the principle. The

make it possible for the system to be transported to the installation site

ease of use and adaptation to customer requirements applies to the

in as few pieces as possible,” reports Venjakob’s Kornelius Berg. This

entire system. A central operating system is used to control the coating

small anecdote is sure to stick in the minds of all those involved for a

system including the conveyor technology. Training the machine

long time to come.

operator likewise only required a basic training course for maintenance

Special master program for autonomous operation

and service of the coating robot by its manufacturer ABB.

The system concept developed by Venjakob allows Hermle to coat

Function sequence and process steps

the greatest variety of small components in just one installation with a

The coating system transports items counterclockwise, the feeding and

single conveyor system.

removal station are at the same location. The clock components being

The workpiece carriage is firmly installed on the tracks. The machine

coated are attached to the item carrier frames by hand.

capacity was adapted to the application (with a cycle time of 5 minutes

These are then positioned in a form locking manner on the workpiece

SUCCESS STORIES

© Venjakob

View into the heart of the plant, the coating booth. Venjakob’s special master program stands for high line performance and enables easy creation of recipes for the wide variety of watchmaking parts.

carriage of the floor conveyor and are quick to remove after the coating

carriers are transported to the drying channel.

process is complete. Prior to the coating process, the desired recipe is

The drying temperature is 80° to 120°C. The length of the through-feed

selected on the system control desk and transmitted to the controls.

dryer makes it possible for six item carriers to dry at the same time.

The system controls contain the parameters for processing the parts

The item carriers enter it in a 5 minute interval and remain there to dry

according to each recipe.

for 30 minutes.

After selecting the desired recipe, a simple push of the start button on

The subsequent cooling process takes 10 minutes and happens outside

the control desk will start the system. The floor conveyor moves the item

of the channel at room temperature.

carrier into the coating booth. Once the first side of the part has been

Afterwards the item carriers are simply removed from the rods of the

coated by the robot, the item carrier rotates automatically thanks to the

floor conveyor at the removal station.

rotary device to permit coating of the other side.

The next step is evaporation. The evaporation zone can contain two item carriers at once. After a 10-minute evaporation period, the item

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For further information: www.venjakob.com

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www.chemtecitalia.it

ART WITHIN SURFACES

The Curious Link Between a Shark and a Formula One Car After working in the Formula One world, artist Alastair Gibson began creating carbon-fibre sculptures of marine specimens that are painted using a very complex process directly in the Mercedes AMG Petronas racing team’s factory.

A

t first glance, marine fauna and Formula One single-seaters

decision to pursue his passion and become a full-time sculptor. “I

do not seem to have much in common. Yet, Alastair Gibson, a

started by toying with discarded carbon-fibre fragments and car pieces

creator of special carbon fibre sculptures, claims there actually

in the downtime before and after the racing season, because that was

are many similarities: “For example, both Formula One cars and sharks

all I had on hand at the time. I realised that it was possible to create

have well-defined centre lines and are strikingly symmetrical. They are

new, beautiful objects through these scraps, but I did not expect that

magnificent creatures that move sinuously through space – cars are

someone would want to buy them!” he jokingly recounts.

aerodynamic and sharks are hydrodynamic. This is why I decided to use

Making his sculptures requires a lot of effort, time, and practice. He

majestic sea animals as subjects for my works.”

starts by carving a 1:1 scale model of his work by hand in balsa wood.

Combining artistic inspiration, attention to details, interest in colour,

Then, he uses CAD software to decide on the positioning of details such

and engineering skills, Alastair Gibson creates carbon fibre sculptures

as eyes, gills, or fins.

incorporating parts of Formula One cars, each with a production

Afterwards, he places thin sheets of carbon fibre precisely into moulds,

number that refers to specific vehicles or races. In order to bring his

whose number depends on the type of sculpture being made. “This is a

sculptures to life, he has them painted with Spies Hecker products, the

particularly tricky phase, because in some of my sculptures the carbon

Axalta Coating Systems brand dedicated to developing practical coating

fibre weave is visible through the clear coating. Therefore, it is essential

systems for car bodies.

to place the material correctly and make sure that there is nothing

Originally from South Africa, the sculptor began his career in motor

between the mould and the carbon fibre layer.”

sports. After working as a mechanic and engineer in some minor

The carbon fibre-covered moulds are then subjected to a debulking

racing classes for seven years, he made his Formula One debut as the

process in a pressurised environment and placed in an autoclave to

chief mechanic of the Benetton team. In his fifteen years in the top

create a perfect final sculpture section.

motorsport championship, he also served as chief race mechanic for the

Once assembled, the works of art are taken to the Mercedes AMG

BAR and Honda Grand Prix teams.

Petronas body shop, where they are painted with Spies Hecker

However, being interested in art as well, in 2008 Gibson made the

products, the same coatings also used by the team.

© Alastair Gibson

Sharks are one of sculptor Alastair Gibson’s favourite subjects.

