PFonline.

com

Sweet Home
Aerospace

Alabama is the Heartland

of Aerospace Coatings

Take our

TOP SHOP
Benchmarking

Survey
DECEMBER 2014 / VOLUME 79 / NO. 3

EVERY GREAT FINISH

BEGINS WITH BONDERITE

Metal Pretreatment Solutions From Henkel

As the worlds leading supplier of chemical pretreatments for
steel, light metals and plastics, Henkel has set high standards for
corrosion protection, paint adhesion and environmental safety.
Whether you need a consultation on our products performance
or a turnkey process design, Henkel can provide the solution.

Call 1-800-562-8483
Visit www.henkelna.com/surfacetreatment

All marks used are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Henkel and its afliates in the U.S. and elsewhere.
= registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Ofce. 2014 Henkel Corporation. All rights reserved. 13436_A (9/14)

Acid Pickles
Alkaline Cleaners
Conditioners
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Post Treatments
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EPIs E-Kleen SR will make it happen. Use E-Kleen to save time and labor.
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E-Kleen SR

PRODUCTS FINISHING

CONTENTS
EMPHASIS

VOLUME 79 / NO. 3 / DECEMBER 2014

AEROSPACE

16
16 New Life for Alabama Aerospace Finisher

A shuttered coating plant has found new life in Alabama, where

there is a whos who of industry names among the 300 aerospace
and defense companies located in the state, including Airbus,
Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopter, Boeing, Northrop
Grumman, GE Aviation, Airbus Military, GKN, General Dynamics, BAE
Systems, Goodrich, Teledyne Brown, Pratt & Whitney and Raytheon.

22

Batch System vs. Automated Line

25

Abrasive Control Factors for Mass

Finishing Systems

25

Tips on how to choose the right powder coating system.

Gravity and weight are the most important elements

affecting speed and time.

CLINICS

ASK THE EXPERTS

22

COLUMNS

30

Painting /

William H. Goughenour Jr
Painting nickel-plated parts; matching color.

The Finishing Touch

32

Plating

News

34

Powder Coating / Rodger Talbert

Temperature tolerance of chrome pretreatment.

14

NASF Report

36

Electrocoating / Jose A. Tirado

Anode membranes; rust on zinc substrate.

42

Never Finished

44

By The Numbers

/ Arthur S. Kushner
Pitting in acid zinc plating; blisters and nickel plating.

48

38 NEW PRODUCTS

HEPA efficiency in a three-stage aerospace

filtration system.

DECEMBER 2014

pfonline.com

Become an industry Top Shop.

Aerospace companies attend ecoat primer seminar.
OSHA says workplace exposure limits are unsafe.
A good ground starts at the top.
October Index at 53.0fastest growth since June.

End of the Line

A conversation with Asterion's Blair Vandivier.

Take Our Top Shops Benchmarking Survey

Read about PF's new Top Shops initiative in Editor Tim
Pennington's column on p. 6, then visit pfonline.com
to see how your company stacks upand potentially
earn the distinction for your shop!

ADVERTISEMENT

Aerospace Paint Shattering

and Filtration Implications
During research and development of a new
aerospace 3-stage paint fltration system, the HEPAXFP, James Dralle of A.J. Dralle, Inc. made
a breakthrough discovery low viscosity paint
fractured during paint booth exhaust fltration.
Chromate and other hazardous air pollutants
(HAPs) shattered into particles small enough to
escape standard fltration systems. Dralles fndings
highlight a critical discrepancy between test agents
and actual paint used during aerospace coating.
During development of the HEPA-XFP, Dralle
began testing commonly used low viscosity paints
on the top 3-stage fltrations systems. He discovered
the paint shatter by counting the number of paint
particles entering the system and comparing that
amount to the number of particles exiting the system.
The number of particles exiting the systems were
smaller and more numerous than those entering.
Somewhere in the 3-stage system, the paint was
fracturing, or shattering. Depending on the paint
manufacturer and paint formulation, the number
of shattered particles also greatly varied, though
consistently in excess of what is acceptable for test
agent standards. Additionally, various manufacturers
3-stage systems test performance on the same paint
varied dramatically.
Dralles research may be one of the most
important developments in the aerospace painting
industry. While discovering this faw in currently
used 3-stage flter systems, he also developed a
solution: HEPA effciency in a 3-stage paint
fltration system.
For more than 3 years, Dralle worked on the
innovative HEPA-XFP, securing the patent in July
of 2014. This state-of-the-art fltration system is
99.98% effcient on feld tested low-viscosity paint;
99.986% effcient on neutralized KCL, on similar
particle sizes; 99.979% effcient on feld tested highviscosity paint; and 99.979% effcient on oleic acid,
on similar particle sizes. This is accomplished by
using HEPA media in the system, achieving HEPA
fltration levels on paint arrestance and fractional

effciency, NESHAP Method 319 and ASHRAE

52.2 testing, with low pressure drop and high paint
holding capacity.
Dralles HEPA-XFP fts into standard 3-stage
fltration framework. There are no modifcations or
HEPA framework needed. This allows the facility
to meet HEPA standards, while decreasing all
costs associated with HEPA required paint booths,
including: construction, upgrading, monitoring, flter
replacement, maintenance and disposal.
The HEPA-XFP is impressive. As a researchdriven innovation, the HEPA-XFP uncovers
and meets both the present and future needs of
the aerospace painting industry. The industry will
greatly beneft from Dralles testing methods and
product development. And all facilities who use the
HEPA-XFP should expect to have more effcient,
environmentally friendly and compliant operations.
If interested in learning more, contact Jim Dralle
at 815-730-0505. All tests were performed at LMS
Technologies, Inc. in Bloomington, Minnesota.

HEPA-XFP
6-Pocket Bag Filter
for Aerospace
Manufacturing and
Reworking Facilities
n

Fits into standard 3-stage

fltration framework. No
modifcations or HEPA
framework needed.

3rd and HEPA stage

fltration combine into
one flter with a low
initial pressure drop.

Decreases all costs

associated with HEPA
required paint booths,
including: construction,
upgrading, monitoring,
flter replacement,
maintenance and disposal.

1830 W. Mound Rd., Joliet, IL 60436 Toll Free: 800-325-5339

www.ajdralle.net
Phone: 815-730-0505

GO CUSTOM

Publisher
Regional Vice President
Editor
Sr. Managing Editor
Assistant Editor
Contributing Editor
Art Director

CUSTOM MASKING
THE TIME IS NOW! The EPSI
Guarantee means that our
engineering team works for you.
Time is money in the fnishing
industry, and when you are masking
complicated parts, custom is the way
to go. Our engineers will take your
drawings or a sample part and create
a custom silicone part, custom tape
masking, or a combination of the two
that will minimize labor and rework,
maximize throughput, and drive your
bottom line. Getting a perfect ft
the frst time takes experience, and
our team is the best in the industry.
Whether you need thousands of
parts or just a few, a custom solution
can pay for itself in as little as
one production run. Put the EPSI
Guarantee to the test today and call
us at 866-ASK-EPSI.

Advertising Production Manager

Marketing Manager

Todd Luciano
tluciano@pfonline.com
Scott Walker
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Tim Pennington
tim.pennington@pfonline.com
Kate Hand
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El McKenzie
emckenzie@gardnerweb.com
Dr. Jim Lindsay
NASF Technical Editor
Aimee M. Reilly
areilly@pfonline.com
Dianne Hight
dhight@gardnerweb.com
Jessica Jefries
jjefries@gardnerweb.com

Products Finishing is published by

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PRODUCTS FINISHING (ISSN 0032-9940) is published monthly and copyright 2014 by Gardner Business Media Inc.
6915 Valley Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45244-3029. Telephone: (513) 527-8800. Printed in U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid
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products. In no case can the authors or the publisher accept responsibility for personal injury or damages which may
occur in working with methods and/or materials presented herein, nor can the publisher assume responsibility for the
validity of claims or performance of items appearing in editorial presentations or advertisements in this publication.
Contact information is provided to enable interested parties to conduct further inquiry into specifc products or services.

REGISTER
E A R LY
& SAV E !

April 2123, 2015 @ PMTS

Greater Columbus Convention Center
Columbus, OH USA

CO-LOCATED WITH:

Where Cleaning Meets Machining

The Precision Machining Technology Show (PMTS) is all about machining high-volume,
precision partsparts that need cleaning. The Parts Cleaning Pavilion, co-located with PMTS,
offers attendees the opportunity to see new cleaning products, technologies and services on
the PMTS show foor, plus provides more educational and network opportunities to help
you do your job better.

Education

Networking

Join us at PCx for 2 days of conference

sessions where well provide quality technical
information to improve your cleaning
processes and effciencies.

Nothing takes the place of face-to-face

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make connections in the cleaning
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Early-Bird Deadline: March 23, 2015 REGISTER AT PMTS.COM

PRESENTED BY:

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Photo Sources: (top) MicroCare Corp.

(bottom) Thinkstock.

PARTS CLEANING EXPO

THE FINISHING TOUCH

Become an Industry Top Shop

New benchmarking survey will recognize best electroplating shops.
Does your shop have what it takes to be the best of the best?
If so, Products Finishing magazine is searching for the
best-run and most customer-driven electroplating and
anodizing operations to give them an award of distinction:
the title Top Shop.
Years ago, Products Finishing surveyed the largest
finishing shops in the U.S. to gather general data on the
status of the industry.
This time around, we are looking to determine which are
the best shops in the country, and we want to recognize them.
We estimate that about 20 percent of the survey respondents will make the cut as a Products Finishing Top Shop.
It wont be easy to make the grade, but we already know
there are lots of electroplating shops out thereincluding
possibly yoursthat have everything it takes to land in the
top 20 percent and become a Top Shop.

What do we want to know?

The comprehensive 40-question benchmarking survey is
broken into four categories:
Current Finishing Technology
Finishing Practices and Performances
Business Strategies and Performances
Training and Human Resources
For the Current Finishing Technology category, we want
to know what certifications your finishing shop currently
holds and what approvals you have received. We also want
to know which types of finishing operations your shop
offers. In addition, we want to know what type of testing
and lab work your shop performs for customers.
In the Finishing
Practices and
Go to pfonline.com to take
Performances
the survey. Have some of
category, our quesyour fnancial data available,
tions center around
which practices
and it should take no more
and improvement
than 20 minutes to complete.
methodologies your
Getting a copy of the industry
operation uses, and
how you rank in order
benchmarking survey will
of lead times, scrap/
probably make it the best 20
rework percentages
minutes youve spent all year.
and other customeroriented operations.
For the Business Strategies and Performances category,
we want to know about current supply chain practices your
shop uses and your annual sales growth rate.
Great finishing shops stand out in terms of how they treat
their employees, so the last category asks about the human

DECEMBER 2014

pfonline.com

resource practices and

programs your shop uses
and the formal training
each full-time employee
receives annually.

What does a shop

like yours get out
of this?
First, we want to recognize all those shops that
meet certain criteria.
We wont give away
our entire benchmark
scoring methods, but
TIM PENNINGTON / EDITOR
well tell you that our
tim.pennington@pfonline.com
computer scoring system
was designed with input
from actual job shops like yours. Those shops that score in
the top echelon will receive the Top Shop distinction in our
magazine and on pfonline.com. Well send these shops some
graphics to put on their websites, sales literature and estimating forms.
Second, after you complete the survey well send you a
complete copy of the benchmarking report so that you can
compare your shops overall performance with other shops
in the finishing industry. Its a great way to see how you
measure up to the industrys best; use it as an improvement
tool inside your company.
In addition, several shops will be selected for special
profiles in an upcoming issue of Products Finishing magazine
to highlight the best business practices in the four categories. We want to share with everyone how the best-run shops
do it, and how you can do it too.

How do you participate?

You can go to pfonline.com to take the survey. Have some
of your financial data available, and it should take no more
than 20 minutes to complete. Getting a copy of the industry
benchmarking survey will probably make it the best 20
minutes youve spent all year.
The deadline for the benchmarking survey is January 1,
2015. And dont worry if you have a powder coating and
painting operation; we will have a separate benchmarking
survey ready for those operations in mid-2015.
Do you think you work at a Top Shop? Prove it to yourself,
your employees and the entire industry at pfonline.com. If
you dont think you are there yet, take the survey and find
out where you stand.

Plating On Plastic Etch Process

Chromium-Free
Pretreatment of Plastics
So you want to chromium plate without the use
of chromium trioxide? MacDermid has rewritten
the rules with evolve, a hexavalent chromium-free
pretreatment process for Plating On Plastics.
At the heart of this pretreatment system is the evolve
etching solution. Designed for use on ABS and PC-ABS
substrates, it serves as a direct replacement for the
traditional chemical etching system.
New Technology
MacDermid began R&D programs some 5 years ago to
find and eliminate chromium trioxide for the etching of
plastics prior to metallization. In 2013 we began our first
industrial production trial at a major POP applicator in
Europe.
MacuPlex evolve has virtually the same process footprint as the conventional etching process. It incorporates
a conditioning step that increases etching speed and enables a variety of plastics to be processed using similar
process conditions. Etching time is also very similar to standard chromium trioxide solutions and is adjusted based
on the plastic resin and injection molding characterizations.
In addition to extensive development of the new etch and surface conditioning steps, the avoidance of rack
plating was a high priority during the new process research program. This has been accomplished with a two stage
inhibition system. First, a new in-line chemical inhibitor has been developed for existing rack coatings which offers
short term protection. Secondly, a new pre-inhibited PVC rack coating can be applied when the rack undergoes its
periodic renovation.

Key Features

ZERO hexavalent chromium

Meets automotive decorative plating specifications
Compatible with trivalent chromium decorative plating

For more information please contact:

system

Suitable for all traditional plating grades of ABS and

PC-ABS plastics

Excellent adhesion of the metal layers

245 Freight Street, Waterbury, CT 06702

Phone: +1 203.575.5719
rmancinone@macdermid.com

www.macdermid.com/industrial

NEWS

Benchmarking Survey Will Recognize

Electroplating Top Shops
Products Finishing magazine is launching a massive, industrywide survey and benchmarking program to determine which
electroplating shops meet the highest qualifcations and
processing standards.
The Products Finishing Top Shops program is currently surveying
all electroplating and anodizing operations to determine which
operations will receive the distinction of being recognized
as one of the best fnishing shops in the U.S.
The survey can be completed online by visiting pfonline.
com. A similar survey will be conducted in mid-2015 for
all powder coating and painting shops. The deadline for
completing the survey is Jan. 1, 2015.
The 40-question benchmarking survey is divided into four
categories:

Current Finishing Technology

Finishing Practices and Performances

Business Strategies and Performances

Training and Human Resources

Several questions in each category will be used to score

each shop based on its answers. The answers provided will
be kept in strict confdence and individual scores will not be
reported. However, the top tier operations will be recognized
as Top Shops in comparison to industry averages and their
results will be published.
Every shop that takes the survey will receive a copy of
the benchmarking report to
compare its overall
performance with
other shops in the
fnishing industry.
Several shops will
be selected for
special profles in
an upcoming issue
of Products Finishing
magazine.

