A champion of sustainability, Jotun increases production capacity while continuing its quest for innovation
Dammam: Jotun, the leading powder coatings and paint manufacturer in the Kingdom, has expanded its Powder Unit in Dammam to substantially increase capacity to meet growing demand. This expansion strengthens Jotun's position as the largest manufacturer of powder coatings in the Kingdom and will allow the company to further expand its commitment to offer sustainable solutions.
The opening ceremony was attended by His Excellency the Ambassador for Norway to KSA, Mr. Rolf Willy Hansen, who performed the ribbon-cutting in the presence of Jotun Powder Coatings SA Ltd management and board members.<more>

Dow Chemical to Cut Jobs, Under Hedge Fund Pressure
will cut about 3 percent of its global work force as it prepares to break off a significant part of its chlorine operations in a deal announced this year with Olin. The company says the cuts will reduce its work force by 1,500 to 1,750 positions. The company said in March that it would receive about $2 billion in cash and cash equivalents and an estimated $2.2 billion in Olin common stock as part of the chlorine business deal. Dow Chemical will take charges of $330 million to $380 million in the second quarter for asset impairments, severance and other costs tied to the cuts announced Monday. Dow has been under pressure from the hedge fund Third Point to split its specialty chemical and petrochemical businesses<more>

Self-cleaning properties remain, in spite of attempts to scratch or scuff it.
Self-cleaning surfaces work by being extremely repellent to water but are often rendered useless once damaged or exposed to strong substances like oil. Yet the self-cleaning properties of this new coating, made from titanium dioxide nanoparticles, work during and after immersion in problematic substances and following surface damage.

Yao developed an interest in developing the paint having become fascinated with the superhydrophobic - or water repelling - properties of plants, such as lotus and taro leaves. "I am quite interested in self-cleaning coatings in nature, such as plants," said Yao. "We put water on superhydrophobic plants, water wouldn't wet them. Instead the water will form drops and then roll off or just bounce away and leave the surface dry and clean.<more>

Berger Paints commences commercial production at Powder Coating plant
Berger Paints India has commenced commercial production at its Powder Coating plant located at Maharashtra on May 05, 2015.

Berger Paint’s range of products for Interior Wall Coating include Breathe Easy, Silk Luxury Emulsion, Easy Clean, Rangoli Total Care, Rangoli Total Care, while the company offers WeatherCoat All Guard, WeatherCoat Smooth, WeatherCoat Kool & Seal,WeatherCoat Longlife, WeatherCoat Tile Protektor and Walmasta, etc. <more>

BASF launches first nylon polymerization plant in Asia
BASF SE's 100,000-metric-ton-per-year nylon polymerization plant in Shanghai has officially come on stream.

The company on May 6 inaugurated the wholly owned facility in the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park, which also is home to a world-scale facility for integrated isocyanates, operated by BASF and partners.

The new plant makes Ultramid nylon 6 and 6/6 resins.

Kurt Bock, chairman of the board of executive directors of BASF, noted this is the first investment in nylon polymerization for BASF in Asia Pacific, enabling the company to respond to customers' needs faster and with more flexibility.<more>

BASF opens R&D centre for agrochemicals in Pune
The Rs 64 cr centre will focus on global agriculture research on herbicides, fungicides and insecticides.

Chemical major BASF has set up a a research and development centre for agrochemicals at Lonikand, Pune, its first in the country, at an estimated investment of Rs 64 crore. The centre will focus on global agriculture research on herbicides, fungicides and insecticides and will also offer to tailor-made solutions to the farmers.