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Aero Manta, a metre-long sculpture that took 25 hours to coat.

EPISTOLIO EPISTOLIO

ART WITHIN SURFACES

towards the future

SOLUZIONI ROBOTIZZATE DI ROBOTIC PAINTING SOLUTIONS VERNICIATURA

© Alastair Gibson

Racing Piranha.

In addition to the clear coats, Permahyd® Hi-TEC Basislack 480 and Permasolid® HS Optimum Plus Klarlack 8650 are sometimes applied, guaranteeing a high gloss degree. In order to ensure that his artistic visions are realised, Gibson consults with Andrew Moody, the team’s Head of Paint and Graphics, who relies on Spies Hecker’s ColorDialog spectrophotometer to identify the most suitable colours and effects. “We love these kinds of challenges, although they are timeconsuming. In fact, the painting of the Manta sculpture took 25 hours, while one of the Racing Piranhas took about 10 hours. However, coating something completely different is very exciting,” says Moody.

The painted sculptures are finally sent back to Gibson’s studio, where the artist adds final details such as photo-etched stainless steel fins or bismuth alloy teeth.

Epistolio Srl.

Gibson’s works of art have been presented at countless British and

Via Piemonte 120 21100 Varese (VA) ITALY Ph: +39 0332 212692 Fax: +39 0332 223666 info@epistolio.com www.epistolio.it

international exhibitions, as well as being purchased by collectors. He says: “I take inspiration from many things around me and I put a lot of passion into creating these sculptures and making sure their finishes

Publierre_Milano

are perfect. I hope this can be perceived, by looking at them.”

THE MARKETING CORNER

Social Media Advertising: 4 Trends to Keep an Eye on in 2022 Ilaria Paolomelo eos Mktg&Communication Srl

info@eosmarketing.it

Digital advertising and social networks are constantly evolving. Understanding and being aware of these changes is essential to take advantage of the advertising tools available on the different social media platforms.

2

021 was a year full of new challenges and opportunities for digital

2022 the global ad spend will exceed 173 million dollars and it will grow

marketing. To ensure the right visibility and relevance, brands

year-on-year by about 9,77%2.

have further increased the budget allocated to digital advertising.

The decline in organic reach and engagement that will affect 2022 (as

Global spending on digital ad in 2021 is estimated to have grown by

explained in the article dedicated to the 2022 Digital Marketing Trends3)

around 20% . Furthermore, an exponential growth is expected not only

will help strengthen the power of advertising, which will be for brands

in the current year but also in those to come: Statista foresees that in

one of the main tools to rely on to achieve the various business goals.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2021/12/08/agencies-agree-2021-was-arecord-year-for-ad-spending-with-more-growth-expected-in-2022/?sh=f62ada97bc69

2

1

1

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https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/digital-advertising/social-media-advertising/worldwide 3 https://eosmarketing.it/en/digital-marketing-trends-2022/

THE MARKETING CORNER

Knowing the 2022 social media advertising trends is essential to set up

increasingly popular platforms are growing significantly, while there

the right social media marketing strategy.

is a decrease of this sentiment on “more established” social media

Optimism towards less traditional social networks is growing, but high budgets will still be allocated to the more popular ones

platforms. TikTok went from being considered effective for their business by 3% to 24% of respondents, recording an increase of 700%; while Snapchat went from 1% to 13%, which means an increase of 1200%. Analysing these statistics, it is clear that marketers will continue

Less traditional social media platforms such as Clubhouse, TikTok,

to allocate large budgets on the most established social networks,

Snapchat and Pinterest appear to be better suited than in the past

however, as new platforms are progressively showing their potential,

to reach a certain target audience, according to the Hootsuite report,

this might change in the years to come. Betting on the newest social

drawn up following an annual survey involving over 18,000 marketers.

networks, without forgetting the most established ones, could be the

In 2022, marketers will increase ad spend on these social networks;

right compromise to obtain significant results from our advertising

however, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn will continue to be

campaigns. Beyond the numbers, when choosing which social network

the main reference platforms. In fact, a high percentage of respondents

to invest on for advertising purposes, it is essential to take into

said they will continue to invest significant amounts in advertising on

consideration the audience we want to target.

solid platforms used by different target users.

This forecast is also confirmed by the Smartly.io and WBR Insights

Ads will have more innovative formats

report, which is based on a survey of 100 US marketing experts. In this

An increase in optimism towards less traditional social networks was

report, 98% of respondents stated that Facebook will remain the social

recorded not only by brands, but also by users. In fact, some research

network on which very high advertising budgets will be invested for

shows that consumers have a more positive response towards ads on

2022, followed by Instagram (94%), YouTube (88%) and Twitter (71%).

TikTok, Snapchat, and Pinterest than those published on other social

What’s interesting is that optimism and confidence in new and

networks.

© Hootsuite

The ads investment expected in social networks in 2022 according to the Hootsuite report.