Aerospace Companies Attend Electrocoat Primer Seminar

European aerospace coatings customers of PPG Industries heard
the companys technical experts discuss the benefts of its electrocoat primer and shared their experiences at a seminar in Marly,
France. Representatives from leading aerospace companies
also witnessed operation of a pilot ecoat system at PPGs Marly
coatings research center and an automotive production tank.
The two-day event supported PPGs continuing eforts to
educate customers about the environmental, productivity,
application and performance benefts of Aerocron electrocoat
primer technology for the aerospace industry, according to Daniel
Bencun, PPG coatings segment manager for Europe, the Middle
East and Africa.
Aerospace customers see large potential for PPG electrocoat technology for tier-one suppliers and directly with OEMs,
Bencun says. They see it as eco-friendly and as a replacement
for chromated primers while enhancing corrosion resistance and
providing nearly 100-percent utilization.
In the electrocoating process, metal aircraf parts are dipped
into an electrically charged tank of Aerocron primer. Historically
sprayed onto metal parts, primer afords corrosion resistance
and enhances topcoat adhesion. The water-based, chromate-free
electrocoat primer produces near-zero waste, and the application
8

DECEMBER 2014

pfonline.com

process can be fully automated.

Customers in various stages of electrocoat process implementation shared their frsthand accounts at the seminar, Bencun
says. The technical director of a parts coater operating a pilot
tank described the primer benefts, especially process eficiency
and environmental aspects. Results of tests done on the primer
as a chromate-free technology alternative were discussed by the
representative of an aerospace systems supplier. Two aerospace
company oficials talked about the companys potential fnancial
investment in the process as well as product performance.
Robin Pefer, PPG research associate at the companys Coatings
Innovation Center in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, described PPGs
work to adapt ecoat technology for aerospace use, including application at lower bake temperatures and being able to withstand the
rapidly changing environment during fight.
Bencun told attendees that they have the ability to drive change
within the aerospace industry.
I ask our customers to be part of the adventure as game
changers and drivers of this new technology, he says.
PPG says it plans to hold similar seminars in other regions.
Information for this article provided by PPG. For more
information, visit ppg.com.

NEWS

Axalta Coating Systems Breaks Ground

on Houston Paint/Powder Training Facility;
Celebrates 50 Years in Powder Coatings
Axalta Coating Systems recently broke ground on a unique training
facility in northwest Houston on the property of its powder manufacturing site.
This new facility will have two distinct training sections. The frst
will support Axaltas Automotive Refnish customers. The other
section is designed to train and support powder coating customers
such as industrial OEMs, job coaters and those from architectural,
agricultural and construction equipment industries. This facility
will be the ninth Axalta training facility in the U.S. It will be the frst
training center that also educates powder coaters.
In other news from the company, Axalta Coating Systems
celebrates 50 years of commercially produced latest generation
powder coatings, making it one of the oldest powder coating
manufacturers in the world.
Axalta got its start in commerThis facility will be
cial powder coatings in 1964
with the acquisition of the
the ninth Axalta
Teodur brand that had been
training facility in
manufactured by Wagemakers
the U.S. It will be the Lekbrieken, a Dutch familyowned paint company founded
frst training center
in 1848 that sold its frst archithat also educates
tectural grade thermosetting
powder coaters.
powder at its site in Teodur.

Axaltas powder capabilities continue to grow. Earlier

this year, Axalta announced investments to expand production in two locations in China. Also in China, Axalta received
Qualicoat Class 2 certifcation for the production of Alesta
Super Durable (SD) powder coating at its joint venture
manufacturing facility in Donguan. Earlier in October, Axalta
announced the expansion of its global product portfolio
to include Alesta ZeroZinc, the next generation of zinc
free anticorrosion primers. For more information, visit
axaltacoatingsystems.com.

Historically sprayed onto metal parts, primer affords corrosion resistance and enhances topcoat adhesion. In the
electrocoating process, metal aircraft parts are dipped into
an electrically charged tank.

PRODUCTS FINISHING

pfonline.com

NEWS

DuBois Chemicals Acquires American Finishing Resources

Cincinnati-based DuBois Chemicals Inc. has completed the

acquisition of American Finishing Resources in Chilton, WI.
The acquisition combines DuBois paint pretreatment expertise with AFRs coating line fixtures, material handling and
coating removal solutions to reduce total cost and provide
quality improvements for customers.
The AFR acquisition will expand the service, chemical
solutions and lean manufacturing capabilities that DuBois
and AFR currently provide to customers.
AFR services premier U.S. manufacturers in the

transportation, agricultural, consumer products, appliance,

telecommunications, lawn and garden and surface finishing
industries, says Jeff Welsh, CEO of DuBois Chemicals. With
the talents, products and services of AFR, DuBois is uniquely
positioned as having the most comprehensive manufacturing
and paint line offering of any competitor in the market.
The addition of AFR to the DuBois portfolio expands both
organizations' ability to assist customers in increasing paint
line transfer efficiency and throughput.
"We are so very pleased to join the DuBois team, Matt
Kirchner, President of AFR, says. If
anything, our service levels will be
even stronger as 125 DuBois sales and
technical representatives across North
America collaborate and partner with
the AFR team to effectively respond
to the needs of our customers and
deliver additional value."
Founded in 1920, DuBois manufac-

Tired of racking
your brain?

The addition of AFR to the

DuBois portfolio expands
both organizations ability
to assist customers in
increasing paint line
transfer eficiency and
throughput.

You should. Custom designed and engineered paint racks and hooks from PPC Magic
Rack not only ensure defect-free finishes; they also make optimum use of rack space
for maximum parts density and improved productivity.
Plus:
Unique patented Magic Rack technology protects electrical connecting points from
paint build-up to reduce maintenance and replacement costs.
25 years of experience in custom solutions ensures your Magic Rack andhooks are
designed and built to respond to the size, shape and weight of your specific parts.
Custom hooks are designed to control parts, maintain ground, drain liquids
and eliminate blemishes.
Racks are reusable over many production cycles.
Standard, in-stock Magic Racks and hooks are
always available for fast ship.
RACKING UP SOLUTIONS.

Visit our Web site

with easy online
shopping!

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DECEMBER 2014

pfonline.com

PRODUCTION PLUS CORP.

2490 McGaw Rd. E. Columbus, OH 43207
Phone: 614.492.8811 Fax: 614.492.8812
www.magicrack.com

tures specialty chemical solutions.

DuBois has substantially increased its
position in metalworking fluids and
surface treatment recently through
the acquisition of Perkins Products,
Galaxy Associates and Angler
Industries. The company is committed
to creating innovative, sustainable
products including Pearl-Z biocidefree metalworking fluids and PACRE
heavy metal- and phosphate-free
surface treatment, which reduce the
total cost of ownership for customers
and improve working conditions.
DuBois specializes in the areas of
metal finishing/paint pretreatment,
metalworking/lubricants, water/
wastewater treatment, maintenance/
equipment cleaning, paper chemicals,
food processing cleaning/sanitizing,
and transportation cleaning.
For more information, please visit
duboischemicals.com.

NEWS

Florida Finishers Mid-Winter

Surface Finishing Conference to
Be Held Jan. 28-29
The ffh annual Mid-Winter Surface
Finishing Conference and Exposition, sponsored by the Florida Finishers Corp., will be
held January 28-29 in Orlando, Florida.
The event will be themed Yesterday,
Today and Tomorrow in Metal Finishing,
and will feature speakers and presentations on Wednesday and Thursday of that
week, followed by an optional golf outing
on Friday. The event will be at the Hilton
Double Tree Resort at Sea World.
This year, Lockheed Martin is ofering
two tour opportunities. The Missiles and
Fire Control tour will involve a tour of the
fre control factory, the machine operations center and the companys museum.
The estimated time for this tour is two and
a half hours.
The Mission Systems and Training
tour will include a brief presentation by a
program manager regarding the impact
of the plating industry on MSTs products
and services, a tour of the machining areas
at MST and a tour of the new demo center
showcasing the latest technologies and
simulators. The organizers are trying to
add an opportunity for team members to
use a fight simulator. The estimated time
for this tour is four hours.
To register for the event, visit forida
fnisherscorp.com. For information,
contact Dave Roach at 407-291-1023.

Celebrating 30 years of excellence in the United States of America

Anodized Effect Powder Coatings

Transform your blueprints into environmentally friendly formations.
A novel polyester Super Durable AAMA 2604-compliant color selection.
Ideal for architectural applications, architectural lighting, railings, window and door frames,
metal constructions, automotive accessories, patio and garden furniture.
To find out more and to schedule a presentation, contact your TIGER Sales Manager.

A BETTER FINISH. FOR A BETTER WORLD.

customerservice.us@tiger-coatings.us | customerservice.ca@tiger-coatings.com
www.tiger-coatings.us | T 1-800-243-8148 | F 877-926-8148

Attendees to the Mid-Winter Surface

Finishing Conference and Exposition
can tour Lockheed Martins Mission
Systems and Training facility.
PRODUCTS FINISHING

pfonline.com

11

NEWS

Enthone Receives European Patent For PlatingOn-Plastics Chromium-Free Etches

Submission Deadline Approaches For

2015 Powder Coating Show Papers

Enthone was granted a European patent for chromium-free

etches for plastic substrates. It covers chemical processes for
the preparation, treatment and etching of plastic surfaces.
Current and emerging environmental regulations, such as
the European REACH chemical regulatory No. 1907/2006 will
have a signifcant impact on plating-on-plastics (POP) applicators, including further restrictions of plating chemistries.
To ensure compliance with pending regulations, over
the last several years Enthone has developed technologies
specially formulated for POP substrates without making use of
chromium (VI) etches. For more information, visit enthone.com.

The 2015 Powder Coating Show, held in Louisville, Kentucky,

May 6-7, 2015 will attract over 1,200 powder coating professionals
seeking networking and training opportunities for a variety of
powder coating-specifc topics. The paper deadline is December
12, with suggested topics including: intermediate to advanced
application, surface preparation, recovering, troubleshooting,
and benefts of using powder versus alternatives. To submit a
paper, simply complete an online form. Conference papers are
peer reviewed and will be published online as part of the Powder
Coating 2015 proceedings. Accepted technical sessions will be
announced by Jan. 9, 2015. Visit powdercoatingshow.com.

FINISHING INDUSTRY

ON THE MOVE
Pavco welcomes the addition of Wesley Schmitt to its growing
technical service team. Schmitts direct feld experience in both
steel manufacturing and numerous metal fnishing processes
will aid current Pavco customers both domestically and
internationally.
Senior VP of Regional Procurement Christopher Toomey has
assumed responsibility for the BASF Coatings business in North
America. He succeeds Senior VP Juan Carlos Ordoez, who
will move to lead the BASF Performance Materials division in
Wyandotte, Michigan.
PPG Industries is acquiring Consorcio Comex, an architectural
and industrial coatings company with headquarters in Mexico
City. In other news, PPG Industries coil and building products
group received three 2014 Chairmans Awards from the Metal
Construction Association at Metalcon for its involvement with
three community development projects.
Deimco Finishing Equipment held a ceremony for a new 10,800
square-foot addition to its current facility.
Bjrn Dingwerth will lead Enthone's global business and
product development teams to the ensure voices of the
customers are well-understood and incorporated into the
company's CRC product portfolio.
Haviland Enterprises has named Brett Calvin as the companys
new COO. Upon joining Haviland in May of 2014, Calvin has
served as joint COO with Wayne Thornton, who is retiring.
In other news, Haviland received recognition as it celebrated its
80th anniversary as one of the largest employee-owned chemical
distribution companies in the U.S.named as a 2014 winner of
The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security.
MacDermid held a Plating-on-Plastic Summit this fall at the
Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Michigan, where attendees were
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DECEMBER 2014

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updated on advancements in POP technology, including a new UV

lacquer process, advances in double shot molding and a qualifcation
process for decorative fashion fnishes.
The MFASC presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Bill
Wiggins, owner of Automation Plating Corp. and former mayor
of Burbank, California. Hosted by the MFASC and MFANC, this is the
seventh year the two California chapters have held their annual
fall outing.
A supplier of precision engineering products and services, Nasmyth
Group purchased California-based Technical Metal Finishing (TMF)
to create Nasmyth TMF. These processes complement those ofered
by Nasmyth Groups four metal surface fnishing businesses in the
UK providing precise, aerospace industry and Nadcap-approved
treatments for metals.
Parker Trutec recently implemented divisional structure changes
impacting the organizational alignment of their North American
operations. Facilities in Sevierville, Tennessee and Paragould,
Arkansas will become the responsibility of William Moore. Facilities
in Springfeld and Urbana, Ohio will become the responsibility of
Joseph Gummel. The Mexican company, Parker Trutec Mexicana
S.A. de C.V., which began operations in 2009, is in the process of
adding a second location in the state of Guanajuato.
The Q-Lab Corp.s laboratories in Homestead, Florida, and
Saarbrucken, Germany now ofer contract-testing services for
automotive corrosion tests requiring relative humidity control. The
labs also include multiple QUV weathering, Q-SUN xenon arc, and
standard salt spray and cyclic Q-FOG corrosion test chambers. Color,
gloss and other expert visual evaluation services are also available.
Afer a management buyout, Stefan Nettesheim and Klaus Forster
took over Reinhausen Plasma GmbH, which included all assets and
patents. The company is renamed relyon plasma GmbH.
Reliable Plating Works/Elite Finishing has selected Roberto
Berto Flores as its new planner and scheduler to meet customer
satisfaction needs and ensure all products are delivered on time.

Antitarnish 616 PLUS

Permanently Preserves Silvers Brightness,
Seals Gold Porosity More Effectively
Than Alternatives

Antitarnish 616 PLUS is an organic antitarnish process based on

nanotechnology. Special nanopolymers absorb on the surface of silver, gold,
copper or tin, and crosslink to form an invisible, impervious layer
a few nanometers thick.
616 PLUS protects, and permanently preserves, metal brightness and luster.
It penetrates the grain structure, preventing oxidation of nickel or copper, so when
gold is applied at the low end of the specication, parts pass corrosion tests.
616 PLUS is proven to reduce gold costs 20-30%.
Antitarnish 616 PLUS has good sliding properties and solderability, and low
contact resistance. Its aqueous, moisture-resistant formula is chrome-free and
RoHS compliant; it is also hypoallergenic and stain repellent.

For more details, or to arrange test processing,

contact your Uyemura representative.

Antitarnish 616 PLUS was developed by Umicore Galvanotechnik and is

available in North America exclusively from Uyemura.

Corporate Headquarters: Ontario, CA ph: (909) 466-5635 (800) 969-4842 fax: (909) 466-5177

www.uyemura.com

Tech Center: Southington, CT ph: (860) 793-4011 (800) 243-3564 fax: (860) 793-4020

NASF REPORT

OSHA Says Workplace Exposure Limits

are Unsafe, Update Necessary
Agency issues request for informaton on chemical
management and Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL).
On October 10, OSHA issued a request for information on its overall
approach to managing chemicals and workplace exposures. The
agency is considering updating the Permissible Exposure Limits
(PELs) and identifying strategies to address workplace exposures
to potential harmful chemicals. OSHA is particularly interested in
possible modifcations to the existing approaches for chemical
management and potential new sources of data and alternate
approaches to minimize harmful workplace exposures.
OSHA has indicated that it believes that existing PELS are
outdated and not protective of workers health. In order to update
the limits, OSHA must meet several legal criteria:
They must substantially reduce a signifcant risk of
material harm.
Compliance with the new standard must be technically feasible.
Compliance with the standard must be economically feasible.
The standard must reduce risks of adverse health to workers to
the extent feasible.
The standard must be supported by substantial evidence in the
record consistent with prior OSHA practice (or supported with
justifcation for departing from the practice or policy).
In 1989, OSHA attempted a wholesale update of PELs in the Air
Contaminants Rule. The courts vacated the fnal Air Contaminants
Rule, in part because OSHA failed to meet the legal requirements

NASF TECHNICAL PAPER

listed above. Since that time, OSHA has updated only a handful
of individual PELs in separate, highly resourceintensive
rulemakings.
As part of this request for information, OSHA is seeking information to support a reconsideration of its approach to the current
rulemaking process for PELs. This efort entails a very comprehensive approach to addressing chemical management and PELs to
protect workers health. Consistent with this approach, comments
on the request for information must be submitted by April 8, 2015.
NASF will continue working on this issue on behalf of the surface
fnishing industry. If you have any questions or would like additional information on this regulatory initiative, please contact
Jef Hannapel at jhannapel@thepolicygroup.com.