"Our role is to partner with farmers and to work with them to protect the land they hold in trust for future generations and to meet the evolving expectations of society. The team in India will contribute to these goals by driving the development of new active ingredients, new formulations, and technologies," said Markus Heldt, president of BASF's crop protection division.<more>

Powder Coatings Market to Approximate US$10.5 Billion by 2018 with Increasing Deployment in BRICS Countries
According to a new market study released by Transparency Market Research (TMR), a leading U.S.-based market intelligence firm, the global powder coatings market is expected to expand rapidly in the coming years thanks to growing demand for consumer goods from the emerging BRICS economies. These countries have some of the fastest developing economies in the world and goods ranging from appliances to automobiles have a high demand from these countries. The high population of India and China, collectively accounting for 36% of the global population, also aids the powder coatings market.The report, compiled by experienced analysts using analytical tools such as Porter's five forces analysis and market attractiveness analysis, is titled 'Powder Coatings Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2012 - 2018' and is available for sale on TMR's website. The report presents historical statistics regarding the growth of the powder coatings market in the last few years and, upon a methodical analysis of the current market trends and their impact on market development, presents refined growth forecasts for the market's expansion from 2012 to 2018.<more>


Informative and solution-oriented: the new Gema website
Press release from: Gema Switzerland GmbH
Gema Switzerland GmbH offers its customers and all interested person an even higher added value on its newly designed and revised website. The website shines in a fresh and modern design and focuses on the fast retrieval of information on Gema and its products and solutions for the powder coating branch.
The page is not only addressed to loyal Gema customers, who like to learn more about the latest trends in powder coating, but also enables an easy navigation for new customers through the clear and intuitive structure of the new website.

The new website content pursues a solution-oriented approach with a high practical relevance and the clear explanation of advantages and benefits of the Gema products and technologies.

The user of the website can access the content in different ways to find the perfect powder coating solution.
Under the category "Solutions" innovative Gema solutions for typical powder coating problems and requirements are listed and explained with regard to a sustainable application improvement.
A high practical value is offered under the menu "Application", where Gema Case Studies demonstrate real areas of applications in powder coating. The category "Products" provides detailed information on the whole Gema product range.

Akzo Nobel Q4 Net Down 18.34% at Rs 44.64 Cr
Paints and coatings maker Akzo Nobel India today reported a 18.34 per cent decline in net profit at Rs 44.64 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2015 on lower sales.

It had posted a net profit of Rs 54.67 crore in the corresponding quarter, a year ago, Akzo Nobel said in a BSE filing.<more>

Kansai Nerolac Paints on Saturday reported a 34.60 percent increase in standalone net profit at Rs 60.37 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31.
The company had reported a net profit of Rs 44.85 crore in the January-March quarter last year.

Net sales during the quarter stood at Rs 804.9 crore, an increase of 7.71 percent compared with Rs 747.22 crore in the year-ago period, the company said in a BSE filing.

Meanwhile in a separate filing, Kansai Nerolac said it will invest Rs 350 crore to set up a new plant in Gujarat.

"The Board of Directors of the company at its meeting has approved setting up of a paint manufacturing unit at Sayakha Industrial Estate in Gujarat having capacity of 42,000 tonnes per year, which is expandable in phases, at an estimated cost of Rs 350 crore," Kansai Nerolac said.

For the year ended March 31, Kansai Nerolac reported net profit of Rs 271.67 crore against Rs 206.57 crore in the previous year. <more>

Berger Paints' Q4 net up 22%
Berger Paints India Ltd has reported a net profit of Rs. 70.68 crore in the fourth (January-March) quarter of 2014-15 against Rs. 57.94 crore in the corresponding quarter of 2013-14.

For the full year, the company has posted a net profit of Rs. 266.03 crore (Rs 234.25 crore). The board on Friday recommended a final dividend of 65 per cent on a share of rupee 1.

