Asian Paints: Rich colours: Besides strong demand, Asian Paints has also benefited from price hikes
Asian Paints has benefited from Diwali celebrated in mid-October this year compared with early-November in the previous year.

Analysts point out that as households advanced the painting work in their homes, the company benefited, along with the boom in commercial properties during Q2 FY07. However, the company still had to grapple with rising input costs.

As a result, Asian Paints’ operating profit grew 24.1 per cent y-o-y in Q2 FY07 compared with 26.3 per cent sales growth. Operating profit margin fell slightly on a y-o-y basis to 13.4 per cent owing to a 160 basis point rise in raw material costs. The company’s raw materials are derived from crude-based inputs.

Apart from strong demand in the domestic market, the company also benefited from two price increases-one in Q1 and the other in Q2. International sales, especially in the Middle East, grew 25 per cent y-o-y, helping overseas sales account for 17 per cent of its consolidated sales <more>

Asian Paints subsidiary enters into share purchase agreement with Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd
Asian Paints has announced that Berger International, the subsidiary of the company, has entered into a conditional share purchase agreement with Myanmar Economic Holdings for the sale of its entire holding in Berger Paints Manufacturing Ltd, Myanmar.

Pursuant to the agreement, the consideration payable to Berger International for the sale of said shares is USD 6,00,000 (equivalent to approximately SGD 9,36,420 based on an exchange rate of SGD 1.5607 : USD 1).

The gain for the Berger group from the above transaction will be approximately SGD 0.725 million. Asian Paints (International) Ltd, a 100% subsidiary Company of the Company holds 50.1% shares of Berger International. <more>

 

Infomercial from Mitsuba Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd. Mitsuba Systems (India) Pvt Ltd., 34-H/G, Laxmi Industrial Estate, New Link Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai - 400 053, India. Tel : ++91-22-26318633 / 26334735 / 66924151-52-53 Fax : ++91-22-66924154 Email : mitsuba@vsnl.com  Website : www.powdergun.com

IPC Classified
Western Commercial Corporation Barite a natural Barium Sulphate from Ankerports N.V. Nederlands Portaryte ® B and Diamelia ® are produced from carefully selected very white Barite which is natural Barium Suphate  because of its Good Dispersibility Low Binder Absorption Chemical Inertia High Whiteness High Loading Low Abrasivity Are succesfuly used in Industrial Coatings Marine Coating, Colour Master Batches, Powder Coatings, Automative Applications HIghly Filled Plastics Diamelia ® 40/10 is specially developed for Matt and semi glossy powder coating finishes and Diamelia ® 3 in High Gloss Industrial Coatings Please contact us for more information M/S Western Commercial Corporation 502 Vishwananak, 5th Floor, Chakala Andheri (East) Mumbai 400099 Tele  91 - 22 - 2839 44 41 / 42 / 43 Fax  91 - 22 - 2821 98 71 Email  acorp@dishnetdsl.net   acorp@vsnl.in	Vijay Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. Vijay Enterprises is a leading manufacture of powder coating materials (PCM) in India. VIJAY COAT today stands as a Reliable source of High Quality and Durable Powder Coating materials at very reasonable prices. Vijay's PCM find extensive application for industrial and other demanding applications. Vijay enterprises was incorporated in 1995 with a view to supplying quality PCMs to Indian industry. Vijay's manufacturing set up is equipped with best machines from M/s Buss AG Switzerland who are world's largest manufacturer of Powder Coating Machines. Vijay has now established itself and earned a name for its quality supplies and prompt delivery at very economic prices. VIJAY has multi-locational production facilities near Ahmedabad in western India and at Silvassa in the U T of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, 200 Kms off Mumbai. This makes it a competitive source of PCMs to all customers.  Vijay Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. Admin. Office : 103, Gita Bhavan, 1st Floor, Opp. Vijay Transport, Narol Char Rasta, AHMEDABAD 382 405. GUJARAT. INDIA. Telephone: +91-79-2532 9057, 25329374,Fax: +91-79-2535 9481 Email: jayesh@icenet.net web: vijay-powdercoat.com	ORCHID POLYCOATS the coating solution company Orchid polycoats is in the business of Powder coatings material (Coating Powder) manufacturing. Company is looking for dealer in all over India. It is preferable if dealer is having experience in surface coating industry. Dealer should have good financial capability. Interested person can send their profile on following given address. Orchid Polycoats, B-49,STICE, Musalgaon, Tal.Sinnar,Dist.Nasik Tele-fax-02551-240475 Mobile:9881148688 E-mail: orchid_polycoats@rediffmail.com
		Your message here You can reach thousands of people thorough our classified ads. Place your own classified text  ads. or messages  here Just for Rs 500 (USD 10) only Contact the moderator for details India Powder Coating Vivek Soley 3, Lalaram Nagar, Indore, 452001 MP India Phone 91 731 2492291 Mobile 9826297112 emails:   viveksoley@hotmail.com ,  viveksoley@ipconweb.com , indiapowdercoating@yahoo.com

