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Electroplating Benchmarking SHOPS American Metal Coatings 2019 Leads North American Shops

2019 Benchmarking Results TOP SHOPS for Plating – 16

Owner finds ‘traction’ for POWDER optimizing operations – 22

Coating lines rebuild after LIQUID EF-3 Tornado – 26

Increasing bath life of PLATING trivalent passivates – 30 A property of Gardner Business Media APRIL 2019 / VOLUME 83 / NO. 7 3s Selective Separation System

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EMPHASIS TOP SHOPS VOLUME 83 / NO. 7 / APRIL 2019

16 TOP SHOPS BENCHMARKING RESULTS The 2019 Products Finishing Top Shops Benchmarking Survey for the electroplating industry generated plenty of data designed to assist shop owners and managers in increasing productivity and improving efficiencies. 18 AMERICAN METAL COATINGS IN AT NO. 1 American Metal Coatings ranked the No. 1 electroplating operation in North SHOPS America based on the Products Finishing Top Shops Benchmarking Survey. 2019

26 22 Gaining Traction to be a Great Operation Management system focuses on continuous improvement 26 After the Storm: Rebuilding A Finishing Line Suppliers help company rebuild after EF-3 Tornado 22

tECHNICAL EXPERTS NEWS / COLUMNS

30 Plating / Roger Sowinski, Asterion 6 The Finishing Touch / Tim Pennington Increasing Bath Life of Trivalent Passivates Competing to Be the Best Plating Shop 32 Liquid Coatings / Mike Bonner, Saint Clair Systems 8 Finishing Industry News Differences Between Liquid Paint Guns and Bells Shops Celebrate National Surface Finishing Day 34 Powder Coating / Danielle Dykstra, Diamond Vogel 42 Never Finished / Matthew Kirchner Preventing Blooming in Powder Coating The Expense of Frugality 36 Shop Software / Bill McGee, Plex Systems 44 Gardner Business Index / Michael Guckes Using Technology to Reach Finishing Goals Finishing Index Reports Modest February Expansion 38 Parts Cleaning / Greg Terrell, Coventya 48 End of the Line: Larry Capoccia Extending Parts Cleaner Solution Life Part II VP/General Manager, Alexandria Metal Finishing

40 INNOVATIONS Vitracoat develops hand-held spectrophotomer, plus the latest in paint and powder coating application equipment.

PRODUCTS FINISHING (ISSN 0032-9940) is published monthly and copyright © The information presented in this edition of Products Finishing is believed to be 2019 by Gardner Business Media Inc. 6915 Valley Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45244-3029. accurate. In applying recommendations, however, you should exercise care and Telephone: (513) 527-8800. Printed in U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, normal precautions to prevent personal injury and damage to facilities or products. OH and additional mailing offices. All rights reserved. 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 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Products Finishing Magazine, 6915 Valley herein, nor can the publisher assume responsibility for the validity of claims or Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45244-3029. If undeliverable, send Form 3579. performance of items appearing in editorial presentations or advertisements in this CANADA POST: Canada Returns to be sent to IMEX Global Solutions, P.O. Box 25542, publication. Contact information is provided to enable interested parties to conduct London, ON N6C 6B2. Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. further inquiry into specific products or services.

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Products Finishing is published by 6915 Valley Avenue Cincinnati OH 45244-3029 Ph 513-527-8800 Fax 513-527-8801 gardnerweb.com

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4 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com REGISTER EARLY AND SAVE! NASFSURFIN.COM

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This event combines industry leading exhibitors with top notch education all in one place. If you’re involved in surface finishing, SUR/FIN is for you. Technology Networking Knowledge

SUR/FIN | nasfsurfin.com The Event for the Finishing Industry THE FINISHING TOUCH

Competing to Be the Best A competitive nature drives many of Products Finishing’s Top Shops.

It’s not a competition, I keep telling myself and those who did last year as a thank you to take part in the Products Finishing Top Shops Benchmarking all the employees, and making Survey each year. Benchmarking is a bona fide business shirts celebrating 50 years improvement process, one that has had incredible success in business with the Top TIM PENNINGTON / EDITOR whenever it’s done right and used properly. There are no Shops logo included in [email protected] winners or losers, only opportunities to improve productivity the design.” and increase margins. Charles Dunham, president of Green Bay Anodizing, says Yet, even as I go blue in the face saying that, we are all the recognition is an important part of their annual goals. “It competitive. It is a natural reaction to want to be the best, shows our customers and potential customer base that we put produce the best and take part in something that is recog- a lot of thought and care into their orders,” he says. “We may nized as exemplary. There were hundreds of electroplating not have the footprint of some larger competitors, but our shops taking part in this year’s Products Finishing Top Shops focus has always been customer focused and quality driven. Benchmarking Survey. As we announce the results (and the When a company has so many anodizing solutions to choose customized reports on how your shop fared are in the mail), I from, we believe the Top Shops program puts Green Bay know that many survey participants want to be considered a Anodizing at the top of the short list.” Top Shop, one of those in the elite 80th percentile of overall Bob Pyle, president of Pioneer Plating in Wisconsin, says results. being named a Top Shop is a recognition of the work and In this issue, we let you know the 50 shops that have been effort by their teams to provide exceptional metal finishing designated Products Finishing’s Top Shops for 2019. It doesn’t services to customers. “The investments we make in our mean the other hundreds of shops who took part in the survey company, both operational and cultural, as well as the time we aren’t deserving of recognition. Rather, it’s a way to let those commit to training and development are a major emphasis for who get their survey results back know who they are comparing Pioneer,” he says. “The Top Shop award is a recognition that their Top Shop numbers against, which I believe is fair. this work is effective.” “I think plating shops are getting better and better, so being Alan Henry, president of ChromeTech in Wisconsin, says in the Top Shops is harder to achieve,” says Rick Hunter with he was excited to hear his shop earned the honor, especially A.M. Metal Finishing in Orlando. when he heard it during a week of brutal weather up north. He’s right. The number goes up every year, and shop owners “For all the days at -20°F, everyone showed up for all three are getting more sophisticated in how they run their opera- shifts,” he says. “That is dedication, and exemplifies why they tions. They all want to measure up, which is a good thing for are important.” the industry if everyone is striving to be on top of their game. I told Jeff Smith, president of Electro-Spec in Franklin, When I let the shops who made the cut in the top 50 know of Indiana, of his shop’s designation at the end of a busy and their designation, it’s always stressful week in January. “Awesome news to get on a Friday,” There are no winners or great to get their reaction was his response. “With this honor and all that we have losers, only opportunities to being named a Products planned for this year, it is a great way to kick off 2019.” Finishing Top Shop. Others were just genuinely excited to share the news. to improve productivity “It’s confirmation to “It is terrific news, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with and increase margins. our team members that, the entire team,” says Michael Feldstein, president and director collectively, they are being of innovation at Surface Technology in Ewing, New Jersey. rewarded for the pride they have in their work and a job well “This is a huge honor for us,” says Tyler Thomas, vice presi- done,” says Dan Rose, president of Elite Metal Finishing in dent and general manager of Technical Plating in Minneapolis. Oceanside, California. “To be named a Top Shop is an honor and Others were very complimentary of what the survey does a reflection of how dedicated and hardworking our team is,” for their shop, and for all surface finishers who clock in every says Nolan Hannon, president of Armoloy in Dekalb, Illinois. day trying to get better and make one dollar more. “I’m incredibly proud of everyone here for the improvements “We really appreciate what this survey does for our we’ve realized over the previous two years. It’s fantastic to industry,” says Jaime Maliszewski, president of RPW and Elite receive some recognition for all of the effort.” Finishing in Milwaukee. Hannon’s business partner and co-owner, Jacob Meier, says Thanks to everyone who took the time to complete the there’s still a lot of work to be done. “Nothing happens over- survey and share data anonymously for others to compare. night,” he says. “But we’ll be having a celebratory lunch as we You’re all winners to us.

6 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com See and Hear the Top Shops in North America at the PF Top Shops Stage at SUR/FIN 2019. SHOPS 2019

Join Us June 4, 2019, 1-3:30 p.m. at SUR/FIN 2019 for The PF Top Shops Stage! The surface finishing industry and Products Finishing magazine will honor those shops selected as the See you in 2019 Top Shops in electroplating and anodizing. Cleveland AT 30-in-30 Meet the Presidents and CEOs of the Top Shops, and hear a 30-in-30 panel discussion on the best ideas for your shop. Register Today!