EDITED BY DR. JAMES LINDSAY, NASF TECHNICAL EDITOR

Aluminum Surface Finishing Corrosion Causes and Troubleshooting

By W. John Fullen, Boeing Research and Technology, and Jennifer Deheck, Boeing
Aluminum corrosion is commonly encountered when performing
chemical process operations involving surface fnishing, predominantly in preparation for paint application. The protective oxide
flm of aluminum is only stable in a pH range of 4.5-8.5. However,
many process solutions intentionally exceed this pH range for
the purpose of cleaning, metal removal and subsequent smut
removal. These process solutions are formulated so as not to
cause deleterious pitting or preferential etching. However, the
susceptibility of aluminum to pitting depends on many extraneous factors, such as chloride ion concentration, pH control
and initial surface condition. Electrochemical measurements
via potentiodynamic scans have been shown to be an efective
tool in analyzing the propensity of certain process solutions to
contribute to observed pitting conditions.
In this paper, a review of several process solutions, examining
coolants, solvent cleaning, alkaline clean/etch and deoxidizing/
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DECEMBER 2014

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desmutting, listing intended and unintended chemical reactions along with possible mechanisms that would favor
corrosion formation. Further explanation is provided for
the role of incoming water that is used for process solution
make-up and the myriad of rinse tanks. Recommendations
are provided for electrolytic processes that might be prone
to stray currents afecting auxiliary equipment and thereby
introducing deleterious contaminants into process solutions as a result of the corrosion products of compromised
piping, fttings and fasteners from heating and cooling
units. Strict adherence to process specifcation controls,
regular monitoring of suspect contaminants, sound
housekeeping and part handling best practices can
alleviate many aluminum part processing corrosion
occurrences. The full paper can be accessed and printed
from short.pfonline.com/NASF14Dec1.

BECOME A MEMBER AT NASF.ORG

NASF Identifying Uses of Chemicals, as EPA Proposes

Significant New Use Rule for Nonylphenols and
Nonylphenol Ethoxylates

Upcoming NASF Events

Visit nasf.org for event details and registration.

On October 1, EPA proposed a signifcant new use rule (SNUR) for 15
nonylphenol (NP) and nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) substances (79
Industrial & Precious Metals Finishing
Fed. Reg. 59186). For 13 of these substances, EPA is proposing that
Web-Based Course
any use is a signifcant new use, and for two of the substances EPA
December 2, 3, 9, 10
is proposing that any use other than a use as an intermediate or
Cost: Member $615 / Non-member $800
use as an epoxy cure catalyst is a signifcant new use.
Join us online for the Industrial & Precious Metals Plating
If a use is designated a significant new use, then persons
course, designed for operators, supervisors and salessubject to the SNUR would have to submit a pre-manufacture
people for job shops and captive shops performing a range
notice to EPA at least 90 days prior to manufacturing, importing
of surface fnishes on a variety of substrates. The goal of
or processing the chemical substances. The notification would
this course is to provide students with a range of informaallow EPA to evaluate the use and prevent any risks from
tion related to methods of preparing parts for precious
potential exposures before any commercial activity with the
metals plating and to understand each precious metals
chemical occurs.
plating process, what can go wrong and how to solve plating
NPs are used as intermediates to produce NPEs, which are
problems.
used in some surface fnishing applications. Since the SNUR
Register online, or contact Matt Martz at 352-445-7294 or
would apply only to uses that are not ongoing as of October,
mmartz@nasf.org for more information.
NASF is in the process of identifying any uses in the surface
fnishing industry so that they're not designated as signifcant
Annual Scholarship Competition
new uses. For more information, contact Jef Hannapel at
Accepting Applications
jhannapel@thepolicygroup.com.
Todays students are the future of surface technology, and
the annual NASF Scholarship Award Program is committed
to supporting their research eforts. If you know of a student
NASF Welcomes New Members
currently pursuing research in surface fnishing science or engiThe NASF welcomes these suppliers as its newest
neering, encourage him or her to apply. Qualifed candidates must
members: Precious Metal Sales, ESPI, Caplugs and Viron.
be currently enrolled in a college or university and a junior or
NASF members generate a solid return on investment and
higher in standing (graduate and international students are also
support essential programs designed to advance surface
eligible). Applications are due December 9. For complete program
engineering and technology, nationally and worldwide.
details, visit nasf.org/scholarships.
NASF has the strength, commitment and resources to
connect member companies and individuals, promote
their educational advancement, advocate for their best
2015 Management Conference Chooses Keynote
interests and help them plan for the future. To learn
NASF has announced an internationally recognized author and
more about joining NASF, visit nasf.org.
trainer Daniel Feiman as the keynote speaker for the associations
2015 Management Conference. A highly sought after consultant and
author of three books, including his latest, THE Book on Business from
NASF's Analysis: 2014 Midterm Elections
A to Z: The 260 Answers You Need to Know, Feiman has spent the past
What many predicted would be a marginal
37 years training top leaders and organizations in many industries,
Republican victory in the midterm elections
including automotive, aerospace, consumer products, distribution
turned into a Republican rout across the country,
and manufacturing, among others. In addition to earning his MBA,
leaving President Obama and Democrats reeling.
Feiman received the CMC designation from the Institute of Management
Republicans handily took control of the Senate,
Consultants, which is awarded to the top 1 percent of management
gained the largest Republican majority in the
consultants in the country.
House of Representatives since World War II, and
To learn more about Feiman, visit builditbackwards.com.
now control 31 state governorships.
The 2015 NASF Management Conference will be held February 15-19, in
Sweeping across geographies that Obama and
Palm Springs, California. Reserved for industry executives and managers,
the Democrats won handily in 2012, Republicans
this annual event provides fve days of in-depth sessions focused on taking
presented a unifed, conciliatory message that
your business to the next level. Participants enjoy an atmosphere necesthey would move beyond the status quo to break
sary for focused thinking that is productive and enjoyable, while promoting
the gridlock that has dominated Washington.
collaboration of thought among some of the industrys most successful
And the voters response was clearit is indeed
and infuential companies. For complete details and registration, visit
time for a change.
nasfmanagementconference.com.
To read the NASF's full post-election
analysis, visit short.pfonline.com/election.
PRODUCTS FINISHING

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15

AEROSPACE

New Life for

Alabama Aerospace Finisher
Advanced Technical Finishing grows business with new certifcations.
BY TIM PENNINGTON EDITOR

Helping to design, build and oversee a $10 million metal

finishing facility revitalization project isnt the most monumental task Aaron Stinson has faced since he joined Advanced
Technical Finishing in Huntsville, Alabama, a few years back.
Rather, the integration of quality control measures and a
Nadcap certification programand more importantly, getting
the right employees on board to implement themhas been
his chief undertaking.
Without a doubt, getting the most qualified people in
here and getting them to buy into all the things we need to
be doing has been one of the biggest challenges weve faced,
ATF Vice President Stinson says. But its that important to
us, and so that it is the most crucial aspect of our plan for
success.
Such has been the challengeand successsince ATFs
parent company, Advanced Technical Aerospace, purchased
what was formerly J&A Finishing several years ago. It brought
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DECEMBER 2014

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the company out of distress with plans to make it one of the

top finishing shops in the U.S.

Three Companies
Advanced Technical Aerospace is a combination of three
complementary aerospace service companies:
Advanced Technical Finishing, which specializes in topquality customized treatments in the aerospace, medical,
transportation, military and defense industries,
Advanced Technical Avionics, which focuses on aircraft
structural and avionics maintenance and repair, custom
cable and wire harness assemblies, custom box builds
and electromechanical assemblies,
Advanced Cert Works, which provides solutions for
civil aircraft certification needs, including both Federal
Aviation Administration and international validation
assistance.

SWEET HOME FOR PLATING

ATF offers metal finishing services for aerospace, commercial, and military/defense industries nationwide, with operations specializing in anodizing in Mil-a-8625 Types 1, 2, 3;
chemical conversion coat in Mil-dtl-5541 Type 1, 2; electroless nickel, zinc, phosphate (zinc and manganese), black
oxide, passivation, sand and glass bead blasting, non-destructive testing, and also paint and powder coating.
Its been a major step up from the J&A days, but that was
the reason Advanced Technical Aerospace purchased the
shop to begin with.
Even though the facility had been here for more than
30 years, it really was a mom-and-pop shop with mainly
a commercial clientele, Stinson says. But we knew
being right here in Huntsville, in the heart of the defense
industry and all the arsenals, that we had to get Nadcap
and other certifications because almost all the primes are
requiring that.

Whos Who of Aerospace

Indeed, the Alabama area, especially around Huntsville, is a
whos who of industry names among the 300 aerospace and
defense companies in Alabama, including Airbus, Sikorsky,
Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopter, Boeing, Northrop
Grumman, GE Aviation, Airbus Military, GKN, General
Dynamics, BAE Systems, Goodrich, Teledyne Brown, Pratt &
Whitney and Raytheon.
The nearby Redstone Arsenal does work for almost
all major programs, including the U.S. Army Materiel
Command, U.S. Army Space and Missile
Defense Command, Marshall Space
Flight Center, the Missile Defense
Agency, U.S. Army Aviation and
Missile Command, two Program
Executive Offices and the Defense
Intelligence Agency.
Thats why ATF began painstaking
accreditation processes when it took
over the plant, including going after
the Nadcap certification, which it
received this past May.
Its an extensive process,
but it is what we had to do in
order to get the customers and
the businesses we wanted to
work with, Stinson says. And
now that weve gone through
the chemical process side
of Nadcap, we want to get
certified in all of our areas,
especially in non-destructive
testing.
On the physical side of the
operation, ATF is adding
16,000 square feet to the

shop to help speed its processes and decrease turnaround

times to meet customer demand for tight-tolerance, missioncritical work, says David Clarke, CFO at Advanced Technical
Aerospace.
The project included upgrading the companys existing
anodizing lines to allow for increased capacity on Type I, II
and III coatings, as well as installing new electroless nickel
lines, a titanium Type II and III finishing line and a new, larger
zinc processing line.

Hit the Ground Running

We purchased the shop to build a world-class aerospace
plating and finishing facility, Clarke says. It was important
to us to hit the ground running and start to build a real solid
foundation for the business and establish a baseline for the
industry.
Along with building the new addition, ATF also renovated
its 3,000-square-foot painting facility with BR127 capabilities with large sandblasting booths, new temperature- and
humidity-controlled paint booths; walk-in curing ovens for
paint and powder coating, a 70-ton self-contained chiller unit,
a DI water system for process lines that includes large reserve
tanks, and an automatic Controlstik II rinse tank monitoring
Improvements include a 70-ton, self-contained chiller
unit, a DI water system for process lines that include
large reserve tanks, and an automatic Controlstik II rinse
tank monitoring system that maintains optimal water
quality and provides water savings of up to 85 percent.

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17

AEROSPACE
system that maintains optimal water quality and provides
water savings of up to 85 percent.
We had a strategic plan for how we wanted to renovate
and expand, so we took things one step at a time and made
sure to walk before we ran, Clarke says. It was a matter
of getting existing systems refurbished, getting things
cleaned up and functional, and bringing in new wherever
we needed. That is the strategy weve been following these
past two years.

That strategy also included a new ventilation system that

Clarke says creates a healthier and cleaner workplace for
employees.
The surface treatments now offer by ATF are a perfect fit for
winning new customers in the aerospace and defense industry:
Anodize Per MIL-A-8625: Type II Class I & II,
Type III Class I & II
Chromate Conversion per MIL-DTL-5541: Type 1 and 2
Class 1A and 3

Aerospace Finds a Home in Alabama

But Airbus and Boeing arent the only bigname aerospace names operating in Alabama:

GE Aviation has a plant in Auburn that

produces high-pressure turbine airfoils used in

the companys advanced jet engines.

Lockheed Martin is adding an annex to

produce cruise missiles at its Pike County plant,

where the Joint Air-to-Surface Standof Missile is
made. Lockheed Martin also makes unmanned
aerial systems in Huntsville.
Alabamas aerospace sector employs 83,000 people at more

than 400 companies. With the Airbus A320 family assembly line
under construction in Mobile, optimism is high that the sector
is ripe for expansion.
We are working hard to attract elements of the Airbus
supply chain to Alabama while also increasing aerospace
research and engineering activities that take place here,

where SM-3 and SM-6 missiles are assembled.

Other major players with a presence in the state include

Northrop Grumman, GKN Aerospace, UTC Aerospace
Systems, ST Aerospace and Sikorsky.

Alabama also is a hotbed of helicopter-related activity.

We have a robust rotorcraf presence in Alabama. Fort Rucker

Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfeld says. Our goal

is the largest helicopter training center in the world, and there

is to create more high-paying aerospace jobs and to spur more

is obviously a large nucleus of maintenance techs to support

product development in the state.

the training craf feet, says Bob Smith, the Department of

Airbus and Boeing are ferce competitors in the marketplace,

but they have found common ground in Alabama, where both
have substantial operations.
The Boeing Co. employs more than 2,600 people in

Commerces assistant director of business development and

point man on aerospace.
Fort Rucker, near Ozark, has been the training center for
U.S. Army helicopter pilots since 1955. In addition, the U.S.

Huntsville and is adding another 300-400 there to establish a

Armys helicopter command is located at Redstone Arsenal in

technical research center. The company has been in Huntsville

Huntsville. Bell Helicopter has worked with Northrop Grumman

for more than 50 years, assisting NASA and playing a major role

on an unmanned helicopter program at Bells facility in Ozark.

in the nations space program.

(Bell also has a research center in Huntsville that focuses on

As for Airbus, before it began building its A320 family

Final Assembly Line at Mobile Aeroplex in 2013, it already

18

Raytheon is expanding a futuristic factory in Huntsville

unmanned aerial vehicles.)

Plus, Sikorsky has a manufacturing and assembly operation

operated an engineering center there, with more than 220

in Troy and a research and engineering center in Huntsville.

employees performing work on A350 XWB and A380 aircraf.

Alabama Aircraf Support plans to open a MRO facility for

In addition, Airbus North American military aircraf unit has

helicopters in Enterprise, while Vector Aerospace last year

a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at Mobile

announced plans to expand its helicopter overhaul facility in

Regional Airport.

Andalusia.

