Infomercial from Mitsuba Systems               ELECTRO- MECHANICAL RECIPROCATOR XL-SERIES     Mitsuba introduces the Electro-Mechanical Reciprocator XL-Series. The Electro-Mechanical Reciprocator manufactured by MITSUBA SYSTEMS , possesses the capability to vary the speed & stroke to suit the conveyor speed and the jig height. The reciprocator are electrically driven via AC geared motor, giving gentle and distinct motion. The advanced control system of the reciprocators is designed to control reciprocating speed, stroke length & multi speed operations, thus ensuring the best possible coating results. Each reciprocator can accommodate up to 8 automatic guns and can this be used even where high line speeds are employed. The reciprocator can be coupled to a standard ‘X' axis horizontal movement system such that an advanced part sensing system like the magic eye can move them in / our of the booth while keeping track of the change in width of the part of the object to be coated.     Salient Features:-     Increased Uniformity – Advanced digital control.     Improved Finish – Smooth movement during traversing and change of direction.     Quick Job Change – Pre-programmable preset points for automatic selection of stroke and speed.     Maximum Reliability – Simplicity of design and operator friendly controls.         Do feel free to contact us to know more about how automation can reduce your powder coating cost.              To know more about MITSUBA products please visit  www.powdergun.com   OR   Contact Us:   MITSUBA SYSTEMS (I) PVT. LTD.,   34/H, Laxmi Industrial Estate,   New Link Road, Andheri (W),   Mumbai– 400 053. INDIA   Tel:  0091-22-2631 8633/2633 4735/56924151/52/53/54        Fax:  0091-22-56924154.   Email:   mitsuba@vsnl.com

Infomercial from Zodiac Engineering. A Real Helping Hand to the Manufacturers of Powder Paints Zodiac Engineering are providing Turn Key Solution for Powder Coating Powders Manufacturing Plants as well as the Technology in the domestic and International Market.    The Twin Screw Extruder is suitable for powder coating. U.F./ M.F./ P.F. moulding powder The barrel is horizontal split type for easy cleaning. Screw is segmented. Automatic temperature controller and Digital A.C. speed control programmable. Imported drive for power saving. Excellent dispersion than any other single screw. Good for any shade and product like Pure epoxy, Pure Polyester, Epoxy-Polyester, Matt, High Glossy, Texture, Structure, Wrinkle, or Special Effect. For the convenience of the Powder Coating Industry Zodiac Engineering is capable to offer the entire Powder Coatings Powder Manufacturing Plant on TURN KEY BASIS within as short as a months time. All Quality Thermoset Twin Screw Extruders, Reciprocating Single Screw Extruders, Chilling Rollers, Air Classifying Mills (ACM) and High Speed Mixer Dry Dispensers are marketed throughout the country with assurance of the delivery of the machines within two weeks. Zodiac Engineering is supported with highly qualified Engineering Team for marketing and after sales services.  For Further details, contact: Zodiac Engineering H- 15 MIDC Satpur Nashik 422007 India Tel 91 253 2363504 Email zodiacengg@rediffmail.com

Parylene Coating and Its Application

Introduction
Parylene is a commercial name for polymers, which belong to a unique chemical family: poly-para-Xylylene. It is a generic name for a unique family of polymers used as conformal coatings in protective applications. The coating process exposes product to the gas-phase monomer at low pressure. Through vacuum deposition, Parylene condenses on the object’s surface in a polycrystalline fashion, providing a coating that is truly conformal and pinholefree.
Compared to liquid processes, the effects of gravity and surface tension are negligible so there is no bridging, thin-out, pinholes, puddling, run-off or sagging. And, the process takes place at room temperature so there is no thermal or mechanical stress on the product. Parylene is physically stable and chemically inert within its usable temperature range. Parylene provides excellent protection from moisture, salt spray, corrosive vapors, solvents, airborne contaminants and other hostile environments. Parylene provides coating with friction coefficient as low as 0.25 to 0.30.
These coatings are formed by the polymerization of para xylene. Which deposited on the substrate through vacuum deposition. Thus the coating obtained is uniform, thin, stress free and having very good mechanical properties. The coating has got all properties better then the conventional liquid coatings. The coating is applied on the substrate where protection is more important then decoration.