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Specifically, an analysis carried out by Kantar4 on behalf of TikTok shows that, according to consumers, the TikTok ads are more stimulating; while, according to a Nielsen study, Snapchat ads seem to achieve greater results in terms of reach and generate greater awareness and propensity-tobuy. As for Pinterest, ads generate a higher ROI rate than on other platforms5. This is due to the advertising saturation on some platforms and to the more engaging formats offered, for example, by TikTok and Snapchat. Creativity in 2022 will be a key ingredient for success.

In addition, Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook Reels, offering new business opportunities for brands. Reels are © Smartly.io and WBR Insights

one of the most used formats on Instagram by companies and creators for the promotion of their products and

The ads investment expected in social networks in 2022 according to the Smartly.io and WBR Insights survey.

services. Now this format is also available on Facebook globally. Additionally, Meta’s CEO also said that the team is studying new monetization tools (including overlay ads, banner and sticker ads, full-screen ads and in-stream ads), some of which are already available.

Videos will be the most successful format It shouldn’t come as a surprise that videos are the most successful format on social networks: for years we have witnessed a steady growth of videos compared to static images. This trend will keep on being relevant in 2022 as well.

Almost 50% of respondents said they will focus on creating videos and animations and 34% will concentrate on datadriven creativity - which consists of creating images and videos based on data. Only 19% of respondents stated that they will increase the number of advertising campaigns © Hootsuite

Confidence in new and increasingly popular platforms is growing significantly, while there is a decrease on “more established” social media platforms.

based on static images.

Companies will be increasingly oriented towards marketing automation tools In recent years, advertising has become increasingly automated. While some processes such as creative and graphic development are impossible to automate, there are some software that allow us to streamline the management and publication of advertising campaigns.

These are tools, based on artificial intelligence, capable of automatically optimizing ad spend, targeting and distribution on the different platforms in order to achieve the best possible result.

© Smartly.io and WBR Insights

Videos are confirmed as the most successful format on social networks.

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https://www.tiktok.com/business/en/blog/6-takeaways-from-our-latest-kantar-study 5 https://business.pinterest.com/it/advertise/ 4

THE MARKETING CORNER

This reduces the time marketers need to set the parameters of the campaign: for 73% of respondents, creating ads often takes a long time.

Despite this, most marketers still use manual processes.

However, many of the respondents (69%) said they are interested in making their processes automated and do not rule out the possibility of relying on artificial intelligence in the near future. According to interviewees, this would allow to devote their time to achieving other important strategic goals.

The management of advertising campaigns will not be obstacle-free

© Smartly.io and WBR Insights

Setting up a social media advertising campaign requires

Many of the respondents said they are interested in making their marketing processes automated.

the involvement of multiple teams - especially marketers, graphic designers and data analysts. However, only 55% of respondents said they work within a company whose departments work closely together to achieve common goals. This percentage is 16% lower than last year’s result

UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE

075/2018 BMXX18R

© Smartly.io and WBR Insights

Main internal challenges in advertising campaigns’ management.

© Smartly.io and WBR Insights

Main external challenges in advertising campaigns’ management.

and the reasons must be sought both internally and externally.

videos and animations, the challenges that companies face are also on

Internally, talent shortages represent the most common challenge

the rise.

among respondents (36%), followed by the difficulty of successfully

Even the process of creating and managing advertising campaigns on

managing advertising campaigns across multiple social media channels

social networks is undergoing changes, even though (for the moment)

(33%). Furthermore, 20% of respondents said that the lack of design

this concerns a small number of marketers.

resources to create advertisements was their biggest problem; while

However, this is a trend that should not be underestimated since many

only 11% encountered difficulties in integrating their social media

of the interviewees stated that they are interested in taking advantage

advertising strategies within the marketing mix process.

of marketing automation tools.

The external challenges concern, for more than a third of the interviewees, the rise in prices of ads on social media and the high competition; a significant portion of them (29%) find it difficult to adapt their campaigns to consumers’ behaviour and habits. Finally, the difficulties of analysing the KPIs of each campaign (19%) and the new privacy regulations and their impact on ad targeting and personalization (18%) are the other main obstacles mentioned by the respondents.

Summing up The decline in engagement and organic reach will undoubtedly contribute to increasing the power of digital advertising.

While optimism is growing towards more innovative platforms and more creative and attention-grabbing multimedia formats such as

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Scan or click the QR code to read this article in our blog and leave your comment on it

SPECIALIZED TRAINING

The Advantage of Training Staff in a Targeted Way: More Passion and More Efficiency in the Company Interview with David Peluso PVD Sputtering Technician and ipcm® Academy trainee

How did you learn about the Surface

this certification. Why did you choose this

Finishing Process Technologist course?

training path?