DECEMBER 2014

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Source: Alabama Power and Alabama Department of Commerce

SWEET HOME FOR PLATING

Phosphate per MIL-DTL-16232

Zinc: Zinc phosphate per TT-C-490, Type I, III
Black Oxide per MIL-C-13924: Class I
Manganese Phosphate Per MIL -DTL-16232 Type M Class
I, II, III, IV

Expanded Capabilities
With plating tanks measuring up to 48 by 60 by 80 inches,
ATF says it can compete with any shops vying for work from

the top aerospace and defense tiers. In addition, the company

expanded its painting capabilities and added powder coating
applications to serve whatever needs an OEM might have.
The plants chemical agent resistance coating (CARC)
qualifies for Mil-DTL-53039 and MIL-DTL-53072 specs, as
well the painting of dry film and solid film lubricants. The
physical plant houses two walk-in paint booths of 10 and
8 feet in size, each with separate automatic conveyor lines
running. Besides another walk-in oven that can handle

PRODUCTS FINISHING

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19

AEROSPACE
When ATF took over the J&A
operations, there were 20
employees on staff. The new
coating operations and
testing capabilities have
grown that to 35
employees, with
more scheduled
to be hired.

Auto Supplier Bolta Werke

Opening Tuscaloosa Plant
German auto supplier Bolta Werke GmbH will build its frst U.S.
production facility in Tuscaloosa, expanding the states vast
network of auto suppliers serving major assembly plants in
the region.
Bolta, a member of the Purico Group, says it will invest
$39.5 million in the Alabama facility and create more than
350 jobs by 2016. The Bolta Werke facility will produce
high-quality parts for automotive manufacturers, primarily
Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in Vance and Volkswagen
in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Christian Falk, CEO of Bolta Werke, says the companys
presence in the Southeastern U.S. is of strategic value.
With a new production facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama,
Bolta will not only be able to support Mercedes-Benz
and Volkswagen in close proximity, but also valued Tier 1
suppliers like Rehau, a Mercedes supplier thats expanding

Source : Alabama Department Of Commerce

in Cullman, Falk said.

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, right, welcomes

Bolta Werke officials.

20

DECEMBER 2014

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temperatures up to 400F, ATF has a Dri Quik infrared oven

used for drying polyurethane enamel, polane and other
light-gauge materials.
Its important to bring in new technologies that our
customers expect us to have, Clarke says.
ATFs process of getting the plating, painting and powder
coating operations up and running was eased by being a part
of the Advanced Technical Aerospace family, which has had a
footprint in aerospace and defense for many years.
Finishing is a very complimentary operation to the other
processes and organizations that are under our corporate entity,
Clarke says. Weve now built a machine that offers a very wide
breadth of capabilities, but it also offers our customers many
more options for which services they actually need.
Clarke attributes much of ATFs quick rise to Stinson and his
efforts to get those certifications and accreditations as quickly
as he hasalmost at breakneck speedwhile still meeting all
the qualifications. Its really come together much faster than
we had thought, thanks to what Aaron has done, he says.

Non-Destructive Testing
On the project board now for Stinson is an expanded facility
that will help grow ATFs non-destructive testing capabilities, a
function that company management feels is crucial to offer Tier
1s and other industries.
Non-destructive testing (NDT) operations will enable evaluation of properties of materials and components without causing
damagecrucial in an industry such as aerospace where even
small parts can costs big bucks. By offering NDT, the shop can
be a higher value partner to manufacturers, saving them both
money and time in material evaluation, troubleshooting and
data acquisition.
A lot of the orders that are starting to come in, now that we
have Nadcap, call for non-destructive testing, often in fluorescent penetrant or in magnetic particle inspection, all of which
we do, Stinson says, adding that the sequence is usually a fluorescent penetrant, a chem film, and then a paint application. In
addition, most of the orders call for complex masking, which
ATF is also set up to do.

SWEET HOME FOR PLATING

Heres how it works. Fluorescent dye penetrates the metal surface. After
wiping off the extra dye, an ultra violet light will detect any cracks or imperfection, where dye has seeped in, that might need to be reported by the manufacturer. In magnetic particle examinations, specialized equipment is used to find
cracks, laps or seams on the surface of ferromagnetic materials.
We really think there is a huge market for non-destructive testing, Stinson
says. We already have in-house Level 3 testing capabilities, which significantly
helps with prime approvals. So our goal is to tap into the market that we know
exists in our region.

Better Tank...
Better Price!

Growing Company Culture

When ATF took over J&A operations, there were 20 employees on staff. The new
coating operations and testing capabilities have grown that to 35 employees, with
more scheduled to be hired and trained. We are working hard to find people
with the right mindset and culture ingrained in them so that they both know and
respect the quality management system we are building here, Clarke says.
He adds that although his company is growing quickly, it is at a rate they both
planned and acticipated in the extremely competitive aerospace and defense
industry.
We are very excited about all the growth ATF is experiencing this year,
Clarke says. Not only are we expanding both operations and capabilities, but
our expansion is creating jobs. To help manage this growth, we have assembled
a new management team composed of seasoned leaders with more than 120
years of combined industry experience.
In addition to Stinson and Clarke, the new management team includes Scott
Dennis as quality manager, Randy Reno as operations manager, and Josh
Smithson as manager of NDT.

Process Management
Stinson says they wont budge on getting the proper personnel working in
the plant.
Its been the most difficult part of all that we have dealt with in the past few
years, he says. Its fairly easy to anodize or to plate a part, but when you are
working with a Boeing part and there are certain specifications that need to be
followed and met, its often hard to get that to sink in to someone who maybe
has just done nickel plating with no spec. There is a process we follow.
Fortunately, ATF has been able to find trained, qualified personnel who have
a passion for demanding work required in aerospace and defense. And thats
made Stinsons job a lot easier when he brings on critical aerospace jobs. We
want the technical work, we want the difficult stuff, he says. We know that is
what will set us apart.
For more information on Advanced Technical Finishing, please visit
advancedtf.com, or call 256-534-8426.

Is Aerospace Finishing Filled to Capacity?

As Boeing and Airbus demand more finishing capacity, the challenges
faced by owners of finishing businesses are pressing, as both customers
and regulatory agencies amp up demands for management attention
and resources.
short.pfonline.com/capacity

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21

POWDER COATING

Batch System vs. Automated Line

Tips on how to choose the right

powder coating system.
BY JOSH STRICKLAND AND MIKE SCHUERER RELIANT FINISHING SYSTEMS

22

DECEMBER 2014

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BATCH VS. AUTO

One of the most common questions asked of those in the

powder coating integration industry is whether to use a
manual batch-type system or an automated line.
The answer isnt always easy: Batch systems and automated lines use different approaches to powder coating,
each with their own advantages.
For those unfamiliar with the terms, an automated
system (or automated line) is a powder coating system
that moves parts automatically through the various steps
of the powder coating process. These steps usually include
using a chemical wash to prepare the surface of the parts,
drying the parts, applying the powder coating media,
curing the powder coated finish onto the parts, then
allowing them to cool.
The parts typically move in one direction from device
to device, and all tasks are done to different parts simultaneously. A batch system, on the other hand, allows the
operator to manually prepare and accumulate parts, then
coat and cure the parts in batches. The parts are typically
moved from one device to another by hand using carts.
Here are some of the most useful tips for deciding
whether a batch or automated system best suits a
coaters needs.

Consider the Volume of Work and

the Nature of the Parts

A batch system allows the operator to manually prepare and

accumulate parts, then coat and cure the parts in batches.

An automated system moves parts automatically through

the various steps of the powder coating process.

If youre dealing with thousands of similarly sized parts

per shift, an automated system is probably your best
bet. The more varied the shape and size of the parts,
the less advantage an automated system typically
offers. A batch system provides significant benefits
in terms of equipment cost and workflow versatility,
but relies on workers to move parts, prep parts and
apply powder coating media. So, if the volume
of parts is quite large, the advantages of a batch
system are lost.

Determine How Quickly Youll Need

Parts to be Coated
If the coating process outpaces the manufacturing process, a batch system is ideal. If the
powder coating process delays output, an
automated system may help. You can coat
large quantities of similar items quickly,
since parts dont have to be handled between
stages. If the automated line is designed for
rapid throughput, a constant flow of parts
can be coated at a rate that usually cant be
matched by manual techniques.

Evaluate Floor Space

Batch systems generally take up less room,
so theyre better for businesses that cant
spare extra space. Batch systems sometimes
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23

POWDER COATING

components, especially in cramped spaces. This drives maintenance and repair costs up.

Consider Your Budget

Batch systems are significantly cheaper than comparable automated lines, usually costing less than half as much, so if your
budget is tight it might be best to start with a batch system.
Batch equipment requires more manpower, but also tends to
have lower maintenance costs. Batch systems can also provide
lower operating costs because you only use equipment as it
is needed. With automated systems there is almost always a
constant process of coating taking place, so relative operating
costs can increase if the system is not being used to full capacity.
No matter what type of system is used, have a plan for
growth and size your equipment accordingly.
If youre dealing with thousands of similarly sized parts per
shift, an automated system is probably your best bet.

For more information, please visit reliantfinishingsystems.

com or whatispowdercoating.com.

use one oven to do the work of both drying and curing parts,
which further reduces cost and saves on floor space. By
using ovens where the parts move back and forth multiple
times inside relatively short but wide enclosures, some
automated lines fit into surprisingly tight spaces. But most
automated lines involve restricted access to at least some key

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DECEMBER 2014

pfonline.com

MECHANICAL FINISHING

Abrasive Control Factors

for Mass Finishing Systems

Gravity and weight are the most important

elements afecting speed and time.
BY A. F. KENTON NOVA FINISHING

A growing concern in the surface finishing industry is the

aging of those in the business. As the trade matures, more
and more is left up to the people performing the surface
finishing work. This graying trend is especially noticeable in
the mass finishing industry, where subtle processing control
factors (rather than say, software programs) are what mark
distinctions in quality. And its for that reason that certain
basic fundamentals of material removal and surface finishing
should be passed along to the next generation.
As a general statement, what you put into a mass finishing
system determines what you get out of it. All mass finishing
systems are designed to perform uniform edge or surface
modification on machined or cast parts. The biggest difference between the various finishing systems is the application
of energy forces, which relates to the speed or time necessary
to produce the desired surface modifications.
Next to equipment, the specific gravity and weight of the
abrasive is the most important element affecting speed or
ABOVE: Plastic media is softer and more flexible than
ceramic media, so it is usually used on nonferrous parts.

time, as well as actual surface texture and smoothness. Just as

all equipment will eventually do the job of material removal,
so too will all abrasives. However, there are literally hundreds
of media compositions, sizes, and shapes available. As a
general rule, the greater the pressure that can be exerted onto
a part, either by equipment or the weight of the media, the
greater the material removal.
With that in mind, here are some guidelines that can be
helpful for selecting media supplies for specific applications
and working particular parts.

Random, Preformed Shapes

The most typical application of mass finishing equipment is to
deburr parts en masse in the cheapest and fastest way possible
without getting stuck or creating other finishing problems. To
do this, you want to select the largest abrasive possible that
is still small enough to reach all the part areas that have to be
worked without getting stuck.
Unfortunately, finding the perfect abrasive size isnt always
easy. One size or shape does not fit all; media choice depends
on the surface finishing requirements that are affected by
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25

POWDER COATING

different part configurations, which limit access, and the

raw material of the part, which determines the hardness
and size of the abrasive. An abrasive that works well on
one part may not be able to achieve the desired end result
on another. That is because there is a relationship to the
abrasive size, its hardness, and the part to be worked. For
that reason, nonferrous or soft metals are not normally
finished with the coarsest abrasivethe surface of the
metal will have a rougher finish after processing than it did
before being worked.
For cost purposes, the cheapest form of any abrasive is
usually loose, random-shaped, naturally occurring mineral
compounds classified by screen sizes. Although this material
is commonly used with abrasive blast finishing equipment, it
is rarely used in mass finishing systems, because it varies in
size and shape, making it more likely to jam. More commonly,
manmade shapes are used in mass finishing systems for their
controllable and predictable nature.
Unlike loose, random, natural abrasives, which can
be more than 1 inch in size, the largest abrasive particle
in a preformed shape rarely exceeds .060 inches in size.
Manmade media is made with uniform-size particles, which
predetermine the surface finish of the part being worked.
Technically, you can not have a surface finish finer than the
largest abrasive particle used in the make up of the media.
However, overall media size is usually referred to by its
physical size in L W
H and abrasive composition first, followed by its
preformed shape.

Ceramic, Plastic
Preformed Shapes
Most preformed, deburring
shaped media used in mass
finishing systems is made
with either a ceramic or
plastic bonding agent to
hold the uniform abrasive
particles together. Ceramic
media is made like cement,
extruded and cut to size
to make a shape. Whereas
plastic media is made like an
epoxy and then injected into
small molded shapes. Both
are then baked to achieve a
very hard abrasive shape.
Ceramic shapes are made
with inorganic materials,
primarily aluminum oxide
abrasive grits, but silicon
carbide, silicon, zirconia,
and porcelain compositions
26

DECEMBER 2014

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are also available. The binders used to hold the abrasive shape
together are formulated to decompose at a predetermined
rate to expose new sharp, abrasive particles. The harder the
bond, the longer the shape lasts, and the finer the surface
finish of the part being worked. The faster the bond breaks
down, the faster the media removes material and the coarser
the finish on the end product. Ceramic preformed shaped
media is relatively hard and very rigid, similar to a grinding
wheel, so it is typically used on hard carbon steel parts or
parts requiring a lot of material removal.
Plastic media is softer and more flexible than ceramic
media, so it is usually used on nonferrous parts. Even though
the abrasives used to make the shapes are the same as
ceramics, the media behaves differently. Plastic media will
produce the same surface finishing results on nonferrous
parts as ceramic will on steel, but plastics will take a long time
to abrade steel parts and therefore are not recommended for
that application.
While ceramic media comes in a number of inorganic
bonds that determine their rate of decomposition, plastic
comes with either a polyester or urea bonding agent variation. Urea formulations are typically a little softer and cheaper
than the polyester bonds. Ceramic media compositions are
basically shades of gray or brown and plastic is multi colored
resin formulations that also comes in many more shapes than
ceramic, because they are molded. Generally speaking, the

Specific gravity and

weight of the abrasive
are the most important
elements affecting speed
and time, as well as
actual surface texture and
smoothness.

ABRASIVE CONTROL FACTORS

side are some hybrid lightweight ceramics that are used on

darker the color of ceramic media, the faster the material
both ferrous and nonferrous materials that come in around
removal rate. However, plastic media has no industrial stan60 pounds per cubic foot. Plastic media normally weighs
dards or uniform color code that relates to the speed of cut or
anywhere from 55 to 80 pounds per
decomposition; so be careful and go
cubic foot, and some zirconia abrasive
by the description of the composition
In the last fve years, a new
plastic shapes approach 100 pounds
and not the color.
per cubic foot range.
media bonding resin process has
Because both ceramic and plastic
Gravity and Weight
been developed that uses small,
media are formulated solids, they have
Earlier I mentioned that after equiploose, random organic and
a porosity factor that affects moisture
ment, the specific gravity and weight
content and the weight of the abrasive
of the abrasive are the most imporinorganic materials to create a
media. That means with age and
tant factors affecting the speed of
media shape and run only dry.
depending on the storage environprocessing parts. So, the more media
ment, moisture content can and will
and parts you can get into a machine
vary. Even though this problem does
system, the faster it works, with a
not significantly affect processing, it does affect comparacouple of exceptions. A barrel system needs a definite air gap
tive test results. When one tries to contrast one media against
for the media to properly slide during processing. For normal
another, the media is weighed before and after testing to
deburring in vibratory and high energy systems, the process
determine performance and attrition. The weight factor due
requires about 60 percent media to parts by weight, and up
to moisture is the real wild card that can play havoc with
to 80 or 90 percent for burnishing and good looking finishes.
testing, and there is almost no way to accurately compare
Also, remember that typically, the faster the media breaks
apples to apples.
down or decomposes, the faster it works.
As a guide for deburring, abrasive media averages 100
pounds per cubic foot, but can weigh between 90 to 120
Shape Effectiveness
pounds per cubic foot, some fine polishing porcelains can go
Generally, preformed media comes in two basic shapes, or the
as high as 150 pounds per cubic foot, and on the opposite
shapes have two different behavior characteristics, plus one.