40-Under-40 N A S F S U R F I N . CO M Watch the brightest and newest members of the finishing industry be recognized for their achievements. Finishing Hall of Fame Learn from the past and hear from the people who helped the finishing industry survive and thrive. NEWS

Shops and Suppliers Celebrated National Surface National Surface Finishing Day in Style Finishing National Surface Finishing Day was celebrated March 6 in shops Day and facilities across North America. Products Finishing partnered with finishing operations in the U.S. MacDermid Enthone opened its doors to students and the to showcase the industry to local trade schools, businesses, of- community as part of its effort to educate the public about ficials and media, as well as to celebrate employees. surface finishing, and highlight the opportunities that a career In Huntington Park, California, management and employees in finishing can provide. Guests were treated to a tour of its at Aircraft X-Ray Laboratories invited customers, city council Ferndale, Michigan, facility, where Dean Zdravkovski, director members and assembly representatives to their shop. of operations, answered questions and gave them insights into “We had a fantastic turnout,” says Justin Guzman, company how the company serves the surface finishing industry. president. “We had some great banners made and some shirts, Silvex Surface Technology, in Westbrook, Maine, had coffee and and set up teams to give tours and give away pens and calen- pastries for all of its employees, and gave everyone a company dars. It was a great day.” T-shirt with the National Surface Finishing logo on the sleeves. At E.M.E. Inc. in Compton, California, owner Wesley Turnbow “I talked to my crew a little about the industry, and explained says the shop invited its top customers for a luncheon. They had why we are good citizens, and why we are so important to the 25 customers representing 13 companies attend with the company economy,” says Dan Atkinson, a company owner. “It pumped conducting five tours. They also fed their 90 first-shift employees. them up.” Coventya hosted events with employees at facilities in Ohio and New York that included presentations explaining the purpose of National Surface Finishing Day and showed them a portion of their group presentation, which most of them have not seen. “We have been trying to connect our employees to a ‘purpose,’” says Bryan Thrasher, controller. “To get them to understand that we are manufacturing more than just chemicals, but also the im- portance of what they do for the supply chain of surface finishing. National Surface Finishing Day was a great time to do this.” National Surface Finishing Day will be celebrated the first Wednesday in March. The 2020 event will be March 4.

SUR/FIN Registration Open In addition to seeing the latest in surface finishing technol- Registration is open for SUR/FIN, the electroplating and anod- ogy on exhibit at the show, SUR/FIN will feature numerous izing show hosted by the National Association for Surface technical conference tracks, including: Finishing, which takes place June 3-5 in Chicago. • Automotive I: Innovative Decorative Finishes Full conference registration for NASF members is $450 (if • Advances I: Surface Finishing Technology Today purchased before May 31) and $650 (if purchased after). Non- • Managing Wastewater Usage/Waste Management Minimization member fees are $600 (before May 31) and $800 (after May 31). • Automotive II: Solutions for Sustainability and Performance Additional discounts are available for conference registrations • Technology Responses to REACH/Regulations for just Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday activities. • Advances II: Research Full conference regis- • Initiatives Impacting Finishing Today and Future tration includes all con- • Coating Trends Controlling Corrosion and Wear ference sessions, online • High-Reliability Aerospace and Defense Processes conference proceedings, • Zinc Alloy Finishing Trends: Challenges and Prospects exhibit hall entry for all • Advancing Technology Applications for Finishing/Engineering days, complimentary Opportunities keynote sessions, Plating • Innovating Performance and Efficiency opportunities Boot Camp sessions, a for Applicators networking reception and the official show directory. Visit nasfsurfin.com for full conference schedules.

8 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com NEWS

NASF Award Nominations Open The National Association for Surface Finishers is taking nomi- nations for industry awards that will be presented at the SUR/FIN conference in June. Each year, the NASF presents awards to acknowledge the leadership of peers who have dedicated a great deal of their time to ensure a strong association and vibrant industry. Visit http://short.pfonline.com/NASFawards to nominate someone deserving for one of the following awards: NASF Presidential Award: This award focuses on the extraordinary ser- vice put forth by an NASF member who is actively participating on a local Gema, Dubois and Vogel Industrial Coatings and national level. Hold Powder Coating Workshops Silvio Taormina Memo- Gema, Dubois Chemical and Vogel Industrial Coatings are rial Award: Presented holding two powder coating workshops this year. to individuals who have The first is May 1-2 in Las Vegas, with early registration performed outstanding service to the finishing industry. ending April 24. The second is Sept. 10-11 in the Dallas area, August Munning Award: Given to a supplier member who with early registration ending Sept. 3. Workshop fees are $299 has significantly contributed to the well-being of the NASF. per person for early registration or $349 per person within one Award of Merit: Given to members of the industry who have week of class. shown meritorious service and achievement on both the local This workshop is designed for those with varying levels of and national levels. experience in powder coating knowledge, and is designed to Scientific Achievement Award: Recognizes a person who improve skills and understanding of all aspects of powder has contributed to the advancement of the theory and practice coating. The workshops will cover topics such as: of electroplating, metal finishing and allied arts; raised the • Powder chemistry and selection quality of process and products; enhanced the dignity and • Pretreatment best practices status of the profession; or been involved in a combination of • Application issues and maintenance these. • Oven and curing strategies NASF Fellow: Recognizes outstanding service, contribution • Troubleshooting, quality control and tricks of the trade and long-standing commitment to NASF for the advancement of the best interests of the finishing industry. To register, visit gematraining.com/events-and-training/ Visit nasf.org. workshops/gema-dubois-vogel.

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PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 9 NEWS

Nordson Expands Training Offering with Spanish Language Powder Coating Workshop Nordson Corporation completed its first Spanish language Powder Coating Basics Workshop for customers in February at its Amherst, Ohio, facility. The two-day course provided 35 people with an intensive introductory seminar on powder-coating materials, their application, troubleshooting and maintenance. Nordson, a supplier of technologies for the application of powder coatings, says the content is designed for customers who are new to powder coating or are considering converting from a liquid to a powder-coating system. The course covers powder handling, application equipment and techniques, and PCI Announces 2019 Board of Directors powder spray-booth recovery systems. and Executive Officers Visit nordson.com∕university. The Powder Coating Institute’s 2019 board of directors and executive officers includes John Sudges, Midwest Finishing Systems, president; Suresh Patel, BASF/Chemetall U.S., vice president; Sue Ivancic, Nordson, secretary/treasurer; and Chris Merritt, Gema USA, past president. New board members include Shelley Verdun, PPG Industries; Tom Whalen, TCI Powder Coatings; and Rick Gehman, Keystone Koating, who was elected custom coater board representative. Returning board members are Chris Beninati, Elcometer; John Cole, Parker Ionics; Ron Cudzilo, George Koch Sons; Paul West, Sun Polymers International; and David Goch, Webster, Chamberlain & Bean, who serves as PCI legal counsel. Visit powdercoating.org.

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10 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com NEWs

Richard Watson, Former AESF President and Founder of Benchmark, Passes Richard Watson, a former president of the American Electro- platers and Surface Finishers Society (AESF), and founder of the former Benchmark Products, passed away Feb. 10. Measure In 1970, Watson began his career as an entrepreneur when he acquired Benchmark Inc. of Michigan, and served as its president. In 1982, he founded Benchmark Products in Indianapolis, and served as president thickness and chairman until his retirement in 1996. The company is now known as Asterion. and alloy Former Pyromet Owner Scott Smith Passes Scott Smith, the former owner of plating supplier Pyromet, of plated passed away March 6 at age 63 in Avalon, New Jersey. Smith was the owner of Pyromet, a leading silver refiner parts. and manufacturer, from 1996 through 2017. He and his wife, Laurie, purchased the company and elevated a small precious metal refining company to one of the top suppliers of silver anodes for the electroplating industry, as well as the photographic and X-ray film recyclers. Smith’s employees say he was a leader and always made all those around him better. He leaves his wife and three children.