Were you looking for specific training

I entered this industry coming from a

or did you learn about it through an

completely different sector. Therefore, I felt the

advertisement (newsletters, social

need to have the professional skills acquired

networks, etc.)?

in my experience in this new career path

I found out about this course through the

recognised.

suggestion of my partner, who works in the same sector: I was looking for courses in the

How well do you think you will be able

surface treatment field that could officially

to integrate the skills you are acquiring

certify my expertise in the industry.

during the course with your daily work?

© ipcm

Very well. I am acquiring very technical,

David Peluso

W

In your experience as a technician in

industry-specific knowledge and no information

charge of a coating plant, have you had

is useless. Moreover, the competence and

any difficulties in identifying such a

experience of the lecturers are an excellent

specific vocational training path?

point of comparison with the reality of our own

No, I have not. I was simply not aware of the

work.

e have decided to include in this

existence of such recognised training courses.

interview series a technician who

So, as soon as I heard about this, I immediately

The first session of the course is halfway

is currently attending the spring

decided to register for certifying my skills.

through. What are your initial feelings and what do you expect from the second half?

session of the Industrial Surface Finishing Process Technologist training course organised

Did you think you had gaps to fill or did

I am very satisfied with the topics that have

by ipcm® Academy: David Peluso, currently in

you choose a vocational course to update

been covered so far but, above all, I have been

charge of his company’s PVD sputtering plant.

your skills?

pleasantly impressed by the thoroughness of

As he comes from a completely different sector

Both. I work with liquid-based paint products

the notions explained. I expect to continue

than coating, we thought it would be interesting

and I wanted to gain a more comprehensive

seeing seriousness and professionalism, which

to understand how he assesses the training

knowledge of all the techniques used at an

I believe are the strengths of this course.

path he has just undertaken.

industrial level, in order to expand my skills in terms of personal growth with a view to

Do you find it difficult to balance the time

professional development.

you are devoting to professional training with your work within your company?

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In September 2020, the Lombardy Region

Yes and no. Clearly, it all depends on one’s own

officially recognised the professional role

company’s willingness to favour any absences

of Industrial Surface Finishing Process

related to the attendance to the course – which

Technologist, previously unrecognised. At

in any case is also beneficial to the company

the end of the training course and after

itself: I believe that qualified employees are

the final examination, you will obtain

also more motivated and efficient.

N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

SPECIALIZED TRAINING

© ipcm

© ipcm

So far, which lesson have you found the most in line with the work you do on a daily basis?

Certainly, those on surface preparation and the application of liquidbased paint products, because I use precisely this type of coating.

Conducting the ipcm® Academy training course in hybrid mode was a decision driven by the desire to promote versatile training that is truly close to the needs of individuals. How do you rate it?

It certainly helps those who cannot be physically present at all the lectures. I also find it very stimulating to have included special lectures at a few companies’ premises: this is a good way to make the trainees feel more involved and give them a chance to see other factories’ reality first hand.

Would you recommend the ipcm® Academy course? If so, do you think that some basic knowledge in the field is required, or would you also recommend it to someone with no experience in our industry?

Yes, I am very pleased and I will therefore gladly recommend it. Clearly, those who already have some basic knowledge in the field will find © ipcm

the topics covered easier to grasp, but this does not mean that it is exclusively intended for those with experience. On the contrary, I believe

Some moments from the last session of the ipcm® Academy courses.

that it can be considered as a real training path for those who are less experienced. Knowledge is a great tool to improve oneself.

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The next session of the course will include a new module dedicated to Coil Coating One of the new features of the next section of the ipcm® Academy course will be a module dedicated to the coil coating process to be taught by Sergio Bianchi, one of the leading experts in this field. We took the opportunity to ask him a few questions to understand how this new module will fit into the already established training pathway and how he plans to structure his lessons.

The coil coating module will be one of the new features of this year’s course. How do you plan to structure it and how do you think it will fit into the already established training pathway?

Coil coating is a unique process for several reasons: speed of application, curing time, processed square metres, and so on. Although it is an established technology, it is not as well known as “traditional” painting processes, yet.

The module offers the possibility of approaching this technology and its appealing peculiarities and it integrates perfectly into the training path by giving visibility to a technologically advanced process, as well as enriching the knowledge of those interested in the world of industrial coating. It will include an extensive classroom session, with the presentation of the different process and product steps, and a visit to a production facility, with both a liquid and a powder coating line. A visit to the laboratory will conclude the day, with the opportunity to see the characteristics of both coatings and end products first hand.

For those approaching the world of coil coating, are there specific vocational training courses available or is it necessary to train in the field?

I believe that nothing can replace the value of training in the field, and coil coating is no different from any other professional sector. Among “listening”, “seeing”, and “doing”, the latter plays the most important role. Mentorship and learning by direct experience are the most significant parts of any professional training pathway, not only to acquire skills but also and above all to experience the passion for one’s own job. At the moment, there are no structured specific training paths: although a few training courses are offered, they have not yet been channelled into a single path. From this perspective, the new module on coil coating can – and should – be a privileged opportunity for the sector to make use of an organic, specific vocational training pathway, bridging a gap from which this industry has been suffering.