Types of Parylenes
The parylene are generally belongs to the polymers of the para-Xylenes and its substitutions. Some of which are as follows-

1.parylene N
2.parylene C
3.parylene D

The basic member of the poly-p-xylylene series is Parylene N - a completely linear, highly crystalline material. The other commercially available members are Parylene C and Parylene D which originate from the same original monomer, modified only by the substitution of one or two aromatic hydrogen with chlorine atoms. <Click here for the complete paper>

About the author
Shailendra Wadhwani has sent us his paper for publication.  He  did his B.Tech in Paint Technology from H.B.T.I, Kanpur in 2005. It is a well known institute and is particularly famous for its chemical Engineering and Technology branches. He choose " PARYLENE COATIONG " as his final year project. The paper is just an introduction of the topic. After completing his engineering he  joined HCL Technology as a software engineer and is working with this company since then.
 


Akzo Nobel planning major coatings expansion in Spain
Akzo Nobel has agreed to sell its decorative coatings site near Barcelona, Spain as part of an expansion of its business activities there, which will include the construction of a brand new facility.

The land and buildings at the Sant Adria de Besos plant have been sold to real estate project development company Urbis. Financial details were not disclosed. However, Akzo Nobel will continue to make use of the site for up to four years from date of sale, allowing time for the new facility to be constructed and the activities to be transferred.

BASF increases capacities to meet growing demand
Coatings Flash - March 27, 2006
BASF plans to increase its existing production capacities for butylacrylate in Ludwigshafen and for acrylic acid and superabsorbent polymers (SAP) in Antwerp. BASF cites major expansion of its European business as the reason for the extensions. The capacity of the
existing SAP plant at the Antwerp site will be increased 115,000 to 175,000 metric tons annually. Capacity for the precursor acrylic acid will be extended as a result. A second plant with a capacity of 160,000 metric tons is to be built. The additional acrylic acid produced will be needed for SAP production in Antwerp and will supply additional volumes for Ludwigshafen as part of the European integrated production system: Expanding the capacity of the butylacrylate plant in Ludwigshafen will cause increased demand for the precursor, acrylic acid. The new capacities will be available by 2008.

Hentzen Coatings teams with U.S. Army to develop chemical resistant coatings
The U.S. Army has awarded Hentzen Coatings, Inc. an order for military vehicle protective coatings in the amount of $9.2 million. The delivery order is part of a $14.1 million firm-fixed-price contract for the chemical agent resistant coatings.

Berger, Nerolac withdraw appeal, agree to pay dumping duty
New Delhi, Mar 16: Paint manufacturers Berger Paints India and Goodlass Nerolac, who are facing charges of resorting to cheap imports of titanium dioxide from China, have withdrawn their appeal against anti-dumping duty slapped on them by the government.

The two companies had filed the appeal before the Customs Excise and Service Tax Appelate Tribunal after the Finance Ministry, in April 2004, asked the firms to pay countervailing duty of 1,227.60 dollars for every metric tonne of titanium dioxide imported by them.

Titanium dioxide is an essential ingredient in the manufacture of low-cost paint.

"During the course of arguments, the appellant's counsel states that it seeks permission to withdraw... Appeals stand disposed," Tribunal President R K Abhichadani said.

In January 2003, Thiruvananthapuram-based Titanium Dioxide Manufacturers Association had complained to the government against the cheap imports by the two companies. <more>

Clashing colours? Campaign Logic
Competitors Asian Paints and Nerolac's new exterior paints ads focus on product benefits. Is that enough?