NASF TECHNICAL PAPERS EDITED BY DR. JAMES LINDSAY, NASF TECHNICAL EDITOR

Electro-codeposition of MCrAlY Coatings for Advanced Gas Turbine Applications - 4th Quarterly Research Report Professor Ying Zhang and J.C. Witman, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee, USA Fischer‘s XAN® 500 The NASF Research Board has funded a research grant at the Tennessee Technological University. The project is under the direction of Professor Ying ƒ X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Zhang. The objective of the work is to study and optimize the MCrAlY electro- ƒ Lightweight and portable codeposition process to improve the coating oxidation/corrosion performance. In this quarter, studies dealt with the effect of the concentration of CrAlY-based ƒ Standards free particles in the plating solution (particle loading) on the particle incorporation in ƒ Measure multi layers the electro-codeposited coatings. The full 4th quarter report can be accessed and ƒ Analyze plating solutions printed at short.pfonline.com/NASF19Apr1. Nanoporous Anodic Oxides: Fabrication, Applications, Sensing and Biosensing Xavier Albort Ventura, Laboratory Electrochemical R&D, University Politecnic of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain A White Paper submitted with a presentation given at SUR/FIN 2018 (Cleveland, Ohio) Numerous metals are subjected to anodic oxidation. As a result, one can obtain amorphous barrier-type oxides, crystalline barrier-type oxides or amorphous nanoporous oxides. Currently, highly ordered nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO), is obtained with various electrolytes to form nanostructures with a www.fischer-technology.com wide range of geometrical features. It allows applications for this material as a 860.683.0781 template for nanofabrication of a variety of nanowires, nanotubes and nanodots. This paper provides detailed fundamentals of sensing techniques and recent advances in the development of NAA-based sensing and biosensing technologies. The full paper and the complete PowerPoint presentation from SUR/FIN 2018 can be accessed and printed at short.pfonline.com/NASF19Apr2.

PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 11 NEWS

FINISHING INDUSTRY ON THE MOVE KMC Global Controls and Automation provides control pan- els for industrial equipment, plus automation and integration with remote and on-site support capability. Pneu-Mech Systems Manufacturing appoint- Visit kmcautomation.com, or call 1-833-562-4562. ed Jason Gatton as director of sales. Gatton joined Pneu-Mech in 1996, working Keco Coatings hired Scott Bryant as general in the fabrication and installation depart- manager at its Statesville, North Carolina, ments. He has also worked in estimating, facility. Keco specializes in developing and system sales and special projects. applying lab-tested coatings, and is headquar- Gatton Gatton will be responsible for estimating, tered in Indianapolis. sales and marketing, and will work out of the Pneu-Mech Bryant corporate office in Statesville, North Carolina. LumiShield, a developer of aqueous, alumi- num-based, anti-corrosion processes, has been awarded a Pneu-Mech Systems Manufacturing hired prize for its solution to brake-component corrosion in Maritime Crystal Branem as regional sales manager. Combatant Craft Medium Mk I boat trailers. She will work from their office in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jerram Dawes joined Phoenix Temperature Branem has 11 years of account manage- Measurement as sales manager. Dawes has ment experience with a focus on securing 20 years of experience with industrial temper- Branem long-standing partnerships with clients and ature profiling and heat treatment markets. external business partners. Dawes will be supporting the PhoenixTM range of ‘Thru-process’ temperature monitor- KMC Global is expanding its controls and automation division ing and TUS solutions used in industrial heat Dawes to serve markets outside its numerous autonomous compa- treatment and furnace surveying, paint thermal cure, food nies, which includes PRAB Inc. thermal processing and ceramic firing markets.

12 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com NEWS

Wolkerstorfer Company Family Legacy Continues Wolkerstorfer Company in New Brighton, Minnesota, has passed the baton to the fourth generation, naming Steffen Wolkerstorfer as president and Chris Wolkerstorfer as chief operating officer of the 120-year-old business. Their father, Joe A smarter solution. Wolkerstorfer, will retain the title of chief executive officer. Worldwide. Steffen joined the company in 1991 and Chris in 1995. Both spent summers and breaks at the company while attending college and joined full time after graduating. During their tenure, each has spent time in every department at the shop, gaining a diverse knowledge Our highly experienced team members deliver a base of the company while superior class of AUTOMATED FINISHING SYSTEMS dividing the duties. Steffen’s worldwide and the best customer experiences in the markets we serve. focus has been on the support services side, and Chris’ exper- POWDER LIQUID ECOAT PORCELAIN ENAMEL PLATING PHOSPHATE ANODIZING tise lies in operations. “It is a well-balanced partnership prepared to see the business through its next phase,” Steffen says. Founded in 1895, the company specializes in surface finish- ing for the aerospace and defense industries, providing test- ing, plating and painting services. The company has been a Products Finishing Top Shop for several years in a row, includ- ing both in the plating and liquid/powder coating surveys. kochllc.com • 812-465-9600 pricewalgren.com • 616-512-6420 [email protected] Visit wolkerstorfer.us. jessupsystems.com • 248-237-1100

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PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 13 NEWS

TAB Industries Launches Powder Coating Division Asterion Employees Receive First Aid, TAB Industries in Reading, Pennsylvania, launched a powder CPR, AED Training coating division for manufacturing its orbital stretch wrappers. Asterion’s corporate-based team members recently completed The division features a complete coating line encompassing the American Heart Association Heartsaver first aid cardiopul- a pretreatment, five-stage iron-phosphate alkaline rinse and monary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator acid-bath wash unit from Reliant Finishing Systems, and blast- (AED) course held at the company’s Indianapolis headquarters. ing capabilities for cleaning and rust removal to accommodate Billie Dzunda, Asterion’s health and safety manager, orga- products up to 72” × 40” × 168.” nized the training, which included both hands-on coaching Andy Brizek, vice president of and classroom teaching sales and marketing at TAB Indus- conducted by an American tries, says the in-house division was Heart Association certified in- added for speed and efficiency in structor. All participants who manufacturing, and to help main- completed the training were tain short lead times for delivering certified for two years. its orbital wrapping machines, while “The skills obtained by also using any extra powder-coating the course go beyond our capacity to serve area companies. building, as they can be used The TAB Wrapper Tornado wrap- by our Asterion families at ping machines automatically wrap home and throughout their plastic film 360 degrees around and under a pallet to attach the communities,” says Blair Vandivier, president and chief execu- load to its pallet and keep it securely in place for transport or tive officer of the company, which provides plating processes, storage. Brizek says the machinery’s entire metal frame, wrap- pretreatment chemistry and powder coatings to the surface ping ring and bumper guards are powder coated in black and finishing industry. Visit asterionstc.com the outer machine guarding is powder coated in gray for extra protection (versus conventional paint) and to allow outdoor installation. Visit tabwrapper.com.

14 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com NEWS

PCI Releases Consumer Awareness Gannon and Scott Marks One Century and Certification Videos of Metals Refining Success The Powder Coating Institute (PCI) is introducing two videos Gannon and Scott are celebrating to its collection. “Powder Coating: A Stronger Kind of Paint” 100 years in the precious metals is the third video in the “Stronger, Greener, Better” portion of refining business in 2019. the “Powder Coating, A Better Kind of Paint” consumer video Based in Providence, Rhode series, and focuses on the durability and weatherability of Island, the company offers metals the coating compared to liquid paint. refining and assaying services from PCI says the video series has a dual-purpose: to provide East and West Coast processing powder coaters with free, professional marketing tools to facilities, and serves customers in promote the benefits of powder coating, and to educate the plating and surface finishing, defense, aerospace, medical consumers about the benefits of purchasing powder coated and e-waste recycling, among others. products. “The cornerstone of our success and longevity depends on The second video focuses on the PCI certification customers who are committed to quality, not just in terms of program and features three PCI-certified companies shar- returns on refining, but also in processes and relationships,” ing the benefits of certification and their experience with says Chris Jones, president. “Our customers drive our deter- the process. mination to go above and beyond their expectations.” Visit www.powdercoating.org/abetterkindofpaint and The company services customers at its facilities in Phoenix, powdercoating.org/certification to see the videos. Arizona, and Cranston, Rhode Island. Visit gannon-scott.com.

CCAI Hosts Women in Finishing Forum The Chemical Coaters Association International (CCAI) Navigating Conflict, Building a Championship Mindset, is hosting the first Women in Finishing (WiF) Forum May Impact of Wellness on Success, and Successful Finishing 9-11 in South Bend, Indiana, to offer meaningful presen- Career Journeys from Women in the Finishing Industry. tations and networking opportunities to women in the Program information can be found at ccaiweb.com/event/ industrial finishing community. Topics include Effectively wifforum19.

