Presenter: Antebellum Manufacturing, Mercury Marine, City Theatrical, Barrett Outdoor Living

1. TECHNICAL CONFERENCE ADVANCED SESSION - OEM PANEL DISCUSSION
Panelists: Akriti Agarwal, Mercury Marine; Joe Fails, City Theatrical, Inc.; Jonathan Farrar, Antebellum Manufacturing; John Holcomb, Barrette Outdoor Living

One of the best ways to learn is by listening to the experiences of your peers. In this advanced session that opens our 2023 Technical Conference, we’ve pulled together a wide array of OEM industry experts that have varying experiences in powder coating in their manufacturing facility. This session will take you on a journey with these powder coaters to discuss important topics that make a company stronger and produce better products including how they got into powder, how they go about improving powder coating operations, how they determine when to upgrade or expand their powder coating operations and more.

Presenter: Chris Kuehl

2. OPENING KEYNOTE – EXPLAINING TOMORROW - WHY PREDICTIONS OF YESTERDAY DIDN'T COME TRUE TODAY - UNDERSTANDING OUR ECONOMY
Chris Kuehl, Armada Corporate Intelligence

The economy is certainly a huge topic of discussion these days. There is no better way to stay up to date than to hear from finishing industry economist, Chris Kuehl. He monitors a variety of manufacturing economic indices and delivers information to the industry that is understandable, entertaining and honest. Chris promises to engage the audience to make everyone understand why the economy is important.

Presenter: Jeff Blain, Brandon Lloyd

4. CLEANING METAL WITH SUSTAINABLE PRETREATMENT PRACTICES
Zirconium Pretreatment in the Real World
Jeff Blain, Circle-Prosco, Inc.

Attendees will learn about a typical zirconium pretreatment process and how the chemistry responds to a variety of manufacturing challenges. We will compare and contrast the performance of zirconium pretreatments to that of iron and zinc phosphate systems using lab created panels and case studies. Also discussed will be changes required to pretreatment lines and preventive maintenance schedules in order to switch from conventional chemistry to zirconium based pretreatments.

Save the Green - How Sustainable Paint Pretreatment Can Increase Profitability and Reduce Carbon Footprint
Brandon Lloyd, Atotech USA

Recent developments in pretreatment technologies offer applicators sustainable alternatives to replace conventional processes without compromising quality and cost. Next generation processes also enhance surface treatment operations, generate less waste, consume less energy, and offer safer working environments. This presentation will explore how these new pretreatments can offer a more sustainable and economical solution for applicators. The focus will be on processes free of elements/compounds of concern (phosphorus, zinc, boron, nickel, alkylphenol ethoxylates) while offering energy and carbon footprint reductions with longer solution life and lower operating temperatures.

Presenter: Ryan Allen, Stephen Taylor

6. MAINTENANCE BEST PRACTICES TO OPTIMIZE YOUR POWDER LINE
Maintenance - "Make Time or Break Time"
Ryan Allen, GEMA USA Inc.

There is an unfortunate trend within the powder coating industry, where companies are struggling with resource constraints to meet production goals. Many are working with limited resources for effective operation and maintenance management. Companies are finding that their conveyorized process line(s) “get shorted” in the maintenance arena. Recognizing that there are multiple processes on a finishing line, many maintenance tasks are overlooked. This presentation will discuss ideas and methods to re-balance labor while performing maintenance tasks and optimizing their system.

Sustainable In-house Paint Removal: Lower Running Costs and Improved Productivity
Stephen Taylor, Atotech USA, LLC

Maintaining clean racks, hooks and fixtures is critical in ensuring the highest level of paint transfer efficiency for parts. Unfortunately, due to the hazards and cost considerations for conventional processes, paint applicators often outsource their paint removal demands. However, with recent advancements in modern chemical applications, in-house options exist which are safe, highly efficient, and suitable for long-life use. This presentation will review the often-hidden costs associated with conventional methods and explore the cost benefits of transitioning to a newer, sustainable paint removal process.

Presenter: Jeremy Davitz, Joseph Glassco

8. RACK AND ROLL WITH THE GUN MOVERS
Choosing the Right Hanging Method for Your System
Jeremy Davitz, Magic Rack

Choosing the right type of hanging system can be a huge challenge. Often, companies choose the easiest or the first option they see. With countless hanging methods available, evaluating different options is often overlooked, leading to less efficient powder coating lines and costing valuable labor. This presentation will cover different types of racking (modular, welded, individual hooks, part specific), discussing the pros and cons of each, and how to select the best style for your system.

To Move or Not to Move
Joseph Glassco, Wagner Industrial Solutions

Proper selection of gun mover technology will impact the effectiveness and operational cost of your powder coating system. Which method of gun movement is right for different applications? This presentation will look at fixed-guns oscillation and radial oscillation, horizontal short stroke and long stroke reciprocation, and multi-axis movement robots.

Presenter: Scott Persyn, JR Rogers

10. POWDER COATINGO N WOOD-BASED SUBSTRATES? YES, YOU CAN!
Scott Persyn, PPG and JR Rogers, Wagner Industrial Solutions

If you want to learn the ins and outs of powder coating on wood-based substrates as a proven, sustainable solution, this is your chance. Speakers with expertise in powder formulation, manufacturing, application, and curing will educate attendees on advancements in powder coating on wood-based substrates (WBS), the application process, and how powder coating can be a more sustainable, cost-effective process than liquid finishing solutions as well as compare the differences to powder coating on metal.

Presenter: Martin Ings, Michael Withers

12. ACID ETCHING AND THERMOPLASTIC POWDER COATINGS FOR CORROSION PROTECTION
The Importance of Acid Etching of Aluminum
Martin Ings, BASF/Chemetall

For the powder coating applicator, why is an acid etching of aluminum necessary? What are the limits of different options especially related to sustainability and application? With longer service life of buildings and rise in higher warranty the
importance of correct pretreatment of aluminum especially for higher corrosion and weathering classification is critical. Use of acidic etching prior to chrome-free passivation is especially important however, the choices available today are not fully documented and explained for the specifier and applicator. This presentation will summarize the results and limits of acid etching on aluminum and subsequently applied architectural powder coating.

Thermoplastic Powder Coatings: What Are They and Where Can They Be Used?
Michael Withers, Axalta Coating Systems

This presentation will cover thermoplastic powder coatings, what they are, where can they be used and how they are different from thermoset powder coatings. We will discuss how they can perform in severe corrosion environments. We will also discuss the application process. Lastly, we will talk about how they can be used in combination, thermoplastic as a primer and thermoset as a topcoat.

Presenter: Jeralyn Camp, Bob Kelly

14. TRACKING AND MEASURING FOR ACCURACY AND SAVINGS
Jetness - Understanding Jetness Measurement and its Importance in Production
Jeralyn Camp, BYK-Gardner

We aren’t talking about airplanes! This presentation will cover what Jetness is, the challenges in quantification of blackness, how reflectance affects the color black, the effect of undertones on black, what typical reflectance jetness values are for black, the difference between blackness My and jetness Mc, is and what makes an instrument suitable for measuring jetness.

Cost Savings Measures for Powder Coaters
Bob Kelly, PPG

This presentation will explore multiple cost savings measures for powder coaters. Learn how you can save money and optimize your application process as we explore the following topics: specific gravity - understanding cost per square foot vs. cost per pound; line density - understanding first pass transfer efficiency and why it matters; usage - the importance of tracking and measuring powder consumption rates; maintenance - how grounding, powder flow, kVs, fluidization and overall line maintenance affect efficiency.