Products Finishing looks ahead to 2025 programs to recognize and inspire the industry.
Liquid delivery systems can have a lack of agitation, too much agitation, no coatings temperature control, and no coatings circulation. Read Sames’ Steve Romer’s solutions for these problems in this Liquid Clinic. vacuum curing oven
Supply chain disruptions are inevitable. Therefore, planning for them is a smart tactic for manufacturing business owners.
Growing automotive demand and rising future expectations point to a stronger 2025.
A better way to mitigate zinc growth in chloride zinc and zinc-nickel plating baths is the use of membrane anodes.
Learn the truth about PFAS and other harmful solvent replacement and a plan to go about making the change for a safer working environment.
A new helpline developed by Surface Technology Inc. provides EN finishers with troubleshooting and technical support in real time.
This collaborative robot is the first explosion-proof solution for the powder coating and paint arena that meets the U.S.’ stringent safety requirements. Its lead-through teach programming and tablet control are especially appealing to small shops with little proficiency in robotics.
This is a republished paper presented during SUR/FIN 2000 in Chicago, Illinois, part of the European Academy of Sciences (EAST) Seminar.
This well-established zinc and zinc-nickel plater covers “auto” in more than one way. Automotive jobs consist of 75-80% of this surface finisher’s work, while the team continuously seeks ways to implement automation.
The collaboration between Hubbard-Hall and Pavco brings together cutting-edge chemistry and extensive expertise to tackle common challenges in metal finishing, particularly for zinc (Zn) and Zn alloy plating. By leveraging the combined focus on innovation and efficiency, the team delivers practical approaches that help applicators elevate their processes, reduce costs and improve overall performance. In this webinar, the presenters will explore the synergistic effects of passivates and topcoats, revealing how they provide enhanced corrosion protection for Zn and Zn alloy plating. Together, these advances enhance the quality and durability of finishes and ensure long-term competitiveness in the marketplace. Agenda: Elevated performance Common issues addressed Innovative processes
XRF measurement of the layers is also important to assure the right color and appearance of the finished goods. Join Fischer as it discusses how XRF measurements can be used for process control, quality control and incoming inspection of electroplated jewelry pieces. Agenda: The high precision of XRF Cost-reduction benefits Getting reliable results in seconds Measuring multiple layers of plating thickness Calibrating for optimal performance
Any one of these three facets will help you become a stronger powder coater, but this session will walk you through all of them and provide details that will be most valuable on a quest to develop an optimal powder operation. Agenda: The good: introduction to powder coatings The bad: common challenges The ugly: debunking myths Best practices for optimal operations Case studies
Our focus includes the use of membrane filtration systems – which can recover up to 98% of cleaning solutions – dramatically reducing the volume of concentrated waste requiring disposal. Additionally, we delve into strategies for maximizing cleaner longevity by precisely adjusting oil concentrations, leveraging the direct relationship between cleaner concentration and effective oil content management. By adopting these methods, businesses can achieve significant cost savings through reduced chemical consumption, lower waste disposal expenses and decreased energy usage – all while promoting environmental sustainability. Agenda: Membrane Filtration Systems: Learn how these systems protect industrial assets and recover a substantial percentage of cleaning solutions. Cost-Saving Strategies: Discover opportunities for savings through extended cleaner longevity and reduced chemical waste Technical Cleanliness Challenges: Understand the various challenges in achieving and maintaining technical cleanliness across processes. Establish a more sustainable and cost-efficient cleaning program that delivers superior results, reduces downtime and minimizes environmental impact