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PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 15 BENCHMARK RESULTS

ELECTROPLATING

Benchmarking SHOPS Survey Results 2019

Meet the Leaders of The North America plating and anodizing industry saw some improvements in areas such as order lead time and North America’s Top Shops first-pass quality yield in this year’s Products Finishing Top Shops Benchmarking Survey. Meanwhile, a few other categories saw decreases in efficiencies from a year ago. The Products Finishing Top Shops Benchmarking Survey was conducted in December 2018, and was the fifth in a The Products Finishing Top Shops series of annual industry surveys. More than 45 metrics were Benchmarking Survey examined more measured in the survey, which included shops from the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The Top Shops will be honored at the than 45 metrics to determine the best SUR/FIN Conference on June 4 in Chicago. operating practices of shops in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

BY TIM PENNINGTON EDITOR Temecula Quality Plating Armoloy of Illinois Duc Vo, Sales Mgr Nolan Hannan, Pres. Temecula, CA DeKalb, IL temeculaplating.com armoloy-il.com

Perfection Industrial Seminole Metal Finishing Finishing Charles Zinke, Pres. Sheffield Platers Elliott Blackwelder, Ace Anodizing Tucson, AZ Mark Watkins, Vice Pres. Pres./CEO David Vaughn, Pres. perfectionindustrial San Diego, CA Altamonte Springs, FL Hillside, IL finishing.com sheffieldplaters.com smfi.net acemetalfinishing.com

Aircraft X-Ray Labs Embee Processing Freedom Metal Finishing Electro-Spec Justin Guzman, Pres. Jeff Conrad, GM Keith Eidschun, Pres. Jeffrey Smith, Pres. Huntington Park, CA Santa Ana, CA Clearwater, FL Franklin, IN aircraftxray.com embee.com freedommetalfinishing.com electro-spec.com

Elite Metal Finishing All Metals Processing A.M. Metal Finishing General Metal Finishing Dan Rose, Pres. John Crowell, Dir. of Ops. Sloane Hunter, Vice Pres. Stephen Chatfield, GM Oceanside, CA Stanton, CA Orlando, FL Attleboro, MA elite-metalfinishing.com amp-oc.com ammetal.com pepgenmetal.com

16 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com 2019 TOP SHOPS

Advanced Metal Coating Systems Microfinish Techmetals Finishing Arthur Sacco, Pres. William Stock, Pres. Phillip Brockman, Pres. Dwayne Robinson, Pres. Lowell, MA Saint Louis, MO Dayton, OH Roanoke, VA coatingsystemsgroup.com microfinishco.com techmetals.com amfva.com

Silvex Surtronics Hohman Plating Professional Plating Phil Ridley, Pres. Lee Bradshaw, GM Bill Miller, CEO Larry Dietz, GM Westbrook, ME Raleigh, NC Dayton, OH Brillion, WI silvexinc.com surtronics.com hohmanplating.com proplating.com

Cadillac Plating Lincoln Industries ChromeTech of Wisconsin Nick Salvati Jr., Marc LeBaron, Plating Technology Zach Henry, Production Dir. of Ops. Chairman/CEO Matt Raskin, GM Manager Warren, MI Lincoln, NE Dayton, OH Franklin, WI cadillacplating.com lincolnindustries.com platingtech.com chrometech.net

AeroDynamics American Metal Coatings KC Jones Plating Cara Burzynski, Pres. Konstantine Dotsikas, Pioneer Metal Finishing Robert Burger, Pres. Seabrook, NH Pres. Robert Pyle, Pres./CEO Warren, MI aerodynamicsmetal Mentor, OH Green Bay, WI kcjplating.com finishing.com americanmetal.com pioneermetal.com

Luke Engineering Marsh Plating Surface Technology and Manufacturing Green Bay Anodizing Matt Marsh, Pres. Michael Feldstein, Pres. Chris Jurey, Pres. Charles Dunham, Pres. Ypsilanti, MI Ewing, NJ Wadsworth, OH Green Bay, WI marshplating.com surfacetechnology.com lukeeng.com gbanodizinginc.com

Triple Cities Great Lakes Reliable Plating Works/ Nico Products Metal Finishing Metal Finishing Elite Finishing Pete Waldo, CEO Trevor Morgan, Pres. David Wachter, GM Jaime Maliszewski, Pres. Minneapolis, MN Binghamton, NY Erie, PA Milwaukee, WI thelindgrengroup.com tcmfcorp.com goglmf.com rpwinc.net

Technical Plating Punxsutawney Oshkosh Plating Tyler Thomas, Anoplate Finishing Works Technologies Vice Pres. Jim Stevenson, Pres. Jeffrey Grube, Pres. Aaron Johnson, Pres. Minneapolis, MN Syracuse, NY Punxsutawney, PA Oshkosh, WI techplating.com anoplate.com zincplating.com oshkoshplating.com

Wolkerstorfer Co. Roy Metal Finishing Galnik Steffen Wolkerstorfer, Lustrous Metal Coatings John Pazdan, Renato Villasenor, Pres. Mike Paxos, Pres. Managing Director Director New Brighton, MN Canton, OH Conestee, SC Queretaro, Mexico wolkerstorfer.us lustrousmetal.com roymetal.com galnik.com

Houston Plating and Coatings Avtec Finishing Systems Electrolizing of Ohio William Howard Jr., Censa Mike Roberg, GM Greg Marn, GM Chairman/CEO Francisco Hornelas, GM New Hope, MN Cleveland, OH South Houston, TX Tlalnepantla, Mexico thelindgrengroup.com ecofohio.com houstonplating.com estanadora.com.mx

PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 17 BENCHMARK RESULTS

No. 1 Top Shop: A few takeaways from the survey results: • Order lead time for this year’s survey was an average of American Metal Coatings five days for all shops, which is a 28 percent improvement from the seven-day average from last year. Top Shops averaged 3.5 days, which was down from five days. • On-time delivery was at 90.1 percent for all shops this year, down from 92.1 from a year ago. Top Shops were also down from 99 percent a year ago to 98.1 percent in this year’s survey. • First pass yield quality was at 95.3 for all shops in this year’s survey, which is a slight improvement from last year’s 94.0 success rate. Top Shops were slightly down to 97.8 percent from last year’s 99.0 percent. • The amount of hours shops spent each week on parts inspection rose, from 193.8 hours for all shops to 204.1 Konstantine Dotsikas (in blue shirt) and his management hours in this year’s survey. Top Shops’ hours improved by team at Americal Metal Coatings. more than 25 percent, from 270.0 last year to 344.9 hours per week this year. American Metal Coatings ranked the No. 1 electroplating • The number of hours that shops spent finishing parts rose operation in North America based on the Products only slightly, from an average of 15.2 hours per day last Finishing Top Shops Benchmarking Survey. year to 15.4 in this year’s survey. The Top Shops dropped The Mentor, Ohio, shop relocated its headquarters to 18.9 hours per week from 22.1 hours from a year ago. and most of its production in 2017 from the East side of Cleveland to a sprawling 120,000-square-foot facility that Data from the survey is used to determine which shops are replaced an operation less than half that size. the 2019 Top Shops. The survey also provides participants “It took me four years of planning and building, but we with insight into the best practices of shops throughout North built this thing from scratch, and everything is brand new,” America. Shops that complete a substantial portion of the says owner Konstantine Dotsikas, who goes by “Dino” with survey will receive a customized report his friends and colleagues. illustrating how their responses directly Average order lead time is down to just 3.7 days, and compare to all surveyed shops and to his on-time delivery and first-pass quality approval—two the Top Shops (those whose total survey major goalposts for delivering superior satisfaction to the scores placed them at the top of each customer—were both over 99 percent, while delivering question). The customized reports were more than 1 billion parts in 2018. compiled with the help of Gardner American Metal Coatings specializes in zinc, zinc alloy Intelligence, which is part of Gardner plating, phosphating and cleaning. They are one of Business Media, the parent company of the few metal finishing shops that offers both rack and Products Finishing. barrel bulk processing. They expect a modest 5 percent The report includes data and statis- growth in 2019 in the appliance, automotive, military and tics that will help shops formulate a plan commercial building sectors. for improvements in finishing Having made the move to a new facility and watching technology, performance and it pay off, Dotsikas says he is glad it’s over because of the practices, business strategy stress, challenges and costs. and human resources. “I would never do this ever again,” he says. “I did it once The 2019 Top Shops and I made sure we did it right.” will be honored at the Dotsikas says that he attributes his success to his father, SUR/FIN Conference Vasilios, who taught him the ins and outs of metal finishing on June 4 in Chicago. beginning when he was a kid, the support of his wife and In addition, this children, but most of all, to his Orthodox Christian faith. year’s Finishing Hall of Fame class will be honored, as well as the upcoming Products American Metal Coatings | Mentor, OH Finishing 40-Under-40 Konstantine Dotsikas, President | americanmetal.com class.