For a country that’s known for its vibrant hues and its love of colour, selling paint in India isn’t easy. There’s no clear house-painting season and once it’s done, home-owners don’t think of a fresh coat for at least five years. And those are the interiors. Exteriors get a rougher deal — not just in terms of exposure to the harsh environment and all the heat and dust, but also in terms of getting their share of attention.

And now you’ve got not one, but two exterior paint brands promoting their wares on television. Asian Paints launched its minute-long TVC for Apex Ultima on February 6. And Nerolac’s 30-seconder for Suraksha Advanced also hit TV screens on the same day.<more>


Widening the brush
K.S. Dhingra of Berger Paints is on an expansion spree. After starting a powder-coating plant in Jammu last month, the tycoon is now looking to set up an automotive paint facility at Rewari in Haryana by January 2007. The unit that will cater to industry located in the North would soon be doubling volumes at Rewari if the auto industry responds favourably to his moves. Over and above his expansion plans on the domestic turf, Dhingra will also be setting up a facility in Russia, which will be his second overseas manufacturing plant after the one in Nepal. The facility in Kraskadar, South Russia, for the decorative paints segment is likely to be operational by July. Dhingra has been exporting his products to the vast Russian market for the last 10 years now. He claims that Berger enjoys brand recall in the market and with a manufacturing facility there, conquering Russia should not be a difficult task for the paints tycoon. Stepping on the gas on both domestic and overseas fronts, the tycoon is quite bullish about achieving his turnover target of Rs 1,100-crore rather soon. That’s painting a rosy future <more>

Messages in coats
Asian Paints sharpens its distribution innovations and customer involvement initiatives.
In the 1970s, recalls K B S Anand, army jawans would rush to buy black paint just before an inspection. “They would blacken their shoes with it, even though they knew that the enamel would ruin them,” says Anand, vice-president, sales and marketing at Asian Paints (AP).

For the jawans it was a quick-fix method to get through the inspection, but for the company it was a lesson in packaging.

“We needed to sell the paint in small cans of just 50 ml because they wouldn’t buy more, and we realised how important packaging can be,” recounts Anand. <more>

Powder Coatings Markets in North America 2004/2005-2015
Coatings Flash - March 06, 2006
As one of the mature powder coatings markets, North America has struggled in recent years to maintain its momentum. In its recently published study, Belgium-based Irfab Chemical Consultants Scrl states that the North American powder coatings producers will face many
challenges to maintain growth and profitability in the period up to 2015. In 2004, the Powder Coatings market in North America (USA & Canada) was around 200,000 tonnes, and valued at more than USD 1 billion. Mexico is rapidly growing in importance for the powder coatings
industry. There are about 60 suppliers of thermoset Powder Coatings in the USA and Canada, including all but one of the main global players. Polyester-epoxy hybrids and polyester-TGIC powders are the two main types used in the North American market, together representing
nearly 60 % of the market, followed by polyurethanes, epoxies, and acrylics.


 UTEK Completes Technology Transfer with Trio Industries Group, Inc.; Transfer Includes License to Improved Powder Coating Process
DALLAS & PLANT CITY, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2006--UTEK Corporation (AMEX:UTK) (LSE-AIM:UTKA), an innovative technology transfer company, and Trio Industries Group, Inc. (Pink Sheets:TRIG), an integrated manufacturer of finished household cabinet components that will utilize innovative surface coating finishing and manufacturing processes, announced today that Trio Industries Group, Inc. has acquired Ultra Fine Coating Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of UTEK Corporation, in a stock transaction.


Ultra Fine Coating Systems, Inc. holds a license to an innovative powder coating technology developed at The University of Western Ontario which allows for the complete fluidization of ultra fine particles down to nanometer size. The company's objective is to produce high quality surface finishing on wood and other cellulose-based materials and products comparable to liquid coatings used for automotive exteriors. Using this patented, environmentally friendly process, powder coatings with average particle sizes at the micron scale have been successfully applied in production settings.