How do you assess the nationally and Europe-wide recognised certification for Industrial Surface Finishing Process Technologists, which did not exist before?

It is an important milestone and it enhances the significance of this professional role, as well as rewarding the work done to define its profile and have it recognised. I am convinced that every sector needs qualified, well-trained people. Any effort in this regard is always rewarded, although often in an unquantifiable manner. At the same time, I believe that it is equally important to consider it just as a first step, because this professional role evolves over time together with its related skills and expectations, and this training course will have to be continuously updated in order to keep up with the times.

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© Adobe Stock

advertising is the real engine that drives the word of mouth.

for advertising, contact sales@ipcm.it

your unique partner for the development of your company

STANDARD & LEGISLATION - UCIF Informs

Automated Guided Vehicles in Finishing UCIF – Italian Surface Treatment Equipment Manufacturers’ Association Milan, Italy

info@ucif.net

I

n the last article published on ipcm®, we dealt with the new

This also translates into the possibility of linking them with MES

technologies and dynamics required of industrial surface treatment

systems to run automatic cycles with fleet control for the safe

processes by the market1. These do not involve only materials,

movement of multiple AGVs through natural navigation and active

surfaces, and cost optimisation, but also modularity, digitalisation, and

control of obstacles on the route with collision avoidance and, if

automation. This brings us now to the topic of design and integration of

feasible, autonomous route change features. This ensures safe

smart AGV systems for internal logistics.

interaction even in the presence of sudden obstacles and/or people

AGV stands for Automated/Automatic Guided Vehicle: the name itself

thanks to their stop functions. Precise positioning to within +/- 10 mm

suggests the idea of an object capable of moving autonomously, which

is also ensured.

is the actual purpose of AGVs. This technology has existed for many

On the other hand, one aspect that needs to be assessed during

years, from simple models with elementary drive units to modern

project development is that of AVGs’ energy supply, as no physical

systems with natural navigation, which are able to move autonomously

connections can be put in place during movement. Actually, there exist

within production departments using various technologies, from

various solutions, such as recharging on special fixed stations with

odometry to laser detection and, in some cases, GPS. In the automotive

autonomous management of these phases exploiting idle time, or

industry, AGV systems are used for a variety of tasks, such as

recharging systems at workstations using super capacitor technology,

transporting workpieces among different points on workstations.

or even inductive charging both on the move and on fixed stations.

It is indeed no coincidence that, in coating departments, their use is

Another advantage of AGVs is the possibility to offer various

becoming more and more widespread for transporting chassis, with

configurations, from integrated lifting systems to bi-directional

clear advantages in terms of flexibility compared with conventional

roller conveyors and on-board 6-axis robots. The world of AGVs is

handling systems, such as overhead or floor conveyors, belts, or roller

undoubtedly evolving and their use in various industrial sectors is

conveyors. Benefits also include these vehicles’ safe interaction with the

becoming increasingly widespread due to their ability to transport

surrounding environment and, above all, with operators, through the

even bulky and heavy objects. This can take finishing processes to the

use of laser scanners and presence sensors.

next level – and the Italian companies represented by UCIF are already using these technologies to make their solutions faster and more

1

https://www.ipcm.it/en/open/ipcm/2022/74/192.aspx

© Adobe Stock

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flexible.

ASIA PACIFIC

BALAI SIDANG JAKARTA CONVENTION CENTER JAKARTA, INDONESIA

CONNECTING THE COATINGS INDUSTRY IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION Meet global buyers and suppliers at the largest gathering for the coatings community in South East Asia and the Pacific Rim

3,000+ attendees

4,500+ Sqm

TO BOOK A STAND, CONTACT US: #ASIAPACIFICCOATINGS w w w . a s i a p a c i fi c c o a t i n g s s h o w . c o m

200+

exhibiting brands

15

exhibiting countries

Andy Gathercole, Senior Sales Manager T: +971 4 445 3712 | M: +971 56 990 7089 E: andrewgathercole@dmgevents.com Organised by

ZOOM ON EVENTS

COVERED by ipcm®

S.M.A.R.T. 2022: Sustainable Technological Innovation for Surface Finishing Gabriele Lazzari ipcm®

The second edition of the S.M.A.R.T. conference organised by UCIF included speeches by ten industry experts who provided useful details on innovative, efficient, and environmentally sustainable processes and technologies for the surface treatment industry.