Dive into plating bath optimization. Learn about the importance of chemistry measurement, various analysis methods and real-time monitoring benefits through X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis with insightful case studies highlighting efficiency gains. Join Fisher Technology's Devarsh Shah and Melissa Agneta as they discuss how to improve plating efficiency by exploring essential chemistry techniques, including real-life examples. Discover why measuring plating bath chemistry matters, the different ways to analyze it and the benefits of monitoring it as it happens in real-time. With XRF analysis, you'll gain the knowledge and tools to improve your plating process, thus ensuring top-notch efficiency and quality in surface finishing. Agenda: Importance of measuring plating bath chemistry Methods for analyzing bath chemistry Benefits of monitoring bath chemistry in real-time Case studies
In this high-level overview of wastewater system maintenance and upgrades, Robin Deal and Brian Greene will review the critical components required for a fully-functional system and discuss their expected life span. Learn to navigate factors such as material degradation and technological advancements, examine the effects, and address issues of chemical usage on the equipment. This webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge needed to ensure your wastewater system remains in optimal condition, highlighting the importance of understanding both the hardware requirements and the chemical interactions that can influence system longevity and performance. By implementing proactive maintenance strategies and informed chemical management practices, you can enhance the reliability and efficiency of your wastewater infrastructure, ultimately contributing to environmental sustainability and public health protection. Agenda: Essential equipment for wastewater systems Life span considerations for wastewater systems Impact of chemical usage on wastewater equipment
Each year Products Finishing partners with thousands of finishing operations in the U.S. to celebrate National Surface Finishing Day (NSFD) on the first Wednesday in March. NSFD is designed to celebrate and showcase the industry to trade schools, businesses, officials and media, as well as to celebrate employees and staff. The overarching goal of NSFD is to bring further awareness to the important roles plating and coating facilities play in their communities. Facilities are encouraged to host events and work with local media to build awareness about the contributions made by the surface finishing industry. For a helpful guide to reaching out to media outlets, download the NSFD toolkit here. How can you celebrate? Share your company’s story Hold an open house where the public can check out your facility –— either in person or virtual Offer student shop tours to local trade schools Invite local elected officials to visit and get to know your staff Celebrate your employees Share news about what you’re doing on social media and use the hashtag #NationalSurfaceFinishingDay or #NSFD
CCAI is offering a comprehensive Industrial Finishing Safety Seminar developed by industry experts well-versed in safety for finishing operations. This day-and-a-half seminar focuses on NFPA 33, the Standard for Spray Application Using Flammable or Combustible Materials and will deliver important and critical information on how to safely operate an industrial finishing line. Topics Covered: An introduction to safety Overview and definitions General requirements and electrostatic spray equipment Ventilation Storage handling and distribution Fire protection Operations, maintenance and training Drying and curing Liquid and powder coatings Authority Having Jurisdiction panel discussion Who Should Attend? Manufacturing, staff and environmental engineers (industrial health & safety) Lead painters Maintenance leads and personnel Finishing equipment designers System controls and project engineers Facility managers Finishing industry distributors Date: Tuesday, March 11 and Wednesday, March 12 Time: Tuesday - 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM and Wednesday 8:00 AM - Noon Location: Sames 45001 5 Mile Road Plymouth, MI 48170 Registration Fee: CCAI Members: $599 / Non-Members: $750 Registration Fee Includes: Classroom instruction; lunch on day one; a certificate of completion; and a printed copy of the NFPA 33 Standard for Spray Application Using Flammable or Combustible Materials. Registration: CLICK HERE to register. Space is limited.
Founded in 2001, PMTS reconvenes in April 2025 to celebrate its 13th biennial event for precision machining pros. Mark your calendar now and plan to join the precision machined parts community when we once again gather in person to share challenges and insights, see new technology solutions and learn about process innovations you can take back and immediately put into use in your own shop. The Precision Machining Technology Show is centered at the intersection of the industry's newest and most advanced product technologies, process innovations, business development prospects and personal career growth opportunities.