Infomercial from Palta Fertilizers & Chemicals World's best Carbon Black value proposition for Paints & Powder Coatings Manufacturers   We couldn’t change the competition’s products so… we made ours better. The trustworthiness and credibility of the paints and powder coatings manufactured using our grades have achieved an indisputable respect and we realize that our customers won’t come back to us if the product doesn’t deliver what we promise.   ICI carbon blacks continues to revolutionize the whole industry. Market testing gives evidence that the grades of ICI Carbon will be most profitable for the Indian Paint and Powder Coatings Industry. You can leverage our hard work from continuous improvement and Innovation initiatives by reaching us through our listing on the raw material page of the website  India Powder Coating .   Paints and powder coating powders manufactured using ICI grades gives consumers, businesses, and industry one of the most economical, longest-lasting, and most color-durable quality finishes available. You are welcome to visit us at www.icicarbon.com We work directly with our customers to help them achieve the best quality and cost value proposition. -           Mayur Palta Marketing Manager Global Palta Fertilizers & Chemicals For further details contact: North India: Shah Sikander Road, Industrial Area Jalandhar City 144003 Tel: +91-181-2290133 / 2295261 Fax: +91-181-3041800 South India: 1310, Glacier Block, Brigade Gardenia RBI Layout, Puttanahalli, Bangalore - 560027 For Technical Information for ICI Carbon Black Grades, Click here Locate an Advisor (Distributor) Near You, here Maharashtra Contact Person Mr. Jesal Parekh Direct No. 09322239209 Company Name R. Nagardas & Company Address 179, Sameul Street,  1st Floor, Masjid Bunder Mumbai Maharashtra Phone 91 22 3751935, 3742741 3739708 Contact Person Mr. Rohit Direct No 09370244425 Company Name Zodiac Engineering Address H 15 MIDC Satpur Nasik Maharashtra Phone 0253 2363504 Punjab Contact Person Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal Direct No 09814859811 / 9356615172 Company Name AIndustrial Weld House SCO 57, Opp. SBI, Near R&D Centre, Phase 5 Focal Point Extension Ludhiana Punjab Phone 0161-3943972  Karnataka Contact Person Mr. R. Vijayan / Mr. S. Venkatesh Direct No 9845021537 / 9845021497 Company Name: Aishwarya Enterprises Address No.2, 3rd Cross, Naganahalli Main Road R.T.Nagar / 568, Burugal Mutt Road V.V.Puram Bangalore Karnataka Phone  080-23338077 080-26506231 Gujarat   Contact Person: Mr. Ketan Patel Direct No. 09426352823 Company Name Nuttan Enterprises 59, Address Jimmy Tower Gondal Road Rajkot Gujrat Direct Inquiry: +91-9886791034 Direct Order: +91-9814001034 / 9876380008 Email mayur.palta@icicarbon.com   mayur@paltagroup.com    Website http://www.icicarbon.com    http://www.paltagroup.com

Berger paints to start ops in Russia
NEW DELHI: Berger Paints is expected to start operations in its new Russian plant by January 2007. This would be the second time that the company has pushed back the date for commencing operations in the plant. The first target was set for March 2006, which was pushed to May 2006.
This would be the second overseas venture of the company. Berger already operates a plant in Nepal, which was acquired by Jenson & Nicholson.
The Russian plant has absorbed an initial investment to the tune of $ 2.5 million. The plant when operational is projected to contribute with annual revenues of about $ 3 million. <more>