"We have completed more than a year of continuous production line spraying of a black, high-efficiency ultra fine (HEUF) powder coating and we have shown a significantly improved film surface quality and a 35 percent reduction in powder use," said Jesse Zhu, Ph.D., inventor of the technology at The University of Western Ontario. Dr. Zhu added, "The results clearly show that the HEUF powder exhibits much better fluidization and much less cohesiveness than that of ultra fine powders not processed with our technology." <more>

OptiFlex manual powder coating range
ITW Finishing Technologies, distributor for ITW Gema powder coating application equipment in Australia and New Zealand, has launched its new manual equipment line, OptiFlex. This innovative range was developed to meet the high standards in powder coating technology for the 21st century. All currently available powder types including metallic powders can be processed trouble-free and without need of any modification.

Manufactured under strict quality control in St Gallen, Switzerland, the OptiFlex range supersedes the Gema Easy range, which has been sold successfully throughout the region for the last five years.

The newly developed manual gun, OptiSelect, guarantees fatigue-free coating due to superior balance and ergonomics.

The gun weighs only 520g, including a quick-change connector for the conductive powder hose, an aerated electrode, integrated high-voltage cascade with 100kV and a remote control.

With the remote control, the operator can adjust the powder output and change the coating program without the need to return to the control unit.<more>

DuPont to Cut 1,500 Jobs in Plan to Boost Profits
DuPont announced that it launched a global plan to reduce costs, improve productivity and better serve its customers in its performance coatings businesses, steps which will improve profitability and competitiveness <more>

No lead related punitive damages
Coatings Flash - March 06, 2006
Sherwin-Williams and two other former makers of lead-based paint do not have to pay punitive damages, based on a jury finding their products harmed children, a Rhode Island judge ruled. Jurors decided, however, that Sherwin-Williams, NL Industries and Millennium Holdings must pay to remove the danger of peeling paint from homes. Judge Michael Silverstein in Providence ruled
after a hearing that the paint companies" behaviour was not sufficiently willful and reckless to
justify setting punitive damages. The judge will decide later whether the companies must remove the paint from homes or seal it to make it safe.

Power Flame's powder coat system to go online in a week
A new powder coat system developed by Power Flame will have the Parsons plant running more efficiently and with fewer fumes when it goes online soon.

Dan Mills, vice president of manufacturing, said Tuesday the company plans to begin using the new system next week.

Powder coating will take the place of traditional wet painting of parts Power Flame now uses. It is more environmentally friendly because no fumes are emitted. At the same time, the powder coat line will take four fewer people and less time to operate than the existing paint line.

The way Power Flame paints its parts now is labor intensive. One person must hand clean and sand each part before another person paints it. Workers must then wait for the part to dry before anything can be done with it.<more>

Lord Corporation agrees to purchase Business Line of Henkel
Coatings Flash - March 13, 2006
The US-based Lord Corporation has signed a definitive agreement with Henkel KGaA of Duesseldorf, Germany to purchase certain assets comprising Henkel's rubber-to-substrate bonding and rubber coating business. Lord Corporation is a global developer and manufacturer of products and technologies that provide adhesion and bonding, control motion and minimize the effects of shock and vibration. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions including the required antitrust approvals. The business primarily serves automotive and
industrial manufacturers of rubber molded and extruded components. Henkel employees performing technical
and commercial functions and who have been primarily dedicated to this business are planned to transfer to Lord
Corporation subsidiaries.

Advanced Coating Technology Extends Life Of Paint Bell Cups Over 5 Years At Ford Motor Company
3/16/2006
Not often does an investment in equipment produce a payback in six months, with direct cost savings amounting to more than 20 times the initial expenditure. But those are the results that a space age ceramic coating for paint bell atomizers is achieving for Ford Motor Company.

This new Ford-patented coating solves the problem of limited life of the aluminum and titanium bell cups, an expensive replacement component of the paint atomizers. The process for applying the coating was developed in collaboration with the Diamonex Products Division of Morgan Advanced Ceramics. Morgan Advanced Ceramics is a leading manufacturer of innovative ceramic, glass, metal and engineered coating solutions. <more>