Critical Cleaning Hands-on Workshop Do it; learn it! The one-day workshop teaches how cleaning and cleanliness testing work. By participating in hands-on exercises of techniques for cleaning and cleanliness verification, attendees gain the understanding and knowledge to make practical, effective, and sustainable manufacturing decisions. While exercises are supplemented by demonstrations and tutorials, the workshop is not death by PowerPoint! Topics include aqueous, solvent, and “non-chemical” cleaning, including cleaning chemicals and cleaning processes (spray, ultrasonics, cyclic nucleation, in-line, batch). Most manufactured product and product contact surfaces require cleaning during (and sometimes after) manufacture and assembly. Examples of areas where effective cleaning is essential include: metal fabrication, product assembly, optics, electronics, microelectronics, wafer fab, medical devices, aerospace/aeronautics, military, and additive manufacturing. WHAT DO YOU CALL CLEANING? There are many different terms for cleaning. Cleaning Precision Cleaning Critical Cleaning Safety/Critical Cleaning Surface Prep for Finishing Technical Cleanliness Residue Removal WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THE WORKSHOP If you or your company fabricates, finishes, maintains or repairs product or product contact surfaces (like reaction vessels), this workshop is time well-spent. If you sell chemicals or cleaning equipment, this workshop will help you better understand and optimize the market for your products. Examples include: Manufacturing Engineers Product Designers Managers Sales and Marketing Managers Facilities Personnel Assemblers, operators Process Technicians Quality Control Personnel Regulatory Affairs Experts (industry, military, and government) Safety/environmental professionals Participants will receive a PDF Certificate of Completion with continuing education credits from Sam Houston State University.
For more than 30 years, the Powder Coating Institute has hosted an annual event that focuses on providing education for all those using powder coating and those interested in learning more about the technology. Over the years, the event has taken many forms. With a strong commitment to continuous education of the powder coating industry, PCI will again host its Powder Coating Week 2025 from April 14th – 16th in Orlando, FL. Powder Coating WEEK 2024 consists of four separate events: 1. Powder Coating 101 Workshop: Powder Coating Done Right: The Basics 2. Custom Coater Forum 3. Powder Coating Technical Conference 4. Tabletop Exhibition
The Women in Finishing (WiF) FORUM features a variety of professional development and industry related sessions geared toward women in our industry. Supplementing the general sessions is a finishing facility tour, networking and team building activities. Through unique programming, participants will learn new ways to deal with issues that impact effectiveness, maximize professional impact, build strategies for success, learn about the latest trends in industrial finishing, and much more. All women who have chosen or are pursuing a career in industrial finishing, from the finishing line to executive management, are invited and encouraged to attend the WiF FORUM.
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Features stories and news on the adaptations of top shops, good habits, beneficial practices and successes that make a finishing shop a "Top Shop."
Young professionals are a vital asset to the finishing industry, and it is important to acknowledge those who are making great strides in shaping the industry's future.
Products Finishing is proud to announce a new awards program that recognizes individuals in the industry that are making important contributions to forward the surface finishing industry.
Reactive Surfaces, an innovator in bio-based coatings, works on development of Carbon Capture Coatings, which harness the natural CO2-capturing capabilities of live algae.
This Cincinnati-based plating company has experienced a 33% improvement as a result of investing in a new electroless nickel line. It continues to tweak the control technology to create the most effective coating for its customers’ needs.
Experts from MacDermid Enthone Industrial Solutions share industry insights in an interview from the SUR/FIN 2024 finishing industry tradeshow.
In these uncertain times, it is refreshing to hear from and learn about young talent in the surface finishing industry who are striving to make a difference within their organizations and the industry as a whole.
By replacing its immersion parts washer with a vacuum degreasing system, this machine shop is much more efficient, saving the company money, man hours and the health of the operators.
Finding a more accurate paint proportioner for its application enabled this auto parts manufacturer to save significant costs and labor while increasing capacity.
10 Point Checklist to Improve Your Parts Cleaning Processes
A collection of four PF features that delve into the technologies, processes and people working to provide protection for the automobiles of today.
Survey and analysis, with Hubbard-Hall, of Products Finishing Top Shops benchmarking attitudes and practices concerning parts cleaning.
Understanding the different types of oven heat technology for surface finishing, including how they work, and their advantages and disadvantages, can help determine the best heating solution for an application.
These complex parts have been cured in a gas catalytic oven. Source (all photos): Trimac Industrial Systems
Applying heat to a substrate causes a physical reaction which can be different depending on the material at hand. Heat can shrink, soften, harden and dry/dehydrate. So, how does the type of heat technology affect these applications? Not only does the heating process need to be considered, but also the cost and speed of heating to choose the most efficient oven for a process and for the end user.