T

he second edition of the S.M.A.R.T. (Surface, Manufacturing,

of view of the Poliefun association”, was given by Paolo Gronchi, the

Advanced, Research, Trends) conference of the Italian Surface

president of the association and a professor at the Politecnico di

Treatment Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (UCIF),

Milano, who presented Poliefun’s cultural activities in the scientific

sponsored by the Municipality of Milan and Poliefun, took place on

field and highlighted the efforts made in recent years for technical

Wednesday 18 May 2022 in Milan. Held at the at the Congress Centre

advancement in the field of surface treatments. He also drew attention

of Fondazione Cariplo, in Via Romagnosi 8, the event offered producers

to the indissoluble link between innovation and sustainability, including

and suppliers the opportunity to attend ten technical presentations

in the area of new technologies and virtual reality applied to surface

focusing on the topic of innovations for surface finishing technologies,

treatments.

aimed at improving environmental sustainability and revitalising the

Matteo Pozzi, Application Engineer at Rösler Italiana, delivered the

Italian manufacturing industry.

second speech. In his report, “Waste water recirculation systems:

It started at 10:00 a.m. with greetings and a welcome message

responsible consumption and green plants”, Pozzi presented his

from UCIF President Daryush Arabnia, followed by greetings from a

company’s experience with aqueous solution management and

representative of the Municipality of Milan.

recirculation systems, identifying centrifuges as the technology that has

The first speech, entitled “Innovation and sustainability: the point

proved the most effective.

© ipcm

The speakers of S.M.A.R.T. 2022 lined up for a picture before the event started.

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ZOOM ON EVENTS

COVERED by ipcm®

Then Sabino Di Pierro, the founder of Fismet Service, presented “The

presented an innovative shot blasting treatment for 6-cylinder cast iron

universal machine”, a high-performance, environmentally friendly

engine blocks performed with one highly automated plant.

cleaning solution designed to turn waste into resources to be reused,

Federico Scian, Product Manager at Imel, focused on “The new frontier

enabling firms to save money without compromising on process quality.

for mass coating of small parts”: the new Rotover i4-220p hot barrel

After a quick coffee break, the conference resumed with the report

coating allows heating, spray painting, and curing large quantities of

“Product development, machine learning, and digital twin for sustainable

small parts, whereas the i4smallparts 4.0 control centre software allows

production” by Alessandro di Lucrezia, Standardisation & Simulation

planning the production batches to be treated by work cells composed

Senior Manager at Geico Taikisha. He presented the results of the

of one or more machines.

Energy Independence Day project, thanks to which solutions have

Then, SAT CEO Andrea Trevisan gave an overview of the evolution of

been found to reduce the energy consumption required to paint car

vertical powder coating plants for aluminium profiles.

bodies by 70%. He also described some surface treatment process

Wagner’s Sales & Service Director, Michele Maffoni, explained the

development and optimisation activities using predictive maintenance

advantages of the new Integrated Powder System technology compared

and simulation software.

with Venturi and dense phase coating technologies, during his

Alessandro Molè, APT Auto Director at Verind (part of the Dürr Group),

presentation “IPS and soft flow feeding technology”.

explained the importance of sensors and hardware components with

Finally, Alessia Venturi, the Editor-in-Chief of ipcm®, offered an overview

dedicated software to monitor parameters and process data from

of the innovative technologies for chemical pre-treatment prior to

coating equipment in the automotive sector, in order to provide real-

coating that combine efficiency and sustainability.

time information on the status of systems, component life, and product

At the end of the S.M.A.R.T. conference, a final Q&A session was

quality.

followed by a theatrical tour of the Brera district and an aperitif at

These first five presentations and a Q&A session were followed by a

Granaio Duomo, which allowed networking activities that had begun

lunch break with networking opportunities.

during the lunch break to continue and spurred stimulating discussions

In the early afternoon, the conference resumed with the speech

among participants and speakers.

“Combined cleaning of inner and outer surfaces of large castings by shot blasting” given by Luca Fusi, the Technical Manager of Pangborn, who

For further information: www.ucif.net

© ipcm

Alessandro Molè, APT Auto Director at Verind (part of Dürr Group) during his speech.

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ZOOM ON EVENTS

60th Edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano: Designing Sustainability, Celebrating Beauty The next edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano will take place from 7th to 12th June at Fiera Milano Rho in Milan (Italy).

T

he Salone del Mobile will be back in June. We will be celebrating

© Federlegno Arredo Eventi SpA

the 60 milestone edition and all the beauty generated not just th

by the event, but also by the companies, the brands and the

designers on whom its success hinges, and who come together to create an event that reflects the ongoing ecological transition of the furnishing system.

The 60th edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano will be held at Fiera

Milano Rho from 7th to 12th June, celebrating this important milestone through the key values embedded in the event: quality, innovation, beauty and, now more than ever, sustainability. After two really tough years due to the pandemic, to which we responded with supersalone, the Salone is looking ahead, mindful of its lengthy history. The aim is an ambitious one: to demonstrate that it is both possible and crucial to start holding great international events live again, embedding sustainability and environmental awareness into furniture production.