18 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com 2019 TOP SHOPS

Best Finishing Practices: Elite Metal Finishing

From left, Dan Rose, president; Gary Jacobson, director of quality and systems; Frank Bautista, production manager; Suzan Russo, general manager; and Rose Bautista, customer service manager.

Employees at Elite Metal Finishing in Oceanside, California, know their motto by heart. “Quality never compromised,” says Dan Rose, president. “Quality and on-time delivery are at the forefront. Our team members know that our customers sign their paychecks.” VISIT US Elite was singled out for Best Practices in the Products May 7 - 9, 2019 at FABTECH Finishing Top Shops Benchmarking Survey because of Mexico in Monterrey attention to quality and customer communication. “Our customers are our business partners,” says Rose, whose shop had a low order lead time of 2-5 days, and an on-time delivery rate of 99 percent. “Two of our core values are continuous improvement ready2spray and workmanship,” he says. “Great turn time without quality is nonproductive.” Elite also had an extremely high first-pass quality Pre-assembled and ready2spray: the paint yield of 99 percent, which Rose says is a culmination robot EcoRP10 R1100 perfectly suits the of extensive contract review, strict tank maintenance, requirements of general industry and offers inspection throughout the job, and operator training. a unique combination in the market. It can be The shop has several improvement methods to equipped with matching dosing pumps, paint ensure high quality workmanship, including preventive pressure regulators and color changers. Its maintenance programs to alleviate downtime and committing to cross-training to ensure staff gaps can integrated concept also includes the motion be filled. control of the robot and the process control Being selected to the Products Finishing Top Shops list is for the applications, housed together in one proof that the management and staff methods are working control cabinet. and that, in essence, quality is not being compromised. “It’s great to receive an honor from a respected publication, and it makes for great advertising,” Rose says. “But, more importantly, it’s confirmation to our team members that, collectively, they are being rewarded for the pride they have in their work and a job well done.” www.durr.com

Elite Metal Finishing | Oceanside, California Dan Rose, President | elite-metalfinishing.com

PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 19 BENCHMARK RESULTS

Best Finishing Technology: Best Business Strategies: Green Bay Anodizing Armoloy of Illinois

From left, Dave Sinkula, production manager; Don Schnell, From left, Jacob Meier, Nolan Hannan, Pat Bradford, Dan plant manager; Charles Dunham, president; and Dan Socha and Paul Hopkins. Young, sales manager. When Nolan Hannan and Jacob Meier purchased Armoloy Last year, Green Bay Anodizing in Wisconsin celebrated its first of Illinois in 2017, they knew they wanted a data-driven 10 years in the finishing business. But company officials are still shop that provided information on how well the shop was excited by shiny new things. This past year, the shop installed operating, and where improvements could be made. a fifth processing tank for hardcoat anodizing, its third in “Once we had meaningful key performance indicators in operation. It also put in computerized tracking software and a place, we were able to establish goals and identify areas for new natural gas dryer that dries parts in less than 10 minutes. improvement,” Hannon says. “This was the main reason for “By consistently updating our equipment, we have not had a completing the Top Shops survey in 2016 for the first time; day we could not run parts,” says Don Schnell, plant manager. we wanted to benchmark against the best in the industry and Green Bay Anodizing puts about 15 percent of its gross sales determine what improvements would be necessary.” back into the operation in equipment and technology, earning Armoloy had a 26 percent sales growth rate in 2018, and them honors in the Best Finishing Technology category in the estimate they’ll achieve 15 percent this year. They attribute Products Finishing Top Shops Benchmarking Survey. that to focusing on several high-growth industries to attract Charles Dunham, company president, says the shop has customers, a big reason why the shop was selected as always been on the path of reinvestment. recipient of Best Business Strategies in the Products Finishing “Using the latest technology in rectifiers and controls has Top Shops Benchmarking Survey. helped reduce our rework and limit the downtime for repairs,” In 2017, they implemented a new sales and marketing Dunham says. The dryer has an ease of use that enables line strategy that has been refined over 2018, and is showing a lot operators to switch from drying anodizing loads to chromate of promise in both acquisition and retention of customers. and back within seconds with a push of a button. “In November of 2018 alone, we had 18 new customers that “This year, we are adding tracking software that will give were a direct result of the sales and marketing effort,” Hannan us real-time updates on in-house projects,” says Dan Young, says. sales manager. The improvements have a direct correlation to Meier says that, in lieu of traditional “machine-gun style” increased sales, Dunham says. In 2018, Green Bay Anodizing marketing, they developed a seemingly simple strategy of saw sales grow at about 31 percent; and they are looking at 15 asking “How can we help?” percent growth in 2019. “The first step is to understand what role we play in the “Since 2015, our sales have increased an average of 30 industries we serve, the key word being ‘serve,’” he says. By percent, and this is directly related to the reinvestments,” he staying in touch with their customers through a number of says. “From technology, increasing our staff, adding a second sales and marketing vehicles, they have had the luxury of shift in 2017 and then a third shift in 2018, and by keeping our knowing what their customer’s ever-changing needs are. two main goals of quality and lead time, our customer base “It is not just marketing,” Hannon says. “It’s how we run our grows from year to year.” business and the people that make it possible.”

Green Bay Anodizing | Green Bay, Wisconsin Armoloy of Illinois | DeKalb, Illinois Charles Dunham, President | gbanodizinginc.com Nolan Hannan, President | armoloy-il.com

20 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com 2019 TOP SHOPS

Best HR and Training Practices: Pioneer Metal Finishing

From left, Shelly Gagen-Block, vice president of human resources and organizational development; Bob Pyle, president and CEO; Scott Turner, vice president of marketing and business development; and Jim Hartnett, vice president of sales.

When you walk in the door at a Pioneer Metal Finishing location for your first day on the job, you’ll learn a lot about what makes Pioneer and its employees tick. “We have an extensive human resources and culture program,” says Scott Turner, vice president for business development at the Green Bay, Wisconsin, facility. “From the initial interview to the onboarding experience, we consider communication to be critical to our success.” With more than 1,100 people working in seven locations, Pioneer uses numerous channels to communicate, including their own Pioneer TV Network, company newsletter, fundamentals activities and training. “We invest in our teams to help achieve the highest performance,” Turner says. These initiatives earned Pioneer Metal Finishing the Best Human Resources and Training Practices honor in the Products Finishing Top Shops Benchmarking Survey this year. Turner says workforce development is a continuous process and, through structured meetings and morning huddles, they look for every opportunity to recognize employee performance. “We use peer-to-peer recognition and review, employee recognition through our management report-out processes, and annual awards for high performers,” he says. “Development comes in many forms, and we have opportunities for project work at all levels.” The company has a passion for identifying opportunities for team members, with a “promote from within” philosophy. “We believe that hiring the right people improves the culture within Pioneer,” Turner says.

Pioneer Metal Finishing | Green Bay, Wisconsin Robert Pyle, President | pioneermetal.com

PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 21 POWDER coating

Gaining Traction to be a Great Finishing Operation

Burkard Industries near Detroit was Owning a finishing operation can often be a lonely and uphill road to walk. Thankfully for Jay Burkard, he has found the Products Finishing’s Top Shop in 2018, ‘traction’ that gets him to the places he wants to be. and used a management book to help The owner of Burkard Industries was Products Finishing’s featured Top Shop in our benchmarking survey for liquid and improve operations. powder coating operations in 2018, after finishing near the top of the list in each of the past three years. The Clinton Township, Michigan, shop applies electrocoat, liquid and powder coatings to numerous markets, including automotive, defense and military, industrial, commercial, BY TIM PENNINGTON EDITOR entertainment, agricultural, heavy truck, architectural, aero- space and medical. 22 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com GAINING TRACTION

