The National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF) has released the preliminary schedule of presenters and technical papers for the Automotive Symposium at SUR/FIN 2008, which takes place June 16-18 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
The Polyurethanes 2008 Technical Conference, sponsored by the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) of the American Chemistry Council, will address new environmental technologies, novel chemistries and improved materials performance.
Finishing Today has launched its third annual innovation awards competition. This year's competition has been restructured to include concise and critical criteria, an outside panel of industry experts to serve
When Hytech Processing needed to coat a run of high-end automotive brake calipers that required a specific finish pattern and a fast turnaround, the company turned to custom masks. Supplied as a masking kit, the die-cut masks substantially reduced the mask application time, eliminating the company’s production bottleneck and allowing the brake caliper job to be completed within the specified timeframe.
An efficient powder coating system with fast color change capabilities is helping a retail fixture manufacturer compete globally, while also making it a more environmentally friendly coating operation.
It’s no surprise that the auto industry is seeking to replace some of its existing processes with more environmentally benign operations. But in today’s tough economic climate, “environmentally friendly” technologies have to do more than just benefit the environment; they also must have a positive impact on a company’s bottom line. At Ford Motor Co.’s Research and Innovation Center (RIC) in Dearborn, MI, researchers have been testing a new atmospheric plasma pretreatment technology that promises to achieve both goals.
Iron and zinc phosphating processes have been around for longer than many finishing professionals have been alive, and the reactions and bonding properties of these technologies are well understood. These processes require significant heat, generate tremendous sludge and can be a maintenance nightmare. A new phosphonate-based enhanced performance pretreatment (EPP) can be used at ambient temperatures to improve coating adhesion while providing considerable energy, water and labor saving
Two of the industry’s most frequently used paint detackifiers are based on either melamine-formaldehyde or an acrylic acid. Melamine-formaldehyde-based detackifiers contain small amounts of residual-free formaldehyde and are derived from nonrenewable natural gas reserves. The acrylic acid-based group of paint denaturants is derived from ethylene and/or propylene produced during the petroleum cracking process and therefore relies on nonrenewable petroleum-based feedstocks. Recently, a new paint detackifier has been developed that provides an environmentally responsible alternative.
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