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27

POWDER COATING

Both work, and there is no conclusive studies to indicate one

shape is better than anotherits like comparing a bulldozer
to a steamroller.
Spherical shapes, such as cylinders, cones, or spheres/balls
have a lot of rounded surface features and are therefore very
mobile like a steamroller. As they move, they rotate en mass
and by themselves. These shapes work extremely well on parts
with holes, because the media tends to poke itself slightly into
holes and rotate before moving on. They also work flat areas
very well without marking.
Because these shapes are so mobile en masse, they do not
hold, support, or restrict parts from reaching the bottom of
the work chamber. That means the full weight of the media
and mass is used to put pressure on the parts. These shapes,
especially the balls, are not necessarily effective for finishing
inside corners and angles, resulting in a shadow appearance
in these areas.
Angular geometric shapes, such as triangles and tri-stars
move more slowly than curved shapes because their alignment and edges resist movement, creating a pushing effect
like a bulldozer. This resistance seems to transmit more
energy or pressure to the parts on a more constant basis,
making this shape very good for working edges and inside
angles on parts. This resistance also keeps parts from sinking
en mass and creates a slightly louder sound while processing.

28

DECEMBER 2014

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As mentioned, there is a plus-one hybrid shape that needs

special clarification. A cylinder wedge is probably the best
general purpose shape media of all applications because it
uses both a round and angular configuration. There is also
something else interesting about this shape that makes it
unique. Unlike all the other shapes that have their center of
gravity directly in or near the center, this shape has its center
of gravity on the outside edge, meaning it is the least stable
and most mobile of all the shapes and therefore less likely to
get stuck in part recesses.

Dry Finishing Options

All of the media shapes discussed up to this point, even
the random shape materials, are typically used in wet
processing systems, because dry inorganic materials
do not leave parts clean and may also produce surface
finishes rougher than before processing. Also, when used
dry, inorganic materials become easily contaminated and
cannot be easily removed or separated from the media.
Therefore, water and a chemical compound are used in
most deburring processes.
Better dry alternative media include wood, wood sawdust,
corncob and shell products. When used alone, these organic
materials dont have much capability to deburr, but they
can clean well. Because of their small, random particle size,

ABRASIVE CONTROL FACTORS

rarely exceeding 1/8 of an inch, they are light, making their

processing times long and almost prohibitive. When inorganic pumice is added to organic media, deburring improves
drastically and the combination can work well (albeit
slowly) on jewelry detail and flat parts.
Of the organic materials, walnut shell media is the
heaviest at 35 to 45 pounds per cubic foot. Next is corncob
at about 23 to 33 pounds per cubic foot, and then wood
at 21 to 27. The low number is the media in its untreated
natural condition and the high side represents treated
materials. Pumice additives add very little weight to these
lower numbers, but polishing additives push the upper
weight limit.

New Dry Technology

In the last five years, a new media bonding resin process
has been developed that uses small, loose, random organic
and inorganic materials to create a media shape and
run only dry. It looks, feels, and behaves like ceramic or
plastic media, but is used without water or compound, and
produces a cleaner, smoother surface finish than traditional media.
The new resin-bonded media comes in four formulations
or grades and can have more inorganic than organic composition, so its hard to classify. The key to this media seems

to be the resin bond that also gives it the longest life of any
media on the market today. The attrition or breakdown rate
is anywhere from 5 to 20 times that of the ceramic or plastic
formulations. Therefore, despite its high cost, at around
$12.00 per pound, it is overall more cost effective than other
media over the long run.
Another advantage of using this dry media is that there is
no need to treat wastewater. Chemicals, rinsing, inhibitors,
and drying processes are eliminated, and part and equipment
maintenance is diminished. Parts come out clean and can
go directly into another operation without wait time. Some
adaptations may be necessary to convert existing equipment
systems to this dry process, such as closing and sealing drains,
putting a dust cover over open machines, or providing an
adequate air collection system nearby.
Currently, this new resin bonded media is only distributed
in the USA by Finishing Associates Inc., a Sinto America group
company located in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania.
Thanks to Mike Cantwell, Finishing Associates Inc., Huntingdon
Valley, PA.; David Davidson, Pegco, Bartlett, NH; and George
Bull, Illinois Electro- Deburring, Schiller Park, IL.
A.F. Kenton is president and owner of Nova Finishing Systems
Inc. For more information, call 215-942-4474 or email
novafinish@aol.com.

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29

CLINIC

PAINTING

Painting Nickel Plated Parts

Q. We manufacture parts that are plated with nickel and

would like to know if you would have any suggestions on a
primer for nickel-plated steel? We would like this in both
water- and solvent-based systems. D. S.
A. Although difficult, coating nickel-plated parts can be
achieved, but you must first follow a few preparation basics.
I do not know what grade of nickel you are wanting to coat,
but as a general rule, you will still want to first clean the
plated metal with a water-based degreaser, along with a
scotch-brite pad, or a heavy duty sponge. Next, thoroughly
rinse the degreaser off with wet rags and completely dry
the entire surface. If you have an oven, it would be good to
place the parts in for 15-20 minutes at 120F. Once parts are
completely dried and cooled, use a good quality painters
tape to mask off any area you do not want to be painted.
(Cheap tape with poor adhesion often blows off while
youre spraying.) Next, there are many options when it
comes to primers in both solvent and waterborne systems.
But as a general rule, here are a few recommendations:
You will want to use a primer system like a galvanizing
metal etching product. (Typically before the nickel plating
will accept paint, it requires some form of a pretreatment/
acidic primer, formulated with the ability to etch durable
metallic surfaces applied after the initial cleaning.) This is
referred to as mechanical etching. After the primer has
sufficiently dried, follow the manufacturers recommendations as to the sanding preparation that needs to be done
before the final enamel topcoat. I have also heard of people
using solutions of 30 g/L of sodium or potassium dichromate at 85C for a minute, which will sufficiently etch the
surface for painting. If you incorporate this etching process,
completely rinse and dry the surface before any coating
application.
Lastly, with both the primer and final enamel, spray with
the manufacturers recommendations and close attention to
application parameters, noting that improper mil application can actually promote flaking.

Enlighten Me

Q. We manufacture component parts for the automotive

industry, and are struggling to achieve consistent color
matches. We have a small area set aside for color observation, but we still are not getting measurable results in this
area. Can you make any recommendations on how we can
improve?G.G.
A. Very good question, in that many manufacturing sectors
struggle with this issue every single day. It is never pleasant
to go through the whole paint process only to discover your
color is wrong, which leads to costly reworks and valuable
lost production time.
So where do you start? Many shops I have visited have a
small room, painted white, with a few bright lights, thinking
this is the best way to view color, but unfortunately, it is a
little more involved than that. If you use a spectrometer
30

DECEMBER 2014

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pfonline.com/experts

to establish the initial E (Delta

E), you still need to observe and
approve the finished product under
proper lightinga color
observation multi light
source often referred to
as a light box. But the
light box alone is not
enough.
So how do you
properly prepare
a functional observation area? There
are several factors
to consider. It is
important to understand the relationship of the lighting
in and around this
WILLIAM H. GOUGHENOUR JR.
designated area. I
Consultant
am sure you have
paintingclinic@pfonline.com
noticed that colors
seem to change
as you move from one area to another. This is referred to
as metamerism. So how do you correct this issue? The
solution involves three specific areas, which are fairly easy
to implement.
First, if you have not already done so, change your
lighting with the correct (CRI) Color Rendition Index. CRI is
the ability of the light source to reveal colors in comparison
with ideal or natural light sourcing. I typically recommend
T5 light fixtures with a bulb that has at a minimum of 85
CRI, which is similar to natural daylight. The higher the
number goes over 85 CRI, the closer to natural daylight it is.
So, why does this matter? I have visited shops with multiple
light sources such as mercury-vapor, sodium vapor and
fluorescent, to mention a few of the more common.
Now that you know about metamerism, is it any
wonder that the colors change by your orientation to the
light source? For example, did you know that fluorescent
light will make colors appear more blue, and sodium and
mercury more yellow to green? Even the regular incandescent bulb you use in your home lighting can make your
color appear to be more red or orange.
It would also be advisable to install the same lighting
sources in the spray booth area as well. This will help the
operator identify the color being sprayed against a control
standard, which will save valuable production time due to
rework.
Second, once the proper CRI lighting issue has been
addressed, invest in a quality color assessment booth
that enables you to view colors with multiple sourcing.
As a general rule, these light sources should be D65,
TL84, CWF, F/A, UV and U30. You did not mention it, but
along with a light box, it would be beneficial to invest in a

PAINTING

spectrophotometer. If you do not already own one, its an

invaluable color measurement tool that works in tandem
with the color light box for a total color management
system.
The spectrophotometer reads the color and establishes the formula, and the light box validates the finished
product. It is a good one-two punch, because the spectrophotometer takes the proper lighting into consideration
when reading the initial match as this parameter is built
into the software.
Lastly, there is a little-known element often overlooked in the industry that I refer to as color interference. Yes, interference even with proper CRI lighting,
and color observation equipment, you can still miss the
mark. Have you ever noticed how darker or dirty walls
seem to absorb good lighting? This is why I recommend
that the walls around your spray booth and color observation area be painted in accordance to such standards as
ISO 3664:2000 with a Munsell N7 or N8 flat to help you
observe color without any bias or interference. The colors
are also referred to as Standard Neutral Gray 7 or Neutral
Gray 8. Munsell is not the name of the paint company, but
a standard. You can Google these key phrases to locate
sources for these paint colors.
To summarize, when you combine a spectrometer, light
box, proper CRI lighting, and wall colors, you will achieve
success in this area you have brought to light. Sorry in
advance for the pun!

Dig Deeper

CLINIC

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CLINIC

PLATING

Pitting in Acid Zinc Plating

Q. We acid zinc plate steel parts in-house. The parts are rackplated. Our problem: The parts show pitting on the surface
after the plating. Our chemical vendor suggested that we
dump a third of the plating solution and add one-third
fresh solution. This has partially solved our problem, but
has not eliminated it. Do you have any suggestions on how
to solve this issue?P.J.
A. You mentioned in a subsequent e-mail that you monitor
the chemistry of the bath on a daily/weekly basis. Thats a
great start!
There are a number of things that can cause surface
pitting:
1. Bath temperature is too high.
2. Brightener concentration is too high.
3. Chloride concentration is low.
4. Carrier is low.
5. Tramp metals are present in the bath.
6. Organic contamination in the bath.
The analysis numbers you sent indicate that the first
four items are well within the control limits specified by
your chemical vendor. Item five can be determined by
doing an analysis for heavy metals. You may have a high
concentration of iron that can cause pitting.
I think what you have to concentrate on is organic
contamination. The brighteners and carriers that are used
in your plating bath are primarily organic in nature, and
they break down and decompose in use. The best way to
remove these organic contaminants is to treat with activated carbon. This process removes a lot of the organic
trash that forms when the brighteners and carriers break
down. Keep in mind that treatment with activated carbon
does remove some of the brighteners and carriers used in
the plating bath. After the treatment, you must reconstitute the brighteners and carriers used in the plating bath.

Blisters and Nickel Plating

32

pfonline.com/experts

some other factor that occurs on an

irregular basis.

Nickel Roughness

Q. We have a nickel plating

line that has started to
give us fits. We experience roughness that is
usually present on the
top surfaces of the
parts. We also have
a problem with some of
our parts coming out hazy
on one side and just fine
on the other side. What do
you suggest to solve these two
problems?M.K.
A. Particulate matter in the
plating bath is usually
ARTHUR S. KUSHNER
the cause of roughness
Consultant
on the top surfaces.
platingclinic@pfonline.com
Are you filtering the
plating bath on a continuous basis? You should use a 5to 10-micron filter and change it out on a regular basis.
Your anodes should be bagged. If your plating bath is
not used on a daily basis, it should be covered when not
in use. Youd be surprised what can fall into your plating
tank when it is left uncovered.
The hazy appearance on one side of your parts may
be due to poor current distribution, so you should look
at your anode distribution. You should have enough
anodes present in your plating tank to ensure good
current distribution. I always like to say that youre
parts should see the anodes. If the line of sight is seriously blocked, you will not get consistent plating over
the surface of the part.

Q. We are having problems with blisters in our nickel barrel

Nickel Concentration, Deposition Rate

and Ductility

plating line. The blisters appear on an irregular basis. We

test the plating bath once a week and make adds as necessary. Do you have any suggestions as to what might be
causing our blistering problem?P.R.
A. The process you describe seems to be OK, but you mention
that the blisters occur periodically, and that indicates to me
that something is changing in your system over time.
Blisters can be caused by interrupted current flow
through the plating bath, poor cleaning of the substrate
and contamination of the plating bath. I would look at your
electrical system also. Are you getting continuous current
flow through the system? Have you experimented with
changing the barrel load to see if you get better results?
You should also start keeping records as to when you
see the blistering occurring. You may find that you have a
pattern thats based on time or number of barrels plated or

am trying to determine if the deposition rate in a nickel

plating solution is linear with the concentration of the
plating solution. Also how is the ductility affected by the
increased concentration of nickel in the nickel plating
bath?S.H.
A. Electroplating, sadly, is not as linear as you would
like it to be. There are somewhat linear relationships
between concentration and deposition rate, but only
in a small range. You will find that the relationship
between deposit thickness and time tends to be linear in
the normal range that most everyday plating is done.
In the case of ductility, it is affected by grain size with
larger grains giving better ductility. Warmer plating
solutions, lower current densities and higher metal
concentrations tend to give larger grain sizes.

DECEMBER 2014

pfonline.com

Q. Im new to the world of electroplating, and currently I

PLATING

A Case History - Magnetically Charged Steel Wire

The following is a case history that I recently tried
to solve. It is not in the usual format of question and
answer, but I think it can be instructive to anybody
involved in plating.
This company manufactures parts made from
cold-drawn wire that are zinc-plated. The parts were
turning out very rough in many cases. The company
discussed the problem with the steel supplier and the
plating shop. As is often the case, the supplier of the
cold-drawn wire blamed the plater, and the plater, of
course, blamed the steel. A classic scenario that often
occurs in our industry!
The plating company did up the ante and improved
its cleaning process. This helped with getting a better
finish, but not on a consistent basis. It was also
determined that if the rough parts were stripped and
replated, a good quality plate was obtained. After
looking at all the obvious parameters with the cleaning
and plating process, it was suggested that a sample of
the plated parts be sent to a laboratory for analysis.
The laboratory performed a rather time-consuming
analysis and ultimately determined that there were
very tiny metal particles adhering to the surface of
the wire. What was the culprit? The wire was slightly
magnetic, and even with a thorough cleaning process,
all of the particles were not removed. When the parts
were stripped and replated, the particles were removed
from the surface and the plate was roughness-free.
The question, of course, is why would the wire have
a slight magnetic charge? The process of drawing steel
through a die can cause a very slight magnetic charge
on the material. Magnetic parts have always been an
issue in the world of plating. In many cases, when
this issue arises the parts have to be demagnetized
(degaussed) before plating.
Why do I briefly discuss this problem? Because
sometimes, the obvious is not so obvious! I, for one,
did not pick up on this initially. Next time you have a
problem that doesnt respond to the obvious, perhaps it
is a good idea to look for non-obvious answers.