But managing the 150-plus employee operation is more remedies, none have worked than just applying base and topcoats. For Burkard, a fourth- and, as a result, staff has generation owner of the company, getting the company to become numb to new where it needed to be operationally required him to do some initiatives. outside-of-the-box thinking. “We’re always looking at where we are strong and what Burkard says that once he we need to be working on,” he says. “It’s a continual process and his management team for us, because we are always trying to be the best in the understood the frustrations and business. As an owner, you know what level you want began working to overcome your organization to be, but it is difficult sometimes to get them, it made their organi- everyone onboard with it.” zation function at a much Three years ago, Burkard instilled a new management higher level and operate more system based on a business book, “Traction,” by Gino efficiently. Wickman. It touts the use of an “Entrepreneurial Operating “It’s funny to say, but we did System” for companies to achieve success. Wickman writes get more traction to get changes that there are six areas a business needs optimized to run made, if needed, and improve- smoothly and be profitable—vision, people, data, issues, ments installed,” he says. “There has been a definite improve- process and traction. He says that those are achieved when ment that we see every day, every week and each month.” organizations execute well and know how to bring focus, For example, in management meetings, any given assign- accountability and discipline to their company. ment is clear-cut and documented to help avoid confusion and “Due to fear and lack of discipline, the Traction compo- deadlines. These are simply called “To-Dos,” and everyone nent is typically most organizations’ weakest link,” Wickman on the team is on the same page with what is expected for says in the book. “You’re spinning your wheels and you need the assignment. At quarterly management meetings, some traction to move again.” personnel are given larger assignments, which are called Burkard was given the book by his close friend, Ted Davis, “Rocks,” and completion is expected in that quarter. Burkard and now swears by the principles. He instituted the Traction staff liked the idea and system so much they even came up philosophy across the board at the company. with their own terminology for second- and third-tiered staff “All of our management meetings are based on Traction, and our performance indicators too,” he says. “We were doing Jay Burkard is a fourth-generation owner of the company, a lot of this before, but we just made the case to formalize it which has more than 100 employees. and make it a complete part of our company.”

Getting Full Traction Wickman outlines five common frustrations facing many business owners and senior managers: • Lack of Control: Over your time, market or company. Instead of controlling the business, the business is controlling the owner. • People: Frustration with employees, customers, vendors or partners. They don’t seem to listen, understand or follow through with their actions, and you’re not on the same page. • Profit: Simply put, there’s not enough of it. • The Ceiling: Growth has stopped; no matter what you do, you can’t seem to break through and get to the next level. Feeling over- whelmed and unsure of what to do next. • Nothing’s Working: After trying various strategies and quick-fix PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 23 POWDER coating

time and has the highest completion rates. If it’s not done, it carries over and the work mounts.”

Exemplary On-Time Delivery, Quality The “Traction” system has worked extremely well for Burkard. With an order lead time of 1.3 days, the shop came in at 99.989 percent in the on-time delivery category, which looks at when goods are delivered in the time frame committed. With more than 17,000 shipments from the facility, that equated to just 18 late orders in the past year, which is a remarkable achievement. Burkard Industries also uses a 23-point score card on key indicators that is posted weekly to show how the operation is performing and the areas that need improvement. Those quality control measures give them a 99.8 percent first-pass quality yield rating—one of the best in the industry. The shop utilizes a Plex enterprise resource planning (ERP) With an order lead time of 1.3 days, the shop came in at system that allows Burkard management to monitor and 99.989 percent in the on-time delivery category. evaluate numerous operations and functions in the facility. It would be a daunting task to do by hand with so many meetings where projects are called “Pebbles,” as the assign- employees and processes going on at the plant. ments might be smaller than the Rocks given to bigger quarterly “One of Plex’s strengths is its quality module, which includes projects. quality check sheets that pop up and must be completed before “To-Dos are either done or not done, and there are no a container of parts can physically ship,” Burkard says. “We are excuses,” Burkard says. “We keep very detailed statistics, to just now starting to use the HR module, and are in the process of see who has the most assignments and who completes them on streamlining our employee review process by implementing it. Our preventative maintenance system is also moving from a stand- In 2003, Burkard Industries added electrocoat and, more alone program to Plex.” recently, invested heavily in chemical agent-resistant Burkard’s great-grandfather started the company in 1934, coatings (CARC) for military processes. originally as a casket builder, later moving into zinc die casting, and, finally, as an electro- plating operation. They discon- tinued that process in 1988 when hard-chrome plating lines became a regulatory issue, and much harder to manage and maintain. The shop instead focused on powder-coating appli- cations and, in 2003, added elec- trocoat. More recently, Burkard Industry invested heavily in chemical agent-resistant coatings (CARC) for military processes. Jay Burkard started at his family’s company in 1997 after a 10-year career in management with Ford Motor Company, joining his father, John, in running the operation. Jay set out to diversify the shop’s offerings, and to streamline processes while setting extremely high quality and operational goals. He started as the shop’s quality manager, then moved up to general

24 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com GAINING TRACTION

manager in 2000, where he has essentially been running Watch The Video the operation. In 2007, Jay took over the presidency of Burkard Industries from his father, and his management methods have certainly paid off. Burkard Industries has been measured as one of the best-run finishing operations in North Go Inside America over the years in the Products Finishing Top Shop Benchmarking Survey. Hear Jay Burkard say what it took to A Complete Top Shop make his shop the In the first year of the survey in 2015, Burkard Industries Top Shop in North finished third overall, a spot they repeated in the 2016 America at short. survey. In 2017, the shop placed fifth overall in the total PFonline.com/ metrics, and last year climbed back to capture the No. 1 burkard, or scan the spot. QR code above. “We take the Top Shops Benchmarking Survey very seriously,” Burkard says. “Our management team has a two-day meeting at the beginning of every year to develop approximately 60 million parts in 2017. our business strategies, and we review Top Shop bench- Burkard says automotive components account for 65 percent of marking data, as well as our own internal score-card metrics their business and military comes in second at 15 percent. The to analyze our strengths and weaknesses. We develop that remaining 20 percent is from various industries, including aero- year’s business plan, which includes continuous improvement space, commercial retail and heavy truck. activities with specific measurable objectives.” “Most of our parts are automotive, such as bumpers and The company spends about 12 percent of gross revenue on sunroofs,” Burkard says. “We try to instill in our employees, ‘Would new equipment and fixtures, a practice that Burkard believes they be proud to have the parts they finish on their own vehicle?’ helps keep the shop running smoothly and efficiently. If your employees ask that question of themselves honestly, you The company has about 160 active customers, and coated always know you’ll be producing great products.”

PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 25 LIQUID/POWDER COATINGS After the Storm: Rebuilding a Finishing Line

With the Help of Suppliers, Vermeer Rebuilds Coating Lines after EF-3 Tornado Hits its Plant

BY TIM PENNINGTON EDITOR

Recessions, inflation and competition are things most manu- Recovering and Rebuilding facturers can handle with enough planning. An EF-3 tornado Like many OEMs in the Midwest, Vermeer had emergency is something much different. plans in place for facing a disaster such as a tornado or fire, This was what Vermeer faced on the afternoon of July but it was still a daunting task to walk through the debris to 19, 2018, when a storm ripped through its Pella, Iowa, find out what worked, what didn’t and, more importantly, facility, damaging several of its buildings that manufacture how to keep the overall plant functioning and parts moving. and finish high-quality underground construction, surface Vermeer management had assigned an October 31 deadline mining, tree care, and environmental and agricultural for having a paint system in Plant 7 fully operational, just over equipment. three months after the tornado disrupted things. Worse, the company and its 2,700 employees were hosting Clawson and Andrew Turner, a Vermeer paint engineer, about 400 of its top customers during a 70th anniversary cele- immediately began the arduous process of assessing which bration, forcing everyone to scramble to tornado shelters to coating lines could be quickly repaired or which ones needed to avoid pending disaster. Miraculously, only seven people were be moved to another on-site facility and reconfigured to keep the treated for minor injuries, but the damage to several build- coating lines moving. ings on the manufacturing campus were extensive, especially “One of the main things we were trying to do was get the to the liquid coating operations. painting done elsewhere, if possible,” Turner says. “One Tom Clawson, the paint engineering manager at Vermeer, plant that was damaged still had production capabilities, says that of the seven plants on the Pella campus, six had a but did not have paint capabilities. That meant we had to liquid paint or powder coating system in them. get the other plants online and increase their throughput “We lost three lines,” he says. “It was significant. The next to handle the part load for the other plant. That was the day we set up a command center with all the managers and tricky part.” started planning what we had to do to get operations back up Vermeer called in their coating equipment and suppliers to and running.” help them get up and running again. Suppliers such as PEM,

26 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com REBUILDING AFTER THE STORM

Axalta, Bulk Chemical and Spray Equipment quickly made it to Pella to help their customer in dire need.