I spoke with Marty Sawyer, CEO of Trimac Industrial Systems, manufacturer of industrial ovens, to learn about convection, gas catalytic infrared and electric infrared oven technology, as well as some hybrid applications and pros and cons of each type.
Sawyer says that although it is difficult to determine which heat method is ideal for a certain application until she truly understands that customer’s application and what it is trying to achieve, there are some general rules she follows. “If their primary motive is to reduce their cost per piece, I typically try to push them toward catalytic,” she says. “If their primary motive is speed, I typically push them toward electric infrared. If their primary motive is to be able to do anything under the sun, I push them toward convection.”
Each heat technology has benefits and pitfalls that make each type suitable for different substrates, processes, part sizes and shapes, and needs of the end user.
Convection heat is the most common form of heating technology in thermal processing. Typically involving an open flame burner, air is heated inside of a
This gas-cat cure oven from Trimac is part of a full powder coating system installed in Canada to finish complex tubular weldments.
chamber and then forced over the part with fans and adjustable dampers to create ideal airflow. The burner in these ovens can be gas combustion or electric powered.
“Convection ovens are basically a box of hot air, so it is extraordinarily flexible,” Sawyer explains. “Don’t get me wrong. Some can be very sophisticated as far as how the air is controlled, what you do with the air, and how you turn over the air.”
For instance, Trimac uses individual damper controls inside its convection ovens to properly balance and maintain air temperature throughout the oven chamber. Top, bottom, rear or side-discharge, the airflow within the oven can be directed in a variety of ways based on the part, the necessary temperature and the process being performed.
A batch convection oven is most effective when bringing powder coating in-house, for a custom coating job shop, or a shop that needs small volume heating. With higher volumes of a variety of parts, a conveyorized convection oven can be a good option.
Convection airflow is also useful to balance oven temperature and aid in curing powder on parts with thick and thin areas. This can be done by adding the technology to any gas catalytic infrared oven using Trimac’s ThermalWrap design.
Gas catalytic infrared ovens are the most cost effective and energy efficient heating solutions, according to Trimac. These custom-designed ovens, commonly used to cure powder coatings on almost any substrate, can do the same work in a fraction of the space, fraction of the time and use a fraction of the utilities required of a traditional convection oven.
Gas catalytic infrared ovens do not rely on heated, moving air to increase the part temperature. For this reason, they are especially useful for uncured powder or powder coated parts because the technology reduces opportunities for cross-contamination and blowing off powder. However, these ovens are also used for drying, thermal forming, boosting to temperature, and to gel powder coatings as well as for more complex parts.
From data compiled in Trimac’s laboratory on its equipment, there was an 82% reduction in CO2 when processing sheet metal in a gas catalytic oven versus the convection oven. Similarly, there was a 67% CO2 reduction when complex, heavy weldment was processed in a gas-cat oven versus a convection oven.
This heat technology catalyzes natural gas, which is more efficient than convection technology. “Gas catalytic is typically 2x but can be 3x faster than convection,” she explains. “This also means its footprint is 2x to 3x smaller.” Not only does this technology reduce the required space necessary to do the job, enabling more space on the shop floor for other processes, but it also reduces carbon usage and emissions.
Sawyer explains that for paint and powder coating applications, convection ovens are often large enough that there is a high level of natural gas being consumed. However, with gas catalytic heat, it is faster, cleaner and cheaper.
Based on Trimac’s testing and data collection, Sawyer believes the savings could be more than 66% CO2 (carbon dioxide) reduction when implementing gas catalytic ovens. “Because you’re only using about a third of the natural gas, you’ll use two thirds less CO2, and you will emit two thirds less CO2, just by changing technologies,” she says.
“Convection is your basic Chevy. Natural gas is a race car, which has more gears and is harder to work with.” – Marty Sawyer, CEO at Trimac.
Not only do operating costs decrease dramatically when less gas is used, but Sawyer adds that gas catalytic can produce a cleaner, higher quality finished part as well.
Although gas catalytic offers many advantages, like any technology, there are some considerations to mention. According to Sawyer, these ovens are more difficult to operate because they require more process control and training than convection ovens.