Chinacoat 2006
 

Since its inception in 1996, the CHINACOAT (The China Int'l Exhibition for Coatings, Printing Inks and Adhesives) exhibition has been the key event for coatings, printing inks and adhesives suppliers who wish to enter, expand and consolidate their positions in this market. As an annual event, alternates to be held between the cities of Guangzhou and Shanghai every November, CHINACOAT provides a global platform for exhibitors to meet decision-makers from this industry across the world, from China to Asia Pacific, Europe and Middle East.

In terms of exhibit size, number of exhibitors and visitors, CHINACOAT is now one of the largest coatings shows held in the world today.

- A total of 518 direct exhibitors (representing 729 companies) had exhibited in CHINACOAT2006
- Total number of visitors increased to 23,534
- Total number of Pre-registered visitors turned up to visit the show is 12,898

CHINACOAT is organized by Hong Kong-based Sinostar International Ltd.


A chat  interview with Wu Lingli of HuangShan Runfa, China
HuangShan Runfa,is located in the county, which is neighboring with an international famous tourist attraction-Huangshan.Runfa is a private enterprise integrated with research, production andtrade.With10 years development since 1992,Runfa has been embracing more than 6 million U.S. dollar total asset,2.13 hectares production base, 8000 square meter workshop,varied senior techanical and management talent, mondenized equipments,R & D labs, Internet trade and information system,and broad domestic and oversea markets. It's also continuously honored as triple A enterprise by Agriculture Bank of China within 3 years, top 100 private enterprise of Anhui Province, and top 10 in Huangshan city. Mr.Jieping Wu is the director and general manager of the company.

The company manufactures 
Low-gloss Curing Agent RF811 Polyester Resin Series
Low Temperature and Fast Curing Agent RF812 Epoxy Resin Series
Epoxy-resin Curing Agent RF813 Chlorinated polyethlene

Wu Lingli Handles the import export section.

IPC Recently China Coat 2006 was held in Gangzhau.. Did your company participate it it?
Wu Lingli: yes, We attended. Also, Exhibition is a better way to find new customers

IPC: how long has your company been in business?
Wu Lingli: from 1992

IPC: what percent of your products are exported?
Wu Lingli: around 10%

IPC: Is India among the importer of your products?
Wu Lingli: of course, we have agent there to handle our business.

IPC: do u find our website www.ipconweb.com  and the IPC e newsletter useful?
Wu Lingli Yes we do, In fact I am knowing you  through your website..

IPC: Thanks for sharing the information with us.
Wu Lingli Thanks.

Kansai Nerolac Q2 net seen up 12.6% at Rs 34.5cr
Kansai Nerolac is to declare its Q2FY07 results. According to CNBC-TV18 estimates, the company's net profit is expected to go up 12.6% at Rs 34.5 crore (Rs 345 million) from Rs 30.6 crore (Rs 306 million).

Its net sales are seen going up 16.7% at Rs 307.5 crore (Rs 3.07 billion) from Rs 263.5 crore (Rs 2.63 billion).

The operating profit is seen up 13.5% at Rs 50.7 crore (Rs 507 million) from Rs 44.7 crore (Rs 447 million). Its operating profit margin is expected to be at 16.8% versus 17%.

Indian Paint industry draws a rosy picture
India's GDP growth of 8 percent, infrastructure investment in billions, over 60% of the population aged under 30, falling interest rates, rising consumer markets growing at double-digit percentages and the promise of a strong manufacturing base for exports - these list of attractions augurs well for the paints industry.


The multi billion dollar market has come a long way to discover the new horizon of painting Industry in the Indian sub continent. The industry is expected to grow by 15 percent in value terms in the current fiscal.