Seven Days a Week for Eight Weeks Spray Equipment in Wichita, Kansas, was called upon first to disassemble some of the finishing lines and relocate them to other parts of the campus, a task that took about eight weeks working seven days a week, 12 hours a day. “We’ve been involved in other major events for customers like fires, but nothing of this magnitude,” says Tim Back of Spray Equipment. “We were able to pull in manpower from some other projects, so that helped because we were trying to beat some deadlines.” Turner jokes that Back and his team promised to be at Vermeer “rain or shine” to get the lines moved and the project completed. Indeed, they were often without a roof over their heads, and moving parts between buildings during inclement weather proved to be a challenge. “Tim had more rain than he did shine, but his team did a great job in getting us set up Last July, a tornado ripped through Vermeer’s Pella, Iowa, facility again,” Turner says. damaging several of its buildings and employee vehicles. There was also a call to Kelly McCabe and John Kapsner at PEM to get a new SprayLean washer system built in record Spray Equipment in Wichita, Kansas, was called upon first time. Not only did Vermeer want the three-stage system in to disassemble some of the finishing lines and relocate place by October 31, but they needed one with a 48-inch them to other parts of the campus, a task that took about window opening, and PEM’s largest size was 36 inches. eight weeks, working seven days a week, 12 hours a day.

PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 27 LIQUID/POWDER COATINGS

Vermeer immediately began assessing which coatings lines “Our concept is a small footprint, and we’ve been asked many could be quickly repaired and what needed to be moved to times to build wider units and have always avoided it,” McCabe another on-site facility. says. “But Vermeer is one of our best customers, and when they ask us to build a 48-inch unit, we knew we wanted to help them, and in the process add another product to our lineup.”

Critical Supplier Support PEM delivered the system and had it installed by Oct. 19, and Vermeer was able to start running production with it on Nov. 5, making for an incredible turnaround. With the new equipment and different setup in its coating lines, that’s where Bulk Chemical came in. Jeff Paschka from Bulk went to work running test panels to ensure the process would work as designed. “We ran the panels in our lab and sent them to Vermeer to be painted and salt-spray tested,” Paschka says. “We matched and went above Vermeer’s specs, so we were pretty confident that these chemicals would work great in the new system.” Vermeer also consulted with Joe Meiners from Axalta to make sure the liquid coating would work as expected in the reconfigured system. “The product they had been using was pretty much dropped in and worked very well for them,” he says. “They designed a pretty small footprint, but the product was ready to work and meet their requirements.”

28 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com REBUILDING AFTER THE STORM

Vermeer credits the quick turnaround to its employees and coating vendors, who worked during very harsh conditions and shifts to get the plant back up and running.

Clawson credits the quick turnaround to Vermeer employees up to the same production levels as before the tornado and, in and coating vendors who worked during very harsh conditions some areas, levels were higher, Clawson says. The coating lines and shifts to get the plant back up and running. have kept pace, even as the company is still examining its opera- “The suppliers did a fantastic job for us, not only in the tions and planning more permanent operations. customer service they displayed, but also in the quality equip- Vermeer learned several lessons in this crisis, the first of ment and supplies,” he says. “We felt fortunate to have a team which has been building in redundancies. like that around us.” “When Gary Vermeer started this company, he was very clear in that he wanted redundancy built into the operations,” Clawson Redundancies and Contingencies says. “If we hadn’t followed that and had contingencies in place, By December, all of Vermeer’s paint operations were back we would not have been able to be in operation today.”

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PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 29 CLINIC PL ATING PFonline.com/zones

Increasing Bath Life and Quality of Trivalent Passivates on Zinc Plate

Q. What is the best way to increase the bath life and quality of trivalent passivates on zinc plate?

A. One of the more significant developments of the last 20 iron in the passivate solution. One of the simplest methods years in the metal finishing industry is the commercial of bath life extension is to keep the passivating solution free development and application of trivalent passivates on zinc from parts. A periodic sweep of the solution (magnetic) to electroplate. These developments have allowed applicators remove parts that have fallen from racks or out of barrels to eliminate the use of toxic hexavalent-chromate conver- should be done on a daily basis. Further, the use of iron inhibi- sion coatings, thereby safeguarding the health of all involved tors in the passivate has proven to be an effective method of in the handling and processing of zinc-plated parts. Further, preventing the dissolution of iron from exposed steel surfaces these trivalent passivates have a substantially positive by preventing the acid from attacking the surface. A low equi- impact on the environment. The following information librium concentration of iron can be achieved through the use addresses issues involved with producing a consistent blue- of these inhibitors in which the amount of iron dissolved will be bright, thin-film passivate on electrodeposited zinc. removed by amount of dragout. Trivalent passivates are typically acidic in nature and For passivate solutions where the iron concentration operate at a pH between 1.6 and 2.2, under most operating is already at elevated levels and the parts have taken on a situations. Therefore, during the passivation step, both yellow hue, the addition of an organic acid should be consid- zinc and iron will be dissolved in the passivate solution, ered. These act as weak complexing agents, whereby they and their concentration in the passivating solution will inhibit the codeposition of iron in the passivating layer. Care increase. The zinc comes from the plated part’s surface and should be taken to avoid adding too much acid, which would the iron comes from unplated areas (such as blind holes, result in an acceleration of the iron dissolution. A specific tubular parts or parts lost from racks and improperly fitted ratio between the amount of iron and acid can be calculated barrel doors). These lost parts will, with time, have their to effectively negate the yellowing effect of iron, depending zinc coating dissolved by the acidic passivate, followed by upon the acid used. In the case of the inhibitor and organic iron dissolution from the part itself. Increasing both iron acid usage, the finisher should consult with the supplier of and zinc can cause the problem of “yellowing” the parts. their proprietary passivate(s) for their recommendations. The mechanism of yellowing differs for zinc and iron. A With proper bath maintenance and a sound strategy for iron chrome 3-zinc complex is formed in a good passivate film. control, the amount of zinc in the passivate should not present This results in a blue-bright finish. As the iron increases in a serious discoloration problem. Common sense should be the the passivate solution, a yellow-brown, zinc-iron-chrome guide in knowing when to dump the passivate solution. 3-complex forms. These are competitive reactions, and Also, organic contamination from organic occlusion the intensity of the yellow color will depend upon the iron products present in brighteners used for both acid and concentration. The typical iron limitation is 300 to 1000 alkaline zinc plating process should be considered. Since mg/l. Since this is a competitive reaction, the iron concen- most zinc baths utilize organic brightening agents, these tration can be moderated by increasing the chrome concen- materials will codeposit in the zinc plate and will be tration in the passivate solution, thereby preventing the dissolved in the acidic passivate solution. The simplest conversion film from turning yellow. solution is to use an acid predip and rinse prior to passiv- We also need to consider the increasing zinc content. ation. Inorganic acids (typically Nitric acid made up at low Much higher zinc levels can be tolerated before a yellow concentration) should be used after plate and prior to the color is observed as a result of high zinc. Trivalent passiv- passivate solution. These acidic predips should be dumped ates can tolerate zinc concentrations in excess of 10 on a regular basis. The use of proprietary organic predips grams/liter. As mentioned above, a chrome 3-zinc complex has also been effectively utilized to both extend the bath life comprises a good passivate film. Zinc acts as a catalyst and improve the overall quality of the finished part. during the deposition. Therefore, if the concentration of the chrome 3 is high in the bath, the potential for too heavy a chrome film is possible, which leads to a yellow color- ROGER SOWINSKI Asterion ation. The real issue for extending the bath life of these passivates is developing a sound strategy to control the Roger is vice president of technology at amount of dissolved metals in the bath. Asterion. Visit asterionstc.com. Because zinc can be tolerated at a much higher level, a sound strategy would be to control the amount of dissolved

30 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com PL ATING CLINIC

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Differences Between Liquid Paint Guns and Bells

