PPG Industries' will introduce POWERCRON EPIC electrocoats and four PPG scientists will present technical papers and participate in panel discussions and workshops at ECOAT14, the biennial conference of The Electrocoat Association, April 22-24, at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla.
New Powercron EPIC ecoats are formulated with a metal-free catalyst, which enables them to offer several advantages over competing products. Because they are made without heavy-metal compounds, Powercron EPIC ecoats make it easier for manufacturers to comply with increasingly stringent global environmental regulations, such as REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemical Substances) in the European Union, and to protect them themselves from the cost volatility associated with globally scarce raw materials such as tin and bismuth.
Other benefits provided by the coatings' metal-free catalyst technology are lower cure temperatures that reduce energy use and improved throwpower for more uniform film builds on complex parts.
As a major sponsor of ECOAT14, PPG will have four individuals playing leadership roles in the conference. Thor Lingenfelter, PPG technical supervisor, electrocoat, will present "Trends in Electrocoat" as part of a panel discussion on "Advancements in Coatings." He will review the industry's technological development since the first PPG ecoat tank was launched 50 years ago and discuss new trends in customer demand and the impact of regulatory pressures on product development.
Axel Linnewerth, PPG manager, product stewardship, industrial coatings, will present "The Impact of REACH Legislation on Electrocoat" during the conference's general session. His talk will focus on the evolution of environmental legislation over the past two decades and the universal impact REACH legislation may have on standardizing global ecoat formulations.
David Sechnick, PPG development associate, will discuss "Pretreatment Alternatives for Electrocoating Applications" as a participant in the "Advancements in Pretreatment" panel discussion, and Gary Orosz, PPG application process manager, electrocoat, will lead a discussion about "Non-Contact Electrocoating" for the "Advancements in Equipment" workshop.
As the world's leading coatings company, PPG offers a comprehensive array of electrocoat, pretreatment, liquid and powder products for metal finishing to manufacturers in numerous industries. In addition to providing a broad range of industrial coatings and a full spectrum of color choices, PPG backs its products with industry-leading technical expertise delivered through an international customer support network.