Researching?

Searching for in-depth analysis of a plating process or

technology? Look no further than PFs Research and
White Paper Zone, an entire section of our site
dedicated to free papers and presentations from
leading researchers in the finishing industry.
pfonline.com/zones/technology

CLINIC

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33

CLINIC

POWDER COATING

Temperature Tolerance of Chrome Pretreatment

Q. We powder coat aluminum extrusion using a five-stage

spray washer with a chrome phosphate pretreatment

conversion coating. At what temperature will the chrome
conversion coating deteriorate when exposed to heat
prior to powder coating? We are concerned that heat may
make the chrome pretreatment ineffective in protecting
the aluminum from corrosion and bonding of the powder
coating.F.P.
A. The temperature is an important part of the discussion, but
exposure time is as critical as the temperature. During the
dry-off oven cycle, you may see temperatures of 350 to
400F. If you sustained a temperature of 400F, the conversion coating would deteriorate after a prolonged exposure.
The dry cycle is usually less than 10 minutes, and it takes
some time for the surface temperature to rise. Since the
conversion coating typically does not see extreme temperature for a prolonged period of time, it is typically not
damaging to the conversion coating. Running the dry-off
at the lowest effective temperature is a good idea. If you
can avoid excess heating during the dry-off, you protect the
conversion coating, save energy and have a cooler part at
the exit.
Dry-off temperature should be around 250F if the cycle
time and air movement are adequate. However, many
dry-off ovens do not have enough time or air movement to
dry, and they often run higher. In addition, some parts trap
water and may require a higher temperature to boil out
that water. Still, even at a higher temperatures, the conversion coating should hold up if the time is not extremely
long. In the cure oven, the conversion coating is under
the powder film and not as sensitive to temperature. You
should be good with normal cure temperatures up to 400F
(200C).

Alternative Coating Options and Laser Edge

Q. I stumbled upon your website and was hoping you could

give me some guidance on some alternatives to e-coating.
We currently e-coat our products and then topcoat with a
powder coating line. The process is very expensive, and we
were curious if there is a different method we could use
to treat our products in our wash system to improve the
adhesion characteristics, as well as to prevent corrosion
and rust in the long term. Some of the methods we have
already explored are sand blasting and topcoating, zincrich priming and topcoating, e-coating and topcoating, and
just topcoating.
One of the other problems that is common in our product
offering is scale left from our laser cutting machine. We try
to cut with nitrogen as much as possible, but this seems to
be the starting point of all chipping and rust formation. Do
you have any experience with processes to eliminate this
laser cut oxidization? The products I am concerned about
are outdoor street amenities such as park benches, picnic
tables and litter receptacles.S.S.
34

DECEMBER 2014

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A. Electrocoat is a very good

corrosion inhibitor, especially
if the surface is pretreated
with zinc phosphate. There is
no pretreatment chemical
that can do as well as zinc
phosphate plus electrocoat. You may be able to
save a little by going to an
autophoretic system in
which the autophoretic
coating can be co-cured
with powder. However,
the new system would be
very expensive and only
provide marginal savings,
if any, compared to
electrocoat. You could
also go to a blast and
RODGER TALBERT
zinc powder system.
Consultant
That may be the best
powdercoating@pfonline.com
alternative in terms
of the process and the
corrosion resistance. A blasted surface would have the
added advantage of removing the laser oxide from the cut
edges, and a zinc powder primer is an excellent corrosion
inhibitor.
You are on the right track with the nitrogen cutting to
reduce laser oxide, but using a cooler gas will not work
well as you get into heavier-gauge metal. The typical
options for removal of laser oxide are abrasion or acid
pickling, although acid pickling is usually more challenging than a blast operation. Note that the edge breakdown may also be related to edge coverage, not just laser
oxide. In that case, you can radius sharp edges or use a
thicker first-coat process like the powder primer. A doublecoat process is the best way to deal with sharp edges,
because it results in more thickness at the critical area.

Heat-Relief Fan Sizing

Q. Im designing the HVAC system for a new industrial shop

with a powder coat booth and a powder coat oven. What
size hood and cubic feet per minute (cfm) should I use for
the heat-relief hood in front of the oven doors? The oven
has one set of double doors (5 10 ft.) with total door
area of 10 10 ft. Oven dimensions are 16 13.5 13
ft., and the burner is 1.5 million Btuh. The exhaust fan on
top of the oven is 1,500 cfm, and the oven recirculating fan
is 14,000 cfm. Using the ACGIH manual for drying oven
ventilation, the cfm is about 13,000, which seems very
high. The building height is about 44 ft.D.L.
A. You will want the hood to extend at least 5 ft. out from the
oven wall. Use a large-diameter stack (24 minimum) and
run it as straight as possible up through the roof. Install a
damper so you can adjust it. I would not use a fan unless

POWDER COATING

CLINIC

Also, powder is very nearly 100-percent solids, so there may

be more orange peel than with a liquid paint. Maybe the
biggest issue is the substrate. Polypropylene will not tolerate
the needed cure temperatures that are typical for powder
coating.
Hiding blemishes with a coating is not easy. It needs to
be thick enough to round out the blemish, and that usually
will reduce the distinctness of image (DOI). I suggest you
consider a liquid primer to help hide the defects and get
some coverage in the recesses. Then apply a good liquid
topcoat over that to provide the smooth appearance.

your building has significant negative air pressure. It

would be best to rely on a normal hot air updraft. If you
must use a fan, 13,000 cfm would be a disaster. You
would pull way too much air from the plant and the oven.
I would suggest a maximum of 3,000 cfm.

Coating to Hide Blemishes

Q. We have a bonnet grill with honeycomb segments around

10 mm deep. It needs to be painted to hide rib marks and
blemishes. Paint will not be able to penetrate right into
the depths of the part, and I was wondering if powder
coating would suffice. It is polypropylene in material and
needs to have a good painted overall finish (no orange
peel), as it is prominent at the front end of the car. Would
this technology be available in India?M.G.
A. It is hard to be certain without seeing a part and having
a standard for the level of orange peel, but I do not think
powder will be the right answer. Powder is applied by
charging the material electrostatically, and therefore
recesses can be challenging to penetrate in some cases.

Just Getting Started?

PFOnline is the perfect destination for learning the

basics or brushing up on new technology. Check out
the Fundamentals Zone for 101 articles on powder
chemistries, color-change strategies and more.
pfonline.com/zones/fundamentals

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Accurate, non-destructive plating thickness measurement

with FISCHER coating thickness gauges
High-precision X-ray fluorescence devices
For the exact determination of the thickness and compositionof metallic coatings
Measurement of multilayer systems
such as Cr/Ni/Cu, ENEPIG and
Nickel Phosphate
Determination of phosphorus content
in NiP coatings
Analysis of metal concentration in
electroplating baths
For use in the manufacturing and
production

www.fischer-technology.com

Coating Thickness

Powerful hand-held devices

For precise coating thickness measurement
Measurement of plating coatings such as chromium, copper
or zinc in small parts such as screws, nuts and bolts
Measurement of anodic coatings
Large selection of high-precision probes
FISCHER DataCenter software for easy data transfer and analysis.

info@fischer-technology.com

Material Analysis

Microhardness

860-683-0781

Material Testing

PRODUCTS FINISHING

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35

CLINIC

ELECTROCOATNG

Anode Membranes

Q. We have very old, flat anodes, and we have replaced the

membranes many times because of holes and tears. The
last time they were replaced, our maintenance people
changed them with materials that we can no longer find a
replacement for. Can you tell us how membranes are made,
and what are the basic membrane specifications or characteristics we should ask other vendors for?G.T.
A. Anolyte system membranes used in the electrocoat industry
are typically thin, backing nets of thermoplastic materials
like polyethylene or polypropylene that are impregnated
with binders and ion-selective resin beads, creating a clothtype composite material or membrane. These membranes
can be classified as anodic or cathodic depending on the
type of ionic selectivity of the resin beads. The membranes
are typically made by the roll or the press processes
with very similar chemical properties, but with different
physical properties and durability.
The type of anode membranes needed depends on the
type of electrocoat system you have. For cathodic electrocoat systems, the ion-exchange membranes typically used
are anodic. For anodic electrocoat systems, the membranes
typically used are cathodic.
Regardless of the ionic selectivity, all electrocoatcompatible membranes should have a minimum thickness
of 18 mils or provide a minimum tensile strength of 14 Kg/
cm2 to avoid easy tearing under operating and maintenance operations. Additionally, the membranes must have
a maximum electrical resistivity of 20 ohms/cm to provide
minimal resistance to current flow and provide lower
voltage drops from anodes to electrocoat paint.
The ionic membranes must also have a minimum of
96 percent permeate ionic selectivity to allow the acids
released from the cathodic electrocoat paint during
coating to be separated efficiently from the electrocoat
bath through the anolyte system. By dumping controlled
amounts of anolyte solution to drain, the electrocoat
system can maintain a stable pH.
Lastly, the membrane must be temperature-resistant to
200F to endure potential high anode temperatures during
intense and prolonged periods of operation.

Rust on Zinc Substrate

Q. When we test electrocoated zinc panels in our salt spray

system they come out with red rust in the creep, edges
and other locations. Our experience is that zinc substrates
rust to the white, so we are a little puzzled. Can you
please explain why we see this red rust? Do we have iron
contamination in the salt solution used in our salt spray
cabinet?D.F.
A. The simple reason why you see red rust in your tested electrocoat zinc panels after salt spray testing is because you
are testing a type of zinc-coated steel called galvanneal,
designated by the code GA steel. This type of zinc-coated
steel is characterized by having greater amounts of iron
36

DECEMBER 2014

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pfonline.com/experts

alloyed within the zinc coating than

regular galvanized coatings, which are
mostly zinc. This level of iron in the
substrate coating is responsible for the
red rust color you see after
salt spray testing.
When zinc coatings are
deposited by immersing
the workpieces into
a molten zinc bath,
we can obtain either
galvanized (GI) or
galvanneal (GA)
zinc-coated steels.
Both materials can
be obtained by either
a batch process (for low
volumes or unusualshape steel pieces) or
JOSE A. TIRADO / Consultant
continuously through
electrocoat@pfonline.com
automatic conveyorized systems.
The main difference in the production process between
GI and GA zinc-coated steels is that, with GA, the zinc-coated
steel is further heated by passing it through a furnace immediately after it passes through the molten zinc-coating bath
but before the molten zinc completely solidifies. This process
is referred to as annealing.
The annealing process consists of heating the zinc
coating to approximately 840-1,100F (450-570C) and
holding the temperature for a specified amount of time.
During this holding period, more iron from the steel
substrate diffuses into the already-applied semi-solid or
semi-moten zinc coating, and increases the amount of iron
that alloys within the zinc.
Depending on the time and temperature of the annealing
process, four distinct layers/phases of zinc/iron (Zn/Fe)
ratios can be found on GA-coated steels. The Zn/Fe phases
not only differ in their chemical composition (more iron in
the base layers and less on the top), but also in their microstructure, ranging from monoclinic structures to cubic and
hexagonal structures.
Galvanneal-coated steels are less galvanically active in
most corrosive environments than the galvanized-coated
steels because of the greater amount of iron they contain.
GI-coated steels are quite soft and easily scratched, while
GA coatings are hard, brittle and not easily scratched during
handling. If spot welding is involved, then GA is typically
preferred over GI. Both coatings have a greyish dull or matte
appearance, and are heavily used in automotive applications.

Rectifier Voltage Explained

Q. We have a e-coat line and would like to know why our rectifier voltage, from the day we bought it, keeps climbing up
during the cycle after we dip our parts in. I thought this

ELECTROCOATNG

to be normal, but our customer has questioned us. Is it

possible that the voltage is not reaching the set point? Can
you explain a normal voltage cycle?R.S.
A. A rectifier can be set to control the coating cycle on
voltage or on amperage. The choice of type of control
depends on the film requirments, the size of the parts
and the anode/rectifier capability of the equipment,
among other factors. Typical electrocoat systems running
multiple part sizes operate on voltage control.
Under a voltage control electrocoating cycle, the
voltage will start at zero at the beginning of the cycle
and ramp up to the voltage set point at a rate determined by the slope percentage of the rectifier. This
slope, or rate of voltage ascent, is operator-set based on
trials or experience with the type of parts. The greater
the slope, the greater the rate of voltage ascent. During
a normal cycle, the voltage will continue to climb from
zero, according to the slope rate, until reaching voltage
set point. The voltage is then maintained at set point for

CLINIC

additional seconds until the cycle timer times out and

the cycle ends.
If your cycle time is in the typical range of 2 to 5
min., there could be two reasons why the voltage would
always be climbing during the cycle and never reach
the voltage set point (Of course this is not considered a
normal or typical coating cycle.):
The slope setting too low. The percentage setting is
too slow and the cycle timer times out before voltage can
reach set point.
A super-high coating load. If amperage draw during
the cycle is excesssive due to extreme square foot load,
then the voltage climb will slow down or even back up
so that the product of voltage and amperage does not
exceed the Kwh rating capacity of the rectifier.
When you run your system on amp control, the
amperage will climb up to reach a certain amperage set
point, just duplicating what voltage does when on voltage
control.

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412.761.9902
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37

PRODUCTS FINISHING

NEW PRODUCTS
HEPA Efficiency in a
Three-Stage Aerospace
Filtration System
A.J. Dralles HEPA-XFP is for paint booth
exhaust systems using chromate formulations.
A.J. Dralle, Inc.s HEPA-XFP is a three-stage aerospace fltration
system specifcally designed for HEPA-required paint booth exhaust systems using chromate formulations.
The HEPA-XFP fts into standard three-stage fltration frames
with no HEPA framework needed. The third and HEPA stage combine into one flter with low initial pressure drop. Most importantly, the HEPA-XFP decreases or eliminates costs associated with
HEPA-required paint booths, including construction, upgrading,
monitoring, flter replacement, maintenance and disposal.
As we listened to our customers increased concerns over
HEPA-level requirements in California, we knew there was a
cost-efective solution, said James Dralle, president and CEO
of A.J. Dralle. Since most states eventually adapt the environmental laws enacted in California, the HEPA-level requirements
could cost the industry untold millions of dollars in paint booth
construction.

