Kevin Biller

"Can a bad tree bear good fruit?" This concept has surfaced repeatedly throughout my career in the coatings field. A finisher facing trouble with corrosion resistance, blistering, peeling, impact resistance or color often would consider the coating as a probable cause of the defect. My mind would always take a couple steps back, recalling the words from my youth.

Zen and the Art of Quality

Most organic coatings used today involve a chemical reaction to cure or set the finish. Some require elevated temperatures or ultraviolet (UV) radiation to accelerate the curing and therefore manage the finishing process time. Plural component technology, in some cases referred to as 2K (from the German 2-komponent), employs an alternate technique.

A filter cleaning service is allowing finishers to improve their operating costs while reducing their environmental impact.

A new recycling process can convert scrap powder coating, paint waste and other waste materials into a renewable raw material resource.

I approached the Powder Coating 2006 show with cautious anticipation. Ever the optimist, I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised with a few new twists on this maturing technology. I'm very pleased to report that this year's event did satiate my thirst for innovation. There seemed to be much more energy and optimism this year. And to tell you the truth, this new energy came from a number of different directions. Much of it emanated from smaller companies.

In this issue, we recognize the companies that are changing the landscape of the finishing industry. A survey of recent innovation in the field was conducted over the last few months. Numerous nominations were submitted from a variety of sources. A list of more than 20 technical candidates was reviewed by Finishing Today's editorial advisory board. The board members were instructed to rank the top five candidates they felt represented the most innovative developments over the last year.

"Everything that can be invented already has been invented." These infamous words were proclaimed by Charles H. Duell, the Commissioner of The U.S. Patent Office. The year was 1899. Incredible, simply incredible. If this were true, there would be no automobiles, no air travel, no televisions or PlayStations, no Blackberries or computers, no telephones or microwave ovens.

This month reminds me of Roy Scheider's oft repeated line, "It's Showtime, Folks," as he played Joe Gideon, the thinly veiled Bob Fosse character in the 1979 movie "All That Jazz."

While numerous companies have succumbed to the challenges that have faced the industrial coatings industry over the past decade, others have found a way to survive and flourish. Environmental Coatings, Inc. is one of those companies.