But the per capita consumption of paints in India is very low at 0.5 kilo grams per annum if compared with 4 kgs in the South East Asian nations and 22 kgs in developed countries. The global average per capita consumption is 15 kg. So there is a huge scope to grow. <more>

Kansai Nerolac to up capacity, plans unit in south
Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:35 PM IST
MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's second-largest paints maker, Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd., plans to invest 1 billion rupees ($22 million) to raise capacity by about 20,000 tonnes a year, a company official said on Wednesday.

The expansion, at its units in Jainpur and Bawal in northern India, and Lote Parshuram in western India, will help it meet rising demand in the fast-growing Indian paints market, Ashok Saini, vice president for special projects, told Reuters.

"The expansion will be done in both the decorative and industrial (paints) segments, over the next 12-16 months," he said.

The company now has a capacity of 158,300 tonnes.

Nerolac celebrates Children’s Day
Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited (KNPL), and Salaam Bombay Foundation have come together the second time to repeat their commitment to underprivileged children in Mumbai. Continuing from the successful Children’s Day event last year, Nerolac and Salaam Bombay organised the “Nerolac Little Master Challenge 2006” for almost 3000 underprivileged kids. It was a cricket tournament organised by Salaam Bombay and sponsored by Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited. The game of cricket was played on Children’s Day on 14th November 2006 at Purandare Ground, Dadar.

Nerolac Little Master Challenge 2006 was organised with an aim of propagating the campaign of anti-tobacco in wake of many evils that jeopardize the future of the young generation. The cricket tournament was organised to give a chance to the kids to showcase their talent for the sport who would otherwise be deprived from any such opportunity or even come close to being a spectator, leave alone playing in such a grand scale. Three thousand children from Municipal schools were a part of this event, out of which 4 teams participated in the cricket tournament from 14 Municipal schools. The teams were named Rainbow, Sunrise, Eagle & Tiger. <more>

Opalz MDF powder coating
Decorative Imaging Pty Ltd has joined forces with two building industry leaders, Interpon Powder Coatings and Carter Holt Harvey, to develop Opalz, a revolutionary coating system for MDF, and become the only company in Australia licensed to use this unique coating process.

Decorative Imaging has utilised the latest technology from Interpon, who have years of experience in developing specialist powder coating, as well as a special high performance MDF board from Carter Holt Harvey, to develop the durable Opalz MDF finish.

The Opalz MDF powder coating process has reliably achieved the three major objectives required for successfully powder coating MDF. Unlike aluminium and other metal substrates, MDF presents a number of challenges for powder coating due to it being an organic material. However, Opalz MDF powder coating fully covers the MDF board, preventing moisture from penetrating the coating and also averting chipping and peeling. <more>

Research continues on soybeans for nonfood uses
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Many Minnesota farmers are familiar with some of the efforts to develop soybeans for non-food uses. The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council and the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute have spent money, time and resources promoting the use of soybeans for everything from soy ink, to combine panels, to dishes.
Soy-based powder coating for appliances.
Refrigerators have traditionally been painted with dry paint that relies on petroleum-based resins.These petroleum-based resins need very high temperatures (400 degrees F) to melt and flow and cure on the product. The high temperatures require a lot of energy. Refrigerator manufacturers are also limited to using this technique to paint metal because plastic would melt under the high temperatures. Battelle's soy-based powder coating works at 250 degrees F and can work on plastic, composites and metals. The technology is being licensed to a major chemical company. <more>

Ecology Coatings Hires New CEO, Industry Veteran Tom Krotine
November 07, 2006 07:40 AM Eastern Time
AKRON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ecology Coatings Inc., a leading developer of nano-engineered industrial coatings for cleaner, more efficient manufacturing, today announced that it has hired industry veteran F. Thomas Krotine as president and chief executive officer. With more than thirty-five years of industry experience at Fortune 500 companies and small businesses alike, Krotine will be applying his specific expertise in coatings commercialization, business process optimization and new business development to his new position at Ecology Coatings. Former CEO Richard Stromback will transition to a new leadership role as chairman of the growing coatings company.

“Having coatings industry veteran Tom Krotine join us at the helm marks a significant milestone in the next phase of growth for Ecology Coatings,” said Richard Stromback. “His expansive knowledge and expertise in driving corporate success within the coatings market, a $16.4 billion industry in the US alone, is the ideal complement to Ecology Coatings’ core competencies in technology innovation and dynamic product development.”