HEPA-XFP Specifcations

First Stage CPA Media

CPA is a multi-layered polyester media. The air-entry side is made
of lofed denier fber mixture. The air-leaving side is comprised of

Robotic Finishing Machine Blasts Shot or Grit

Guyson Corp. has introduced a new version of its RB-RSSA-8
robotic blast system and has customized for cleaning and
surface preparation of machined aerospace castings using either
shot or grit media.The new model has a FANUC Robotics LR
Mate-200iD six-axis robot mounted on the reinforced back wall
of the blast chamber for greater reach and motion capability to
accommodate a range of components.
A 24"-diameter turntable has been adapted to accept
component-holding fxtures for the parts to be blasted and is
servomotor-driven, so the radial orientation of the component
is coordinated as a seventh axis by the robots R-30iB controller. A jib crane mounted on the roof of the blast enclosure and a
rubber-fapped crane slot facilitate loading of heavy parts onto
the table, which ofers a weight capacity of 250 lbs.
The media reclamation and delivery system of the robotic
blasting machine is confgured to enable separation of stainless
steel shot and aluminum oxide grit media fed to two diferent
pressure pots of 2.3-cu.-f. capacity. Depending on the particular
38

DECEMBER 2014

pfonline.com

By Author
New Products copy, no ident frst line but
then indent all other paragraphs.
Company Name
Phone / web address

a heavier densifed fber mixture and is inkjet printed for identifcation and proper installation.
Second Stage ME/PT Panel
The ME/PT panel is made of two diferent layers of tackifed
polyester media sealed together so that the two layers touch
in the center. The method of joining uses an RF heat sealer. In
addition to the perimeter seal, the product must have additional
sealing in the face to keep the two layers connected. Although
the perimeter seals may be sewn, the center seals on the flter
face must be heat-sealed.
The air-entry layer is constructed of a multi-layered, multidensity polyester with heavy, non-migrating tackifer on the airleaving side. The air-leaving media is a heavily densifed polyester, 1/4 thick, tackifed on air-entry side with a weight of 0.42
ounces per square foot. The air-leaving side is inkjet printed for
identifcation and proper installation. A galvanized nine-gauge
wire frame with a minimum of one cross wire will be inserted

components to be treated, an operator connects either the blast

hose from the grit-blast pressure vessel or the shot-blast pressure pot. Dust collection for the system is provided by a single

NEW PRODUCTS

into the center of the ME/PT panel, touching the tackifed sides
of both media. An extruded plastic frame may be used. The ME/
PT has an initial pressure drop of 0.06 water gauge (w.g) at 150
feet per minute.
Third Stage HEPA-XFP 6 Pocket Bag Filter
The HEPA-XFP 6 Pocket Bag Filter is constructed using three
plies of electrostatic media arranged so that each ply preflters
the media following. The frst and second plies are a composite of melt-blown and spun-bound polyester fbers. The third,
air-leaving ply, is constructed of polypropylene and acrylic
media. The pockets are sewn together on the perimeter and
seams, forming air channels in each bag pocket. A J channel is
inserted into each fnished pocket and individually placed into
a header. The pockets are stapled and notched together and
to header to insure flter integrity. The galvanized header has
a 1/4 foam gasket on the air-leaving side to prevent any paint
bypass around the flter assembly.
HEPA-XFP 3-Stage System Performance Data
NESHAP Method 319 Eficiency: 99.986% - 0.49-0.59 m
KCL; 99.979% - 0.31-0.37 m - Oleic Acid
Paint Fractional Eficiency: 99.98%, 0.20-0.30 m, Def 44-GN72; 99.99%, 0.20-0.30 m, Def 02-Y-040A
Paint Arrestance: 99.999%
Average Removal Eficiency: Def 44-GN-72; 99.997%
Average Removal Eficiency: Def 02-Y-040A
Initial Pressure Drop: 0.245 at 120 fpm
ASHRAE 52.2 Eficiency: 99.989%, 0.30-1.0 m, MERV 16

Development and Research

While developing the HEPA-XFP, Dralle began testing commonly

cartridge-type collector with an extraction

value of 2,000 cfm.
The nozzle-manipulating robot is
ftted with a custom-tailored suit made
from laminated material with fabric and
polymer flm plies to isolate the precision
articulated arm from the harsh abrasive
environment of the blasting chamber.
According to the company, the sevenaxis robotic blasting system executes the
motion program for each component with
consistent accuracy, constantly maintaining the correct nozzle angle, stand-of
distance and surface speed to produce an
identical surface condition on all areas of
the part, even as it follows the contours of
complex-shaped components.
Guyson Corp. / 800-228-7894 /
guyson.com

used low viscosity paints on the top three-stage fltrations

systems.. Because the company is dedicated to providing
the best fltration systems in the industry, James Dralle and
the researchers at LMS Technologies scrutinized every detail
of the test results. What they discovered was astounding.
Low-viscosity paint fractured during paint booth exhaust fltration. Chromate and other hazardous air pollutants (HAPs)
shattered into particles small enough to escape standard
fltration systems. Dralles fndings highlight a critical discrepancy between test agents and actual paint used during
aerospace coating.
Dralle discovered the paint shatter by counting the number of paint particles entering the system and comparing
that amount to the number of particles exiting the system.
The number of particles exiting the systems were smaller
and more numerous than those entering. Somewhere in the
three-stage system, the paint was fracturing or shattering.
Depending on the paint manufacturer and paint formulation,
the number of shattered particles also greatly varied, though
it was consistently in excess of what is acceptable for test
agent standards. Additionally, the test performance of various manufacturers three-stage systems varied dramatically
on the same paint.
As a research-driven innovation, the HEPA-XFP uncovers
and meets both the present and future needs of the aerospace painting industry. All facilities that use the HEPA-XFP
should expect to have more eficient, environmentally
friendly and compliant operations. Tests were performed at
LMS Technologies, Inc. in Bloomington, Minnesota.
For more information, please contact Jim Dralle at
815-730-0505 or visit ajdrallefilters.com.

Lab Stand Enables Easy Viscosity Measurement

Brookfeld Engineerings spring-loaded Model QB
Quick Action Lab Stand is designed to simplify the viscosity testing process. With the push of a button, the
viscometer glides up and down, enabling quick positioning, rapid sample change and improved laboratory
eficiency, the company says.
The Model QB is well-suited for lab environments
with multiple operators and those with frequent
testing needs. It is supplied automatically with the
DV3T Extra rheometer or DV2T Extra viscometer,
and is available as an option with standard Brookfeld viscometers, including the DV1, DV-E and DialReading viscometers.
The Model QB also can replace the lab stand on
existing lab instruments.
Brookfeld Engineering /800-628-8139 /
brookfeldengineering.com

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39

NEW PRODUCTS

Architectural Metal Coating Air-Dries

PPG Industries coil and building products coatings group ofers
the Duranar ADS (air-dried system) fuoropolymer coating, a
newly-formulated product said to surpass the performance of the
original Duranar ADS coating.
This next-generation coating, designed for touching up
fuoropolymer fnishes on architectural metals damaged during
production or afer feld installation, is based on Arkemas Kynar
ADS2 fuorinated copolymer resin and PPG proprietary chemistry.
It is available in a range of solid, metallic and pearlescent colors
and in PPGs infrared-refective pigment technology.
Because of its single-component formulation, Duranar ADS
can be applied by fngernail brush for small touch-ups at the end
of a production line or can be spray-applied. It is well-suited for
use on window frames, door frames, roofs and metal wall panels
marred during fabrication or installation.
PPG Industries / 888-774-4332 / ppgideascapes.com

Black Oxide Finishing System is Now Automated

High quality black oxide fnishes, with minimal labor cost can be
achieved with Birchwood Technologies CNC Tru Temp fnishing
system, now available with an integrated programmable hoist
and tank line to automatically process iron and steel components. According to the company, this self-controlled tank line
reduces labor costs normally required with manual hoist lines. In
addition, it eliminates process guesswork and generates highly
repeatable results. The standard 110-gallon tank line system produces 4,000 to 6,000 lbs of fnished parts per 8-hour shif and the
line can be sized and confgured to accommodate any volume of
work or production capacity.
Birchwood Technologies / 952-937-7931 /
birchwoodtechnologies.com

Rotary Atomizers Feature Rugged Design

Ransburgs line of standard-setting RMA 500 Series rotary atomizers are designed to provide enhanced reliability, reduced maintenance and high-quality fnishes. Available in
direct-charge or indirect-charge technology, for solvent or waterborne applications, the atomizers heavy-duty design
ensures long service life. According to the
company, the series is recognized as a workhorse, carrying a 3-year or 15,000-hour warranty.
The line features a robust turbine design said
to provide forgiveness in unbalanced conditions,
along with time-saving feld repair-ability. (This
means turbines can be feld-stripped, cleaned and
reassembled for rapid return to production.) The
atomizers also feature durable titanium bell cups,
quick-disconnect technology that enables the atomizers to be changed in less than 2 min. for of-line
maintenance, and dual-purge technology.
Ransburg / 419-470-2000 / ransburg.com
40

DECEMBER 2014

pfonline.com

Versatile Abrasive Line Features

Improved Resin Bond
Neon abrasive products from Norton | Saint-Gobain feature a
proprietary grain technology and improved resin bond system
for better grain adhesion, which the company says results in
increased life and cut rate, and improved overall performance.
The Neon portfolio consists of fber, fap and cloth quickchange discs, and fle and narrow belts, designed for a range of
markets including metal fabrication, maintenance and repair,
primary metals, and others.
Included in the line are Neon R766 fap discs, which are general-purpose discs featuring aluminum oxide blend faps; R766
cloth quick-change discs, which feature a premium abrasive and
AO blend in a 24-80 grit range for aggressive cut and longer life
than competitive AO discs; Neon R766/R766X fle and narrow
belts for general purpose applications; and the Neon F726 line,
featuring an improved resin bond system and
heavy-duty fber backing.
Norton / 800-446-1119 / nortonabrasives.com

Hand-held Glossmeters Ensure

Uniform Quality Control
The Elcometer 480 single-, dual-and triple-angle glossmeters
measure gloss, haze and percent refectance in a single unit.
They feature repeatability, reproducibility and inter-instrument
agreement. The meters are traceable to BAM standards, with a gage that
automatically calibrates
and stores the calibration values and tile serial
number into memory.
Elcometer says it is up
to three times faster than any other
hand-held glossmeter in Standard
Mode and 10 times faster in Scan
Mode, providing real time, accurate gloss values over the entire
surface area. In addition, it can store as many as 40,000 readings
in 2,000 alpha-numeric batches, or connect to mobile devices for
instant data analysis and report generation.
Elcometer / 248-650-0500/ elcometer.com

NEW PRODUCTS

Copper Via Fill Systems for HDI Build-Ups

Formulated for HDI any-layer buildup, Enthone Inc.s EnFill
copper via fll (CVF) systems ofer a high current capacity
designed to reduce cycle time by as much as 40 percent while
providing improved via fll capacity with minimal dimple.
According to the company, the CVF application used in PCB
acid copper plating has grown signifcantly due to the high
market demand for smartphones and tablets. Manufacturing
these devices entails adapting to increasingly complex HDI
design requirements.

EnFill systems meet the growing demand to enable miniaturization on smaller, more complex electronic devices says
Steven Tam, global product line manager for Enthone PCB
Metallization.
Enthone says it has adopted the any-layer design to reduce
layer counts and increase circuit density, thereby allowing
more freedom in designing the circuitry.
Enthone / 203-934-8611 / enthone.com

Divine Brothers Company

From Start to Finish,

We Will Make You Shine!
200 Seward Ave
Utica, NY 13502
(800) 6427456
www.divinebrothers.com

Wedge Gap Film Applicator and Wet Film Applicator

Paul Gardner Co. has introduced a stainless steel instrument
with two clearances for producing wedge-shaped wet flms of
paints, coatings and related products. The frst gap side ofers
0 to 10 mils of clearance,
while the second gap side
ofers 10 to 20 mils of
clearance.
The company also ofers
its Dow/Latex Straddle
2-Path wet flm applicator,
used for applying a wet flm
(topcoat) over a dry flm
(bottom coat).
Made of chrome-plated
tool steel, the applicator
has both 7- and 10-mil gate
clearance, which will lay
down wet flms of approximately 3 1/2- and 5-mil wet
thickness.
Paul Gardner Co. Inc. /
954-946-9454 /
gardco.com
PRODUCTS FINISHING

pfonline.com

41

NEVER FINISHED

A Good Ground Starts at the Top

Transfer eficiency isn't just a technical term
it's a management issue.
Transfer Efficiency, droned the speaker at the coatings
conference, is the ratio of powder deposited on a part to
that directed at the part. And on he went, mentioning the
words transfer efficiency a total of six times. I made six
tick marks on my notepaper.
Then the next speaker used the same words seven times.
Seven more tick marks. The following speaker three. As the
last speaker of the day approached the podium, the words
transfer efficiency had been uttered a total of 27 times by
the five preceding presenters. That convinced me that there
might be something to this whole idea of transfer efficiency. I made it a point to better understand it.
This column generally sticks to topics around leadership
theory and practice and leaves the finer technical analysis
to the experts in those areas. However, my informal
research over the last eighteen months on the topic of
inadequate transfer efficiency and a primary causepoor
groundinghas led me to conclude that tending to it may
pay more dividends than any other improvement one can
make to a coatings line.
Consider the downsides of poor grounding. It leads
to excess powder consumption because any powder not
deposited on a part winds up being sprayed to waste or
reclaimed. Oftentimes, the shortsighted corrective action
for poor grounding is to crank up the powder guns in order
to reach the minimum
thickness specificaMy informal research over
tion, which wastes even
more powder. Poor
the last eighteen months
grounding results in a
on the topic of inadequate
lack of uniformity in
transfer eficiency and
mil build, which in turn
creates rejects, rework,
a primary causepoor
scrap and excessive strip
groundinghas led me
costs. Another primary
to conclude that tending
cause of poor grounding,
inadequately cleaned
to it may pay more
fixtures, deposits ash and
dividends than any other
residue in pretreatment
improvement.
chemistry, which leads to
more frequent chemistry
replacement in addition to powder line rejects.
As Thomas P. Frauman put it in his iconic article titled
It Pays to Become a Ground Fanatic, Its important to
remove any residue left by the cleaning process, such as
ash in a burn-off process. Not only will this ash provide
a barrier to electrical ground, but it may also fall on the
coated parts and create contamination rejects.
Credit goes to a CCAI golf outing for connecting me with
42

DECEMBER 2014

pfonline.com

John Cole who, since

2007, has served as
the president of Parker
Ionics, a leading manufacturer and worldwide
supplier of advanced
powder coating systems,
spray booths, spray guns
and application equipment. Turns out John
and I share a passion
for hook grounding
and transfer effiMATTHEW KIRCHNER, CEO
ciency. And yes, I do
American Finishing Resources, LLC
know how lame that
mkirchner@afrnow.com
sounds, but one cant
hide from the truth. Coles views on the topic, shared over
several of my lousy tee shots, fascinated me.
Without a good ground, without a clean hook, powder
coaters will struggle, Cole pointed out. Im 42 years in this
industry and ground has been the first of the key elements
of success. What Ive learned through observation is that you
can put powder on a part with no ground but you wont have
transfer efficiency, you wont be uniform, you will have film
builds all over the map.
In addition to the downsides of poor transfer efficiency
and film build variation, Cole talked about issues related
to Faraday cages and to the opportunity for back ionization
that increases the creation of craters and orange peel.
What makes Cole such an authority on grounding? A lot
of what I know about ground path is derived from a study I
did for Kolene Corporation, he explained.
We started with virgin hooks and took one pass through a
powder line and took numerous film thickness measurements.
After the first pass, the standard deviation between all of the
measurements was very small when we used virgin hooks.
Cole proceeded to load coated hooks with fresh parts and
sent the hooks on a second pass through the line. After the
second pass, the standard deviation between measurement
locations on the part started to drift just a bit.
Following the third pass, however, the standard deviation between measurement locations became significant.
On the third pass we saw ranges of mil build from 1.5 mils
on the low end to 4.5 mils on the high end. His conclusion?
Variation in mil thickness, and thus the quality of the finish,
can be directly correlated to the frequency and completeness
of hook and hanger cleaning. Cole and his team went on to
repeat the test at a second coating operation and the results
were virtually identical.