The company said its powder coating plant at Jejuri near Pune in Maharashtra had commenced commercial production on May 5. The plant has an initial capacity of 900 tonnes a year, which is likely to be enhanced to 3,600 tonnes a year in the future.<more>
 

Berger offers first-hand feel at gulfInteriors

Berger Paints Bahrain, which has returned to gulfInteriors this year, said its primary aim in participating at the event is to give visitors an opportunity to touch and feel, first hand, the quality and texture of its wide range of finishes.<more>


Greater Kashmir
Berger Paints opens branch in Srinagar. The company received overwhelming response from the channel partners and the consumers for expansion in the region and stocking of the entire range of products<more>

Axalta Coating Systems Celebrates 50 Years of Nap-Gard Powder Coatings Nap-Gard powder coatings from Axalta celebrates its 50 year anniversary
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Axalta Coating Systems, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, celebrates 50 years of Nap-Gard® fusion bonded epoxy thermosetting coatings. Since 1960, Nap-Gard FBE grades have been used from the coldest regions of Alaska to the hottest regions of the Middle East. Nap-Gard remains a worldwide leader of the standard practices for coating pipe with epoxy and the innovator behind today’s pipe coating practices.<more>

Asian Paints Q4 net up 19%, low vol growth on poor demand Its decorative business recorded single-digit volume growth due to poor demand.
Consolidated net profit of  Asian Paints  grew 18.6 percent to Rs 341 crore in the quarter ended March 31, 2015 from Rs 287.4 crore in corresponding quarter last fiscal. Total income was up 6.9 percent at Rs 3535 crore compared to Rs  3307 crore on a yearly basis. This is much lower than estimates. According to a CNBC-TV18 poll, the company was expected to report net profit at Rs 371 crore, up 29.1 percent (year-on-year) and total income was seen up 9.3 percent at Rs 3616 crore. The company had seen an exceptional gain of Rs 9.96 crore last year. Its volume growth at just 3-5 percent was very disappointing. Decorative business recorded single-digit volume growth due to poor demand. The volume performance in Q4 is reflective of the trends seen in Q3, wherein the company had reported just 1-3 percent volume growth. EBITDA, during the quarter, was up 15.3 percent at Rs 559 crore versus Rs 485 crore (Y-o-Y) while operating profit margins (OPMs) was up 110 basis points (bps) at 15.8 percent compared to 14.7 percent (Y-o-Y). Operating performance was disappointing mainly due to higher employee cost. Employee costs increased 22.9 percent at Rs 216 crore due to rise in pension expenses due to change in bond yields.<more>

AkzoNobel revolutionizes color matching in the vehicle refinishes market
AkzoNobel has launched a revolutionary digital system which allows bodyshops to precisely measure and match the existing color on any area of a vehicle.
The advanced system consists of two key elements: Automatchic Vision – the latest generation of AkzoNobel's hand-held device that digitally analyzes color; and Automatchic Smart Search – color retrieval software that provides the optimum matching color formula.

"Quite simply, we are revolutionizing color matching in the bodyshop," explained Henri Bijsterbosch, Global Manager Digital Color at AkzoNobel's Vehicle Refinishes business. "The compact, hand-held Automatchic Vision device uses the latest digital technology to guarantee precise, reliable measurements of color, including curved parts of a vehicle that are traditionally difficult to read."

The system is also intuitive and easy to operate, so that only minimal training is needed to achieve accurate measurements quickly. Color readings obtained using Automatchic Vision easily translated into the best matching color formula by the Smart Search software. <more>
 

Powder coating tough May/June digital edition now available on this link
 

parts2clean 2015 (9–11 June):
Leading trade show parts2cleanon course for success: Innovative solutions and know-how for efficient cleaning of parts and surfaces
– 13thparts2cleanwith a host of new and improved products and technologies
– Bilingual forum– cleaning know-how for greater efficiency

Stuttgart/Hannover. Effective cleaning of components and surfaces is an issue for practically every manufacturer today, not least because the bar for cleanliness is constantly being raised. At the same time the pressure on costs is also rising. So manufacturers face a twofold challenge: they have to meet specifications for cleanliness with the right technology – consistently and reliably – and they have to do so at an affordable cost. “This year’s parts2cleanoffers a wider range of solutions than ever before”, explains Olaf Daebler, Director ofparts2clean at Deutsche Messe. The 13thLeading International Trade Fair for Industrial Parts and Surface Cleaning from 9 to 11 June 2015 brings together over 250 exhibitors from 14 countries to present products and services for the end-to-end process chain at the Stuttgart Exhibition Centre. Their displays cover a total of 7,000 square meters of exhibition space, with a notable increase in display space booked by foreign exhibitors compared with previous years. These figuresindicate continuing growth forparts2cleanin 2015.