“Delivering an impressive value proposition to a wide spectrum of manufacturing industries, Ecology Coatings has already gained exciting market traction with its non-polluting, quick-curing industrial coatings,” said Krotine. “As CEO I look forward to building on that momentum by securing additional strategic partnerships and expanding commercialization efforts across the company’s large – and growing – array of application opportunities both within the US and in key international markets.”

Krotine served most recently as chairman and lead investor of CV Materials, a supplier of porcelain enamel materials; a turn-around situation that resulted in a successful acquisition of the company by its primary competitor. Prior to his role at CV Materials, Krotine was the manager and principal investor of TK Holdings, which he formed to acquire equity holdings in small to medium-sized manufacturing companies. Before that, he served as vice president at Valspar Corporation where he managed the company’s Canadian company and North American powder coating business. Krotine also spent 10 years as a senior vice president at Sherwin-Williams Company where he was responsible for technology management and corporate environmental and health compliance. Krotine holds a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and Ph.D. in metallurgy and materials science from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he has served on the Board of Trustees.

Siegwerk opens production plant in St. Petersburg
Coating Flash November 06
Ink manufacturer Siegwerk opened its new manufacturing plant in St. Petersburg, Russia. "Russia is a fascinating market, in which we invest, in order to offer our most important Russian customers fast, on-site service", said Siegwerk's CEO Herbert Forker at the opening of the new facility on 26 October. According to the company, Siegwerk has built up a stable market position in Russia, the Ukraine and several adjacent countries over the last years. For instance, Siegwerk claimes to hold a market share in Russia of about 70 per cent in the area of high-quality inks for tobacco packaging. "Russia has ascended in the past years to become the center of packaging ink for cigarette and tobacco products", said Hugo Noordhoek Hegt, member of the Siegwerk board of directors. Packaging offset inks as well as solvent-based colours will be produced in two new buildings in St. Petersburg, located close to production facilities of important important Siegwerk customers and brand-name manufacturers.

Ashland Inc. to acquire Northwest Coatings
Coating Flash November 06
Ashland Inc. announced that it signed a definitive agreement to purchase the assets of Northwest Coatings of Oak Creek, Wis., a formulator and manufacturer of adhesives and coatings employing ultraviolet and electron beam (UV/EB) polymerization technologies. Northwest Coatings is a holding of Caltius Equity Partners. The transaction, which includes production facilities in Milwaukee, Wis., and Greensboro, N.C., is valued at approximately USD 72 million. Trailing 12-month sales of Northwest Coatings are nearly USD 40 million. Closing of the acquisition, which is anticipated to take place before the end of 2006, is dependent upon a number of standard closing conditions, including regulatory review. Ashland Specialty Polymers & Adhesives, a business unit of Ashland Performance Materials, is a manufacturer of pressure sensitive and structural adhesives for the packaging and converting, building and construction, and transportation industries.

Graphite Coating can be applied to surfaces up to 1,000°F.
November 1, 2006 - Brushed, sprayed, or dipped on surfaces, Grade AA Ultra Graphite Coating is smooth and slippery when dried and has high electrical and thermal conductivity. It will not crack or melt and produces no odors, smoke, or pollution. Water-based product serves as release agent since most molten metals, quartz, glass, concrete, and ceramics will not stick to its surface. When no longer needed, coating may be removed with cold water.<more>

North American Paints and Coatings Markets Presents a Rosy Picture Following the Housing Boom
PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The declining numbers of new housing starts, raw material price hikes and increasingly stringent
regulations on volatile organic compounds have not done much to dampen the growth prospects of the North American paints and coatings market. A surge in demand following the housing boom of 2001-2005 expects to drive the
market even during critical periods.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.water.frost.com ), North American Paints & Coatings Market - Investment Analysis and Growth
Opportunities, reveals this market earned $21.43 billion in 2005 and estimates this to reach $25.45 billion in 2009. <more>

Septuplets Celebrate Ninth Birthday
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Many central Iowans remember watching and waiting for the births of the McCaughey septuplets nearly nine years ago. NewsChannel 8's Mollie Cooney went to the children's ninth birthday party in Urbandale.