NEVER FINISHED

This testing cemented for Cole the importance of effective grounding. I am a real ground fanatic, he said.
Question. Do I just want to put powder on a part
in which case it doesnt matteror do I want to do it
uniformly and efficiently? The ground path and a clean
hook are critical.
Cole has a soft spot in his heart for the manual gun
operator in the powder booth. What I see now when I go
out [to powder coating operations] is I see the painter.
He is the companys best resource but so often overlooked and underpaid. All he cares about is that he doesnt
get yelled at for having a bare spot on the part. He doesnt
care how much powder he puts on the part or how effectively or efficiently he does it.
Coles point is that the gun operator avoids being
disciplined for missing a spot on a part by blowing excess
powder onto the part, which leads to waste. As long as
the gun operator can compensate for poor ground simply
by blowing more powder, the grounding issue and the
problems it creates wont raise any flags.
For this reason, Cole believes that the case for good
ground has to start with ownership of management. As he
bluntly puts it, Unless the owner or the boss is driving it, it
aint gonna happen.

LARGE-CAPACITY
WALK-IN OVENS

Standard sizes to 786 cu. ft.

Special sizes to your specs
Gas & Electric models
Choice of air flow patterns
Temps to 1200F

www.grievecorp.com 847-546-8225

@ProductsFinMag
Stay informed about the
latest news and trends in the
fnishing industry.

PRODUCTS FINISHING

pfonline.com

43

BY THE NUMBERS

October Index at 53.0

Fastest Growth Since June
Capacity utilization and capital investment should increase in 2015.
With a reading of 53.0, the Gardner Business Index showed
that the finishing industry grew in October for the ninth time
in 10 months and to its highest level since June; in the one
month during that span that it did not grow, the industry was
flat. Compared to one year earlier, the October index increased
by 5.2 percent. The annual rate of change has been about 9.5
percent for three straight months.
New orders made a huge jump in October after contracting
in September and are growing at their fastest rate since May.
Production has grown every month this year, and in October
the rate of expansion increased to its fastest since May.
Backlogs contracted for the fourth month in a row to just below
50.0, but the month-over-month rate of change continued to
grow and the annual rate of change remained near its peak rate
of growth. This indicates that capacity utilization and capital
investment should increase in 2015. After significantly slower
growth in July, employment has expanded at
an accelerating rate in
the three months since.
Exports have contracted
for four months due to
the rising dollar, and
supplier deliveries have
lengthened at a consistent rate since June.
Material prices
continued to increase,
To see the historical breakdown of
but the rate of increase
our business index and each of its
has been somewhat
subindices, visit gardnerweb.com/
slower since its peak in
forecast/finishing.htm.
June. Prices received by

44

finishers increased at their

fastest rate since January.
Future business expectations dipped slightly from
September but have been
at a fairly consistent level
throughout 2014.
Larger facilities saw
slower growth in October
than in September,
and the slower growth
was more noticeable in
facilities with more than
250 employees than in
STEVEN R. KLINE JR.
plants with 100-249
Director of Market Intelligence
employees. This was
Gardner Business Media Inc.
more than made up for
gardnerweb.com/economics/blog
by improved business
conditions at smaller finishers, however. Shops with 50-99
employees expanded at their fastest rate in the history of the
index, and facilities with 20-49 employees also expanded after
contracting in September. Shops with fewer than 20 employees
contracted at their slowest rate since April.
The North CentralWest grew at the fastest rate in October,
followed closely by the North CentralEast, which grew for the
first time since July. The Southeast grew for the third straight
month, while the West contracted for the fourth month in a
row. The Northeast contracted for the first time in 2014.
After contracting last month, future capital spending plans
increased 2.5 percent compared to last October. The annual
rate of growth continued to accelerate and was growing at its
fastest rate in the history of the index.

Sub-Indices

October

September

Change

Direction

Rate

Trend

New Orders

56.2

48.0

8.2

Growing

From Contracting

Production

57.1

52.0

5.1

Growing

Faster

10

Backlog

48.6

45.6

3.0

Contracting

Slower

Employment

53.9

53.1

0.8

Growing

Faster

Exports

48.5

46.3

2.2

Contracting

Slower

Supplier Deliveries

54.0

54.8

-0.8

Lengthening

Less

35

Material Prices

65.3

64.7

0.6

Increasing

More

35

Prices Received

53.6

49.3

4.3

Increasing

From Decreasing

Future Business Expectations

72.8

74.1

-1.3

Improving

Less

35

Finishing Business Index

53.0

50.0

3.0

Growing

From Contracting

DECEMBER 2014

pfonline.com

ASSOCIATION DIGEST

Milwaukee Seminar Achieves Highest Attendance Yet

The Electrocoat Association and
the Chemical Coaters Association
International hosted the 2014
Electrocoating Seminar in

The seminar saw its largest attendance to date.

Attention, Bosses:
Let Your People Excel!
Study and experience tell us money is only a
temporary motivator. All of us like to get a raise
or a bonuseven if you are the boss. But to
earn loyalty and retain good employees, you have to give them
the knowledge they need to excel at their jobs.
Your employees want to improve. They have ideas about to
improve your business. Most importantly, they want to work
for people whose interests lie in furthering their employees
careers.
The Powder Coating Institute (PCI) could be just the
resource you and your employees need. PCI offers both
classroom and hands-on training in a number of major cities
throughout the year. The teachers are experts in their fields
and spend time with each participant and serve as a resource
long after the training has concluded.
For added flexibility, PCI offers online education employees
can take right from their desks. The institute offers 10 webinars
per year on some of the most important topics in the industry.
Finally and most importantly, PCI hosts the Powder Coating
Show every year. The two-day show, which will be hosted in
Louisville, Kentucky in May, provides opportunities to take
courses and talk with the experts who staff exhibitor booths.
I have heard many bosses in the industry tell me things like
I cant afford to let my employee take two days out of the
plant, or Its just too expensive, or If I train my employees
theyll just leave. Your employees will sense it if you are not
willing to invest in their careers.
An educated workforce is a key tool for success. Bosses, let
your people attend the show. Or better yet, bring them with
you to Louisville and excel together!

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sept. 30 through Oct. 1, with a recordbreaking attendance. The morning seminar presented talks on
basic electrocoating topics before shifting to more advanced
content in the remaining sessions. Industry experts examined
the electrocoating process to expose areas of energy, waste
and cost savings while identifying best practices in production/non-production. Attendees enjoyed a reception on the
first evening and a tour of the Cree Lightings plant in nearby
Sturtevant to round out the seminar experience.
Ecoat16 will be hosted in Orlando, Floridas Rosen Centre
Hotel for the third year in a row. The conference date,
normally in April of even years, will move to February 15-17,
2016. Program planners are currently in the beginning
stages, anticipating a lineup of great keynotes, panel discussions and workshops, along with new programming.

Finishing Industry Alive and Well

CCAI hosted its largest Fabtech Finishing
Pavilion last month in Atlanta with more than
6,200 attendees coming to evaluate finishing
products and services. With more than 180
exhibiting companies in the Finishing Pavilion
filling more than 40,000 net square feet of show floor space,
attendees had the opportunity to see an array of new and innovative products, services and demonstrations.
It was amazing to see the growth of the Finishing
Pavilion since we first became a show partner 5 years ago.
Manufacturing is alive and well in the U.S., and this bodes very
well for our segment. Mark your calendar now for when CCAIs
Finishing Pavilion returns to Chicago Nov. 9 12, 2015. We
were sold out in Atlanta and with early booth sales for Chicago
extremely strong, we anticipate that we will sell out exhibit
space even earlier next year.
CCAI and the Infrared Div. of IHEA also recently held a
very successful Powder Coating & Curing Processes seminar
at Georgia Power in Atlanta. In addition to a morning of
classroom instruction, attendees spent the afternoon in
the lab spraying powder coating and watching parts cure
with infrared. The seminar sold out and the next seminar is
scheduled at GA Power for February 24 & 25, 2015 and will
be lengthened by a half day to allow for additional classroom instruction. For additional details on this cost-effective
seminar, visit ccaiweb.com and click on the Powder Coating &
Curing Processes Seminar button.
CCAI chapters meet on a regular basis and hold educational
meetings, networking events and even charity events such as
Toys for Tots fundraisers in December. Check out all of our
chapter events by visiting ccaiweb.com.
PRODUCTS FINISHING

pfonline.com

45

CLASSIFIEDS

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46

DECEMBER 2014

pfonline.com

AD INDEX

This issue of Products Finishing is being sent to nearly 35,000 subscribers in more than 28,000 plants
the largest circulation in the fnishing industry.
A.J. Dralle, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Henkel Loctite Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover

Air Control Industries Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Kremlin by EXEL North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

American Finishing Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Lanco Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Automated Chemical Solutions, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Light Metals Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Bionomic Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

MacDermid Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

CJI Process Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover

Magic Rack/Production Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Clemco Industries Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Met-Chem Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Columbia Chemical Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Miraclean. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

DeFelsko Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Parts Cleaning Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Divine Brothers Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Powder Coating Consultants Div. of Ninan Inc.. . . . . . . . . 47

Dynamic Sofware Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

R J Manufacturing Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Elcometer, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Schafner Mfg. Co. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Enthone Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

SEMicro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

EPi-Electrochemical Products Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

SERFILCO, Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover

EPSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Tiger Drylac USA, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Fischer Technology Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Tri-Mer Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

General Fabrications Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Uyemura International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Gilbert & Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Waste Treatment Equipment Specialties Company . . . . . . 46

Grieve Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Water and Wastewater Equipment Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Wayne Products, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

PRODUCTS FINISHING (ISSN 0032-9940/82) is sent on a complimentary basis to

selected production, engineering and management personnel in North American
plants where electroplating, painting, and other fnishing operations are performed.
All other subscriptions per year are $89 in the United States, $99 in Canada and
Mexico and $200 elsewhere. Published monthly and copyright 2014 by Gardner
Business Media Inc., 6915 Valley Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45244-3029. Telephone:
(513) 527-8800. Printed in U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio and
at additional mailing ofices. If undeliverable, send form 3579.

www.lancocorp.com

BUY SELL TRADE APPRAISE

USED EQUIPMENT FOR OVER 38 YEARS

P
C
C

Powder Coating Consultants

Division of Ninan, Inc.

EQUIPMENT & POWDER

TRAINING &
SELECTION
IN-PLANT SEMINARS
START-UP ASSISTANCE
TESTING SERVICES
OPERATIONAL AUDITS
www.powdercc.com
(203) 366-7244
FAX (203) 367-5245
1-800-97-POWDER

MEMBERS OF: PCI; AFP/SME; CCA; AESF

CANADA POST: Return all undeliverables to: Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542,
London, ON N6C 6B2. Canadian publication mail agreement 40612608.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Products Finishing, 6915 Valley Ave.,
Cincinnati, OH 45244-3029. Permissions: Libraries and other organizations registered
with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC, 27 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970)
may photocopy any article herein for the fat fee of $2.00 per copy of the article.
Payment should be sent directly to the CCC. Copying done for other personal or
internal reference use without express permission of Gardner Business Media
Inc., is prohibited. Address requests for special permissions or bulk orders to the
magazine. ISSN 0032-9940/82 $2.00.

Are you an EN expert interested in joining the

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PRODUCTS FINISHING

pfonline.com

47

END OF THE LINE

A Conversation with

Blair Vandivier, President and CEO, Asterion

Blair Vandivier is a lawyer, a pilot and a former college golfer, as well as a board member
of the NASF. Several years ago, Vandivier merged his successful Benchmark Products
with Roger Sowinskis New Surface Technologies to form Asterion, a surface technology
company that provides specialty chemical fnishing products for pretreatment, powder
coating and plating. We were lucky to score a round of golf with Vandivier at his swanky
Crooked Stick Golf Club in Indianapolis, Indiana, where we also met his personal friend,
legendary golf course designer Pete Dye.

PF: How did an accomplished attorney find his way into the
electroplating business?
BV: While I found law incredibly challenging and intellectually stimulating, the practice I had developed was not very
compatible with beginning a family. When Betty and I started
our family, my priorities changed. I noticed that many of my
clients enjoyed a more balanced work/family life. When the
opportunity to join Benchmark presented itself, it made sense
to make a change. I hoped to combine my business education
with my legal background. Benchmark provided the opportunity to build more than just a personal law practice, but to
grow with a dynamic organization in a fascinating feld and
with some really great people.
PF: How did the merger of Benchmark Products and New
Surface Technologies into Asterion change the way the
company did business?
BV: Benchmark and NST had a long-standing relationship. We
knew each other well before the merger, so the risk that the
cultures would be incompatible was small. Bringing Roger Sowinski, their technology and their relationships together with
the Benchmark team has really supercharged the new Asterion. Our customers have truly benefted from incrementally
better technical support for existing products, as well as some
really advanced products that neither company could have
developed on its own. Products such as our trivalent passivate
Technicoat 360 Ultra are an example of the high-performing,
cost-efective products we are developing. And our growth has
not stopped with the merger, bringing Southeastern Chemical
into our team in September shows our continued commitment
to building our business. Asterion is in the metal fnishing
industry for the long haul. We believe our customers are the
ultimate benefciaries of services we provide and the products
we are developing.
PF: You have been actively involved in many PGA Tour events
that have come through Indianapolis, including the BMW
Championship and the U.S. Senior Open. Are those volunteer
tasks that you take on a labor of love?
BV: Golf has played an important role in my life. I am privileged to be a member of Crooked Stick Golf Club here in
Indianapolis. One of the guiding principles of Crooked Stick
48

DECEMBER 2014

pfonline.com

Get to know Blair

Family: Married to Elizabeth; children Jessica, an
attorney, and Jennifer, an accountant.
Favorite hobby: Golf
Favorite movie: Major League
Favorite book: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Whats playing in your car CD/radio: OAR, Sirius
Watercolors, Sirius Blend
is our belief that is important to give back to golf. Hosting
the events, those that are both highly visible like the ones
you mention and those less visible, like many of the amateur
championships, are equally rewarding. We have recently been
awarded not only the 2016 BMW Championship, but the
2020 Western Open, a highly prestigious amateur event. The
involvement of our members in the organization and administration of all of the championships is part of that commitment
to give back to golf. This commitment is similar to Asterions
commitment to our industry through our dedication of time,
treasure and talent to the NASF.
PF: Whats the best piece of advice you were given, either
personally or professionally, and who gave it to you?
BV: Early on, I was told by one of my partners that once you
have made a decision, you should not look back. You can only
look forward. I fnd that advice to be sage. Unfortunately, this
advice is oftentimes hard to follow!
PF: What did you want to be when you grew up?
BV: I wanted to be a pilot and race car driver. I hold a private
pilot certifcate and have driven a few race cars.
PF: What was your first job, and what did you learn from it?
BV: As a sophomore in high school, I held my frst real job as a
grocery store bag boy. I learned the importance of being honest with your customers. Everyone makes mistakes; if you are
honest and admit your mistakes, most people will be appreciative and forgive you.