“I always like car analogies,” she explains. “Convection is your basic Chevy. Gas catalytic is a race car, which has more gears but can be harder to work with. However, with so many gears, you get much more control.”
She adds that because more monitoring and more recipes are required for gas catalytic ovens, operators need to be trained more thoroughly than convection oven operators.
The greenest, least demanding for fossil fuels, and the fastest heat technology, is electric infrared. The ovens that use this heat method can be designed in various shapes and can be implemented for almost any process involving heat treatment, including annealing, laminating, sintering, curing adhesives, curing powder coatings and thermal forming.
The electric infrared elements can be shaped to match the profile of the part being processed and can be controlled by zones inside the oven. This heating method maximizes the amount of energy absorbed into the part.
Because electric infrared is more powerful than the other types of heat, it is also capable of heating faster than other methods.
If an end user’s objective is to reduce its carbon footprint, electric infrared can be a good solution, depending on the size of the operation.
“If you’re working with a smaller oven, you don’t care as much about the operating costs (of electric),” Sawyer explains. “But if you’re working with an oven more like the size of the building, you might need a substation around it to provide the thousands of amps that you might need to do all the work in electric.”
Because electric infrared is more powerful than the other types of heat, it is also capable of heating faster than other methods. It can sometimes heat 10x as fast as convection ovens, Sawyer says.
Trimac’s Pro-Cat oven combines the speed of electric and the curing ability of catalytic. This oven is especially useful when users are looking to save thousands of square feet of space, heat as fast as possible and reduce the carbon footprint.
But with power comes expense. Therefore, according to Sawyer, in general, electricity is significantly more expensive than gas catalytic, which is the least expensive heat technology.
However, when working with complex parts, electric infrared is limited. As the temperature gets higher with this technology, the wavelength gets shorter and becomes similar to rifle, as the “line of sight” issue becomes a challenge as Sawyer describes it. Because of its process speed, it only heats what is in its path.
Electric infrared ovens are most efficient for boosting large, complex metal parts. Flat parts are also more efficiently heated using this method. For applications using glass, wood, and other substrates, electric is the optimal choice because of speed and the high level of control.
To combine the benefits of more than one of these heating technologies into one oven, some end users are choosing to integrate electric infrared technology at the front of a convection oven to boost the power of, or “turbocharge,” the convection oven.
However, Trimac is offering an oven model that implements Protherm’s electric infrared elements and Trimac’s gas catalytic methods, called Pro-Cat. “This enables us to shrink the size of the catalytic oven and get the speed of electric infrared without some of the downsides of it, which is its power consumption and inflexibility,” Sawyer explains.
For companies that are heating complex parts, Pro-Cat can be the most successful way to reduce a carbon footprint and reduce process time.
Because there is no straightforward formula for deciding which type of oven is best for an application, becoming educated about the different heating methods is a good place to start. When Sawyer is working with customers, she suggests they record the utility cost of a particular oven, the cost to operate it as well as the throughput, work-in-process, and all production costs. With this information, it makes the process easier, but it’s still a matrix, she says.
“My answer to the question ‘what is the best technology?’ is always ‘it depends’,” she says. “It depends on some very basic things like the part’s size and shape that needs to be heated, the process and the substrate. And what are your business needs?”
Working closely with an experienced oven manufacturer and having your parts tested increases the chances of choosing an oven wisely.
Basic and periodic preventive maintenance is essential for avoiding oven downtime.
Improve efficiency and profitability with a preventive maintenance program for your industrial heating equipment.
WolfRayet catalytic gel ovens offer small operational footprints while also providing a way to improve on existing convection curing.
The company’s metal finishing product range includes stainless steel, Incoloy, titanium and fluoropolymer (PTFE) over the side heaters.
Learn about the advantages of gas catalytic infrared pre-gel ovens in this article, including how they are energy efficient and can save users time and money when integrated into their existing systems.
Curing as much as 75% quicker should make any applicator give infrared ovens consideration.
How will the advent of electric vehicles change paint curing processes and oven requirements?
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