Their actual birthday isn't until Sun day, Nov. 19, but Saturday they let the celebration begin.

The McCaugheys and friends jumped right into the party at Pump it Up in Urbandale. The septuplets are all in third grade in Carlisle. The oldest sibling, Mikayla, is home-schooled. The family's speaking engagements have all but ended, as well as most of their endorsements. The children's father, Kenny McCaughey, continues to work at a powder coating plant near Des Moines. <more>

Coming soon to a TV near you
Saif Ali Khan and his sister Soha Ali Khan will be seen together onscreen for the first time, not in a movie but in a commercial for Asian Paints. Saif Ali has been endorsing Asian Paints for some years now and in the next campaign, reportedly Soha Ali will also be joining him.

Reportedly, the ad film, yet to be shot, will follow the old formula and will have an emotional story line, the work on which is currently been done.

Sources say the commercial could feature the duo reminiscing about their childhood.

This is similar to an advert the same company made with Akshaye Khanna reminicising while looking at a picture of him and his father on a freshly painted wall. <more>

ICI Paints signs up Kareena Kapoor
PTI
Thursday, November 30, 2006 15:40 IST
NEW DELHI: With an eye on further fuelling growth in the Indian market, leading global paints company ICI has roped in Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor to endorse its 'Colour Futures' campaign. Karan Johar will direct the actor in the advertisement to be produced by Shah Rukh Khan's production house, Red Chillies Entertainment.

"India is amongst the top ten global markets which are prime growth drivers for us. We are expecting significant growth from this market and hence are increasing our investments here," ICI Paints Chief Marketing Officer Kerris Bright said.
 

Visit from  Pune, Maharashtra
Dinesh Sudumbrekar assistant manager sales Statfield Equipments Pvt. Ltd. visited our office  while on his tour to this area.  He appreciated the role of  our website in the Indian powder coating industry and discussed about the developments  going on in Statfield.


Visit to Nasik, Maharashtra,
During my recent visit to Nasik, Maharashtra. I had a chance to meet several people in the powder coating field. Among them was Prashant Naik, a young energetic man of 26. Informing about his activities he said, " we have started powder manufacturing eight month back with the name Orchid Polycoat. coating solution company, and also involves with distillation of solvents, waxes manufacturing .

Prashant Naik further informed, "We are manufacturing small quantities. All though we are not in competition of bigger players, we can always match customer requirement if they are currently being served by big player & willing to give us a chance. We are giving a quality product. and we keep control of all parameters and perform necessary tests and analysis to give a quality product. The coverage of some of our powders is around 135 sqft per kg. We are not in price competition. Shortly, there will be an ISO audit . Our quality does our marketing for us. Our production is not too high but we are having a production capacity of 150 kg/hr. so we can fulfill orders of bigger volume if needed."
When asked about the name orchid he said Orchids are the largest and most diverse of the flowering plant families, with over 800 described genera and 25,000 species.

Best luck Prashant. You have entered into a business which is very competitive.


I also met people from Kritpton, Berger,  Colourflair, and  Vipul Enterprises. More on that in our next newsletter.
 

European Coatings Conference: The Power of Ink Jet Materials IV + Toners
29.11. - 1.12. 2006
Berlin/Germany
Vincentz Network

AWA Vacuum Coatings & Metallizing Industry Conference 2006
4.12. - 5.12. 2006
Amsterdam/The Netherlands
AWA Alexander Watson Associates

Automotive Powder Coating
5.12. - 7.12. 2006
Ypsilanti, MI/USA
Eastern Michingan University, Research Insitute, Sandra Tanner

Epoxy Resin Expo 2006
6.12. - 8.12. 2006
Shanghai/China
Shanghai Zhanye Exhibition Co., Ltd , Mr. Cai Li Ming

Industrial Ink Technology
11.12. - 13.12. 2006
Amsterdam/The Netherlands
Center for Professional Advancement

Printing Technology
13.12. - 15.12. 2006
Amsterdam/The Netherlands
Center for Professional Advancement

6th International Paint, Resin, Coatings and Composites Fair 2007
11.1. - 14.1. 2007
Tehran/Iran
Banian Omid Co.


