There is a continuing theme in business that is as true for coatings as it is for any other industry. We are always looking for new technologies and ideas to make us better. A more compliant coating, an easier application method, a way to save energy or a way to improve efficiency are things that everyone wants to learn about. Yet some people will say that nothing has changed since last year or the year before.
When I think about what is new over the past 30 years, the answer that I come up with is that nothing is new and everything is new. Very few things change overnight. Most of the time, a technology or idea evolves and keeps improving in small increments, depending on the demand. For example, look at the cars of 30 years ago. They were very large and heavy, had chrome bumpers, most of them had V-8 engines, most front seats were bench seats, most shift sticks were on the steering console, AM/FM radio was an option, many of them did not have air conditioning, etc. Not much like the vehicles of today with sleek, aerodynamic lines, painted plastic bumpers, four- or six-cylinder engines, and so on. And yet, are the cars of today really different? They still use internal combustion engines, have four wheels, have variations of the same controls (turn signals, wipers, headlamps, etc.) and we use them for similar, private transportation, although it is unlikely that a teenager would get a new Lexus for Christmas 30 years ago.