© Federlegno Arredo Eventi SpA

The Salone del Mobile.Milano has drawn up and circulated a series of guidelines to help exhibitors and stand designers and builders to respect basic sustainability criteria. It suggests employing reusable materials (such as wood) or upcycled, low environmental impact or FSC or PEFC certified materials; giving due consideration to the logistical sustainability of the supply sources of the materials; employing environmentally safe products and equipment; endeavouring not to waste materials, electricity or water; ensuring that “adaptability” and “disassembly for reuse” are the cardinal principles when choosing the components that will make up the project, always bearing in mind where and how they could be reused or disposed of. For its part, the Salone will ensure that it follows the same recommendations when creating the communal spaces at the fair.

Thus, the 60th edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano will serve as a showcase for the progress made by creatives, designers, brands and companies in this regard and, by involving the talented young SaloneSatellite designers, will put its bets on the new generations that have grown up in a time of crisis and who aspire to more equitable and responsible production and usage.

For further information: www.salonemilano.it/en

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© Federlegno Arredo Eventi SpA

ZOOM ON EVENTS

Now Opened the Registrations for the Middle East Coatings Show Registration is now live for visitors to attend the Middle East Coatings Show at the Dubai World Trade Centre, from June 14-16, 2022.

V

isitors to the show will be able to take advantage of the largest

© dmg events

‘live and in-person’ coatings industry event in the Middle East, with leading companies such as Petrochem Middle East, Reda

Chemicals, BASF, Tawazon Chemical Company, Wacker Chemicals, Tasnee, Sipchem, Bühler, ZEN FZE and Tronox all available to meet faceto-face at the three-day exhibition.

With more than 150 exhibiting brands coming from across the UAE, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Australia, India, the UK, Saudi Arabia and more, the Middle East Coatings Show is a chance to network and do business with prominent coatings companies from around the world, from raw material suppliers to equipment manufacturers and leading distributors.

As well as meeting exhibitors at their stands, the Business Presentation Hub gives visitors the chance to learn about the latest coatings products and innovations from industry experts in a relaxed and friendly setting.

© dmg events

Spread across 14 sessions, exhibiting companies will demonstrate their latest products and developments to the coatings industry, live and in-person. Improve your understanding of a range of topics relevant to the coatings industry, with the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the speakers.

The Business Presentations Hub will take place on the first two days of the show (14 and 15 June). Registering for the show will automatically give you access to the Business Presentations Hub. With strict safety guidelines in place, dmg events is committed to providing a safe and profitable environment for exhibitors and visitors to do business. Dubai has already successfully hosted many exhibitions this year and is well and truly open for business.

For further information:

© dmg events

www.middleeastcoatingsshow.com

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ZOOM ON EVENTS

“Chemistry and Automotive” Conference Brings Together the Chemical and Transport Industries The next „Chemistry and Automotive” conference will take place on 6th and 7th September 2022 in Warsaw, Poland.

T

he preparations for the next „Chemistry

dedicated to presentations providing useful

countries have confirmed their participation in

and Automotive” conference have

information and guidance. At the end of the

the event, so it’s likely to be exciting.

entered their final stage. This year’s

event, a proposal was made to establish a

edition of the conference is due to take place

web portal that would provide participants of

News about the conference

in Warsaw, Poland, on 6-7 September.

the conference with an easy and direct way

In addition to the launch of the portal for

to contact one another, present innovations,

professionals mentioned above, the organizer

ask questions, and answer them promptly.

is expanding the topic of the conference

It’s the 9th meeting of manufacturers of paints,

The portal will be officially unveiled during this

to include questions related to body repair

varnishes, and other chemical products,

year’s conference.

systems, work organization in services, and

Conference’s topics

as well as suppliers of equipment and

improving its profitability. This should be of

supplementary materials and representatives

The scheduled events

of the European automotive and railway

The presentations that have recently attracted

body shops, appraisers, expert witnesses, and

industries. New technologies, as well as

so much attention and provoked heated

insurers.

productivity-enhancing and quality-improving

discussions will continue. They offer solutions

solutions, will be presented during the

that can simplify everyday tasks, significantly

The ongoing industry’s needs

two-day meeting. Vehicle manufacturers

reduce costs, and enhance productivity.

The post-pandemic period can be challenging

and their subcontractors can find answers

Questions related to environmental protection

for suppliers, subcontractors, and industry

to any questions they may have. The last

and reduction of VOC emissions will be

partners. The temporary slowdown in the

year’s session, for instance, acknowledged

addressed too. The discussion of the future of

industry, reduced profitability, and lower

eco-friendly solutions and offered numerous

the chemical industry will be continued, and

demand have led many automotive and

innovations providing better, cheaper, and

we will present numerous innovations too.

railway production plants to implement

faster ways to do things. An entire area was

Many prominent speakers from numerous

corrective measures, as companies have been

interest not only to the industry but also to car

adjusting to new conditions and challenges, © MWM Engineering Group SP Z.O.O.

planning to reorganize, etc. This means that their partners need to be on alert and monitor all potential changes, updating their strategies, adjusting to the new situation, and making new contacts. Industry meetings, such as „Chemistry and Automotive”, offer the fastest and most effective way to do this.