Innovations across all display categories
“parts2clean 2015will be the biggest and most international event in the history of this trade show”, declares Daebler. “Many exhibitors use the show to unveil their latest new products and improved solutions for the very first time to an international audience.”One example is a new dry cleaning plant for the efficient intermediate cleaning of power train components in the automotive industry. The plant operates without compressed air and consequently delivers enormous cost savings combined with higher process reliability and availability. Also making its debut at this year’sparts2cleanis an innovatives ystem that simultaneously deburrs components under high pressure and cleans them. And the first rod transducer for multi-frequency ultrasound will also be unveiled at the show. Designed for the 25 and 40 kHz frequencies commonly used for industrial parts cleaning,it provides a space-saving and cost-saving solution for installing multi-frequency ultrasound in single and multi-chamber cleaning plants.

Innovations await visitors in other areas too, such as the automation of cleaning processes prior to the fully automatic measurement of components or solutions integrated into assembly lines.Various new developments in cleaning media will also be on show, such as a salt-free multi-metal cleaner that can be delivered at high pressure, producing a completely dry and fleck-free surface. New developments and refinements in cleaning baskets and workpiece holders make it possible to reduce process times, optimize results and cut costs. Not least because they are flexible in their application and minimize the number of times parts need to be handled or repositioned – thereby cutting costs and reducing the risk of damage. New devices for the monitoring and maintenance of cleaning baths contribute to more stable processes, especially when cleaning with water-based media. This year’sparts2clean will also showcase solutions for monitoring and documenting cleanliness at the particulate level which comply with the revised VDA 19 industry standard. And new devices and systems for detecting and measuring film residues can also be seen at the show.
Bilingual Industry Forum and guided tours
The bilingualparts2cleanIndustry Forum gives visitors access to one of the most popular and sought-after sources of expert knowledge on all aspects of the industrial cleaning of parts and surfaces. With a lineup of 25 presentations (in German or English, with simultaneous translation provided), the Forum program covers different aspects of industrial cleaning technology ranging from the basics to specialized topics such as cleaning media, care and maintenance of cleaning baths, conservation, passivation, corrosion protection, quality assurance andchecking for cleanliness. Admission to the Industry Forum is free of charge for visitors toparts2clean.

This year’sparts2clean is again offering guided tours for visitors, first introduced at the last show. Theseare ideal for visitors who need to locate exhibiting firms offering solutions to very specific cleaning problems or requirements.

Surface technology at upcoming Deutsche Messe events
The next trade fairs on this theme scheduled to take place in Germany are O&S and parts2clean 2016, which run from 31 May to 2 June. The next overseas trade fairs aimed at the surface treatment industry are SurfaceTechnology INDIA, from 9 to 11 December 2015, SurfaceTreatment EURASIA, which runs from 11 to 14 February 2016, and Surface Technology NORTH AMERICA (staged in parallel withIMTS), from 12 to 17 September 2016.

Further information aboutparts2cleanand the guided tours, as well as the full program for the Industry Forum, can be found online atwww.parts2clean.de. A free admission ticket can be downloaded at www.messe-stuttgart.de/mts/p2cby entering the code p2c2015mt.

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Tel.: +49 711 854085
E-mail: ds@pressetextschulz.de

Contact for tradeshow-related matters:
Katja Wohlers
Tel.: +49 4121 7009150
E-mail: mail@katjawohlers.de 

Additional information can also be found at: www.parts2clean.de
Doris Schulz, Landhausstraße 12, 70825 Korntal, Germany
E-mail: ds@pressetextschulz.de