Q. What are the differences between guns and bells when it comes to applying liquid paint?

A. This question was put to the test in the Carlisle Finishing Because these are both plotted on a 20m particle-size Technologies lab in Toledo, Ohio, where we used their scale and a 65°F to 115°F temperature scale, they can be Malvern particle-size analyzer to measure the distribu- combined on the same graph, which allows us to readily tion of particle sizes in the atomized cloud for a typical compare the atomization performance as a function of gun and bell. temperature (viscosity) for the two applicator types. To maintain consistency, both gun and bell tests were Though there is no change in particle size as a function of performed using an HCNTX 2K clearcoat. Ratio, fluid flow temperature with the bell applicator, the change in viscosity and atomizing and shaping air were all held constant with will still affect particle recombination and flow out on the a Ransberg RCS system. Changing ambient temperature part surface—just as with the gun applicator—and this will conditions were simulated using a Saint Clair Systems still have a direct impact on the quality of the finish with paint temperature control system implemented with a regard to film build, gloss, orange peel and more. recorable coax hose as the heat exchanger. This configura- tion allowed accurate control of temperature all the way to Q. What impact do ambient conditions have on particle the point of dispense in controlled, repeatable steps. temperature? Gun Testing: With parameters such as paint flow and A. It is widely held that it is important to carefully control shaping air held constant by the RCS system, tempera- booth temperature because it directly affects the ture was varied in controlled increments from 65°F to temperature of the paint as it is being applied. On first 115°F (18°C-46°C) for the expressed purpose of varying blush, this seems like a logical assumption. After all, the clearcoat viscosity. At each step, the resulting Dv50 atomized droplets are extremely small and there are a average particle size in the atomized cloud was measured huge number of them, which presents a large surface using the Malvern analyzer. area to the ambient air when sprayed. With all other variables held constant, the average One of the things that has always bothered us about the particle size for the gun applicator varied from 52.3 at concept of controlling paint temperature by controlling 65°F (18°C) to just 38.6 at 115°F (46°C). It is reasonable booth temperature is the degree of seasonal variation that to conclude that the change in atomization is directly coaters experience. If the ambient temperature is being related to the change in clearcoat viscosity resulting from held constant year-round, why is it still necessary to have the change in temperature. a summer blend and a winter blend? Because seasonal In addition to variations in particle size, the change in variations are (by their very nature) temperature related, viscosity will affect particle recombination and flow out it seems there must be something else at work here. on the part surface, which will have a direct impact on It is fairly straightforward to calculate the change in the quality of the finish with regard to film build, gloss, temperature of the droplets. And, while it is virtually orange peel and more. impossible to measure the temperature of individual Bell Testing: The cup speed was set at 32,000 rpm, droplets in the cloud, modern infrared technology allows and, as with the gun, all other parameters were held us to measure the cloud temperature, in general. constant by the RCS system. Temperature was again According to Carlisle Fluid Technologies, bells create parti- varied in controlled increments from 65°F to 115°F cles with speeds ranging from 150 to 300 mm/s, whereas (18°C-46°C) for the expressed purpose of varying guns create particles with speeds ranging from 300 to 600 clearcoat viscosity and, at each step, the resulting Dv50 mm/s (which is double that of the bells). particle size in the atomized cloud was measured using Assuming a common 10 inches (250mm) between the the Malvern analyzer. atomizer and the part, means that the average time the With all other variables held constant, the average particle size for the bell applicator is held constant at ~27, independent of the changes in temperature. It is also reasonable to conclude that bell atomization is not MIKE BONNER Saint Clair Systems affected by the change in clearcoat viscosity resulting from the change in temperature. This theory was Mike is vice president of engineering confirmed by increasing the cup speed from 32,000 rpm and technology at Saint Clair Systems. to 60,000 rpm at the median temperature of 85°F. This Visit viscosity.com. shifted the average particle size from ~27m to ~16m.

32 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com LIQUID COATINGS CLINIC

particles are in the air ranges from 0.42s to 1.69s. In spite of the large surface area presented to the ambient air, this is not a long time to effect a temperature change. The impact is especially easy to understand when we consider the insulative properties of air, which has a U-value of just 0.2 BTU/ft² hr °F, and the fact that paint particles are mostly plastic. Again, this is not a good thermal conductor. Consider a situation where the booth temperature is 77°F (25°C) and the paint temperature is 90°F (32°C) coming into the booth from a circulation system that is run in the truss level from the mix room on a summer day—a fairly common scenario for many painters. With the high particle velocities created by the gun and resulting shorter time in the air, the paint loses between 0.25°F and 0.75°F and reaches the part still above 89°F. Even with the relatively longer time in the air caused by the lower velocities of the bell, the paint only changes by 1.1°F-2.3°F. Again, in the worst case, the paint is still reaching the part at nearly 88°F. Even the particles in the cloud that have travelled past the part are still within 3.0°F of the temperature of the paint exiting the bell. This lends visual evidence to support the thermal model and proves, once again, that you just can’t argue with physics. So, if you are assuming that your paint is being applied at 77°F and it is actually at (or above) 88°F, you may find it very difficult to make the right decisions to keep your finish quality in specification. This is why modern progressive coaters consider controlling paint temperature at the point of application to be more important for finish quality than controlling booth ambient temperature.

The Liquid Painting Zone Check out our vast library of articles of liquid painting and solve issues you may be having in your shop. pfonline.com/zones/paint

PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 33 CLINIC POWDER COATING PFonline.com/zones

Preventing Blooming in Powder Coated Finishes

Q. What is blooming and how do I prevent it?

A. Blooming is a white haze that develops on the surface of 10 minutes at 320°F or for 10 minutes at 400°F without a coating. It can often be removed by wiping down the any problems. The low-cure coating provides a wide part after it is cured, but that can be labor intensive and range of flexibility in the acceptable “cure window.” costly. There are two ways to avoid blooming. The first This flexibility is most useful when curing parts that option is to increase the temperature at which the oven is have both thick and thin steel sections that are attached. set for baking so the haze cannot develop before the paint Often, I’m asked if there is a difference in the overbake sets in the curing process. For the second option, ask your in low-cure or standard-cure products. Thankfully, there is coating supplier to provide a blooming-resistant formu- no difference. A low cure can be safely baked at standard- lation. Typically, the small increase in the cost of the cure temperatures without worrying that you need to blooming-resistant coating is offset by the reduced labor lower your oven temperature. and the ability to decrease the oven temperature. Q. I always need to put more paint on when I paint bright Q. I’m having trouble curing my thicker steel parts. My colors. How do I know how many mils I need? coating supplier offered a low-cure coating. Do I need A. Powder coatings are made by combining colored to turn down the oven? What is a “cure window?” pigments with clear resin. The more pigment you add A. Powder coating manufacturers provide cure schedules to the resin, the better the pigment is at hiding the for their coatings. They are commonly listed on the data substrate. The variation in hiding can be wide, with some sheet or the container, and specify an amount of time coatings hiding at less than 1 mil and others at more that a part needs to bake at a specific temperature (for than 6 mils. You can request that your powder supplier example, 10 minutes at 320°F). The part might need to measure the hiding power of your powder. This infor- be in the oven for one hour to reach that temperature, mation will enable you to know what the minimum film depending on the thickness of the steel. An oven recorder thickness should be on your parts. can be used to determine the metal temperature in the Manufacturers measure the hiding power of a powder oven. This is a common technical service that coating coating by applying it over a black-and-white substrate panel. suppliers offer customers. The goal is to find the mil thickness of the paint that hides Powder coating manufacturers can offer low-cure both the black and white parts, equally. This is your minimum temperature coatings in order to lower the temperature hiding level of the paint. For example, a red coating may only that the substrate needs to reach in order for the coating to have 80% hiding at 3.0 mils and requires a minimum of 4.5 cure. For example, if a steel part only needs to reach 300°F mils for full hiding. If the coating is applied at less than 4.5 instead of 400°F, it will cure much faster and the part can mils, it is likely you will see the metal through the coating. be in the oven for less time, thereby increasing efficiency. In general, bright color pigments cost more than muted This time/temperature dependence is called the coating’s color pigments. Better hiding power for bright color “cure window” and is often depicted in a graph. powders can significantly increase the cost per pound, but The graph overlays the cure windows of various cure it may be the more economical solution. Revisit the red schedules. The ultralow cure covers the most area. The powder example. The hiding power of the current “Powder graph shows that the low-cure coating can be cured for A” is a minimum of 4.5 mils. The manufacturer can produce a “Powder B” with hiding power at 3.0 mils, but at an increased cost. At first glance, “Powder B” is obviously Cure Window more expensive, but you will use less coating material, 400 thereby reducing the overall cost. Standard Cure 375 350 Mid Cure 325 DANIELLE DYKSTRA 300 Low Cure Diamond Vogel 275 Ultra Low Cure

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34 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com POWDER COATING CLINIC

In this example, the total overall cost per square foot is much less with “Powder B.” Other advantages of using a powder with better hiding power include less powder Just Getting Started in Powder Coating? purchased to coat the same amount of parts. In this example, PFonline.com is the perfect place for learning the up to 33 percent less powder would need to be applied to the basics or brushing up on new technology. Check out the parts. This potentially lowers shipping costs, amount of ware- Powder Coating Zone for articles on powder chemistries, house space needed and waste generation—all by 33 percent. color-change strategies and more. pfonline.com/zones/powder