Mark the dates of 6–7 September in your diaries and register for the next meeting of experts and specialists!

For further information: www.chemiaimotoryzacja.pl

136

N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

ZOOM ON EVENTS

Paint & Coatings Italy - The Event for the Italian Surface, Paint & Coatings Technology Industry Paint & Coatings Italy will take place on 25th and 26th October 2022 at NH Centro Congressi Milanofiori in Milan (Italy).

T

aking place 25–26 October 2022, Paint & Coatings Italy covers

Krahn Italia, Maflon, Mettler-Toledo S.p.A., Milano Colori, Omya, Ricci,

whatever it is necessary to know in Italian surface, paint and

Siebec, Siliconi Commerciale SpA, Silitex, Univar Solutions, Urai, Ygdrasil

coatings technology industry. Over the two days it is possible to

Specialty Chemicals.

find all the knowledge, insight and expertise required to help enhance

• TechFocus programme is content direct from exhibitors. The place

and develop new products for this industry. Here are some key features

where you can hear about the latest products, services and innovations

of Paint & Coatings Italy:

direct from the ‘horse’s mouth’. This two-day programme is an

• The Paint & Coatings Technical programme will cover the essential

opportunity to learn about the latest developments directly from the

aspects relating to the Surface, Paints & Coatings market. Detailing the

people bringing them to market.

need-to-know information about the key market trends, developments, regulatory and social economic issues facing the Italian industry, these

Never before has an event like Paint & Coatings Italy taken place

sessions are delivered in conjunction with leading organisations active

within the Italian market. The event is packed with content, knowledge

within Italy.

and expertise that cover all aspects of creating, formulating and

• The Paint & Coatings exhibition displays the latest innovations,

manufacturing products for the surface, paint & coatings technology

products and new technology entering the industry. The exhibition will

industry. Over the two days it will be possible to find ingredients,

be used to present and launch new products to the Italian industry. It is

creative insights, services, professional contacts and expert content that

the suitable place for those who want to know what’s new in the market.

will help visitors find solutions, ideas and results. A world of ingredients

• Companies participating within the exhibition include: Alberdingk Italia,

– plus analysis, testing and development services – is available at NH

Amik Italia, Barentz Service, Brenntag, Carbocrom, DKSH, Eigenmann

Centro Congressi Milanofiori, Assago, Milan on the 25 - 26 October

& Veronelli, EOC Surfactants NV, Eurosyn S.p.A, Evonik Operations

2022.

GmbH Filiale Italiana, Exacta+Optech Labcenter, Formulaction (Alfatest), Gamma Chimica, Garzanti Specialties, Grolman, Immea Dosatrici,

© hotel.info

138

N. 75 - MAY/JUNE 2022 - international PAINT&COATING magazine

For further information: www.paint-coatings.it

WHO IS EXHIBITING

Discover Paint & Coatings Technology Paint & Coatings focuses on the formulation, supply, manufacture and distribution of paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants.

Recognising the importance of keeping pace with developments in the creation of paints and coatings, the event promotes excellence in technological innovation, a complex and demanding process that transforms ideas into finished products.

25-26 October

2022 Milan NH Centro Congressi Milano Milanofiori, Assago, Italy

EXHIBITION | SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME | TECHFOCUS Supporting Associations:

www.paint-coatings.it

Media Partners:

pci@step-exhibitions.com

Organised by:

+39 334 891 8603

UNIONE COSTRUTTORI IMPIANTI DI FINITURA

Eos Mktg&Communication srl www.eosmarketing.it - info@eosmarketing.it www.myipcm.com - info@ipcm.it Redazione - Sede Legale: Via Pietro Mascagni, 8 - 20811 - Cesano Maderno (MB) - Italy Tel. +39.0362.503215 - Fax. +39.0362.1794768

EDITORIAL BOARD Prof. Massimiliano Bestetti:

Kevin Biller:

Department of Chemistry, Material and Chemical Engineering, Politecnico of Milan – Section of Applied Chemistry and Physics

The Powder Coating Research Group

Dr. Franco Busato: European environmental legislation and new technologies

Material Engineering and Industrial Technologies, University of Trento - Product Design

Prof. Paolo Gronchi:

Dr. Fulvio Zocco:

Department of Chemistry, Material and Chemical Engineering, Politecnico of Milan – Chemical Engineering Section

EDITOR IN CHIEF / DIRETTORE RESPONSABILE

Prof. Stefano Rossi:

Environment and quality

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The smart journal for surface treatments

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9

F

18.998

Troubles with fluorides in waste water?

FLUORIDITE

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is the solution you are looking for!

DISCOVER MORE AT PAGE 70!

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