ASTM Committee D01 on Paint and Related Coatings, Materials, and Applications
21.1. - 23.1. 2007
Ft. Lauderdale, FL/USA
ASTM International

Surface Defects
Rejects from coating lines can come from a substrate defect, a surface contaminant or a coating material defect. Process controls should be implemented upstream of the coating line to prevent a defective substrate from entering the line. If a substrate is defective and has entered the coating line, it is important to recognize the source of the blemish and not waste time trying to fix the coating process to correct a pre-existing substrate condition.

Dirt on the surface of a coated part is a major concern for all coaters. Dirt may come from the air around the spray environment, from the application equipment or it may be in the coating material. If a defect is from contaminated coating material or manufacturing byproducts that have not been removed by the cleaning process it will be evenly distributed and, if it is an external source, the defect will more
likely be random.

Dirt in a powder coating can be screened out. Rotary sieves or vibratory sieves can be used to filter power fed from the collector module. Integrated screeners can be built into collector modules. Even an all manual operation can screen powder by putting it through a stainless steel screen before loading it into the feed hopper. Powder should always be screened. Reclaim needs to screened to eliminate dust that has entered the booth. Virgin material should be screened to make sure that there are no chips or contaminants in the box. Dirt from ineffective pretreatment can usually be corrected by changes in the process or control of the pretreatment system. Soils that are on the part from the manufacturing process that cannot be removed by a spray washer can usually be tracked to the source so a change can be made to eliminate them.

Air borne contaminants are the hardest to track and eliminate because they can come from so many different sources. Keeping a clean environment around the system is one of the best ways to reduce air borne dirt.

Electrostatically applied powder can entrain airborne dirt and deposit  it on the partsThe list below names some of the common sources of airborne contamination.

1. People – Air sampling of enclosed coating systems has shown that as much as 80% of the airborne contamination comes from the clothing, hair and shoes of personnel.

2. Nature – Pollen, road dust and other outdoor dirt are sometimes brought into the plant through doors, windows and unfiltered air supply systems.

3. The Building – Concrete floors may wear and give off dust.

4. Manufacturing – Mechanical operations in the manufacturing process may generate dust, metal shavings, or wood dust.

5. Process Equipment – The conveyor, the oven, the washer or other operations within the coating line can generate or concentrate dirt that will create a defect.

With all of these potential sources, the job of coating a part with no defects is a challenge to say the least. Here are some ways to help control dirt on coated parts. The level of dirt prevention that an operation adopts is directly related to their quality standards. In many general industrial applications it is not necessary to reach the highest level of cleanliness. However, in automotive facilities or other industries where quality levels are very demanding it may be necessary to adopt all of the following suggestions.

 1. Restrict access to the coating area or clean room to essential personnel as much as possible. Have all entrants to the powder room put on non-lint paper suits, hairnets and shoe covers.

2. Isolate the coating application area from the rest of the plant and supply filtered air to the enclosure that will create a slight positive
pressure in the room to prevent air from infiltrating through the product openings.

3. Have the concrete floors sealed in the area where workers put on their paper suits and in the powder room. Build a vestibule at the entrance to the powder room and add deionizing air in the vestibule to neutralize the workers before they enter.

4. Clean all surfaces in the room as frequently as necessary to avoid an accumulation of dust.

5. In overhead-conveyorized systems, use an inverted box track conveyor  or a sanitary pan under the conveyor. Use an automatic lubrication system with a dry-film, penetrating lubricant and do not over-lubricate. Clean the conveyor and chain components regularly with brushes or water blasting.

6. Filter the return air in the oven by installing a filtration bank in the return air opening of the burner box. Clean oven interior regularly (once a week).

7. One of the keys in controlling dirt is to use good recording and tracking of dirt rejects. Fiber, metal shavings, paper, and dust are examples of types of contaminants. Rejected parts should be recorded and categorized by the type of defect. The source of the dirt should be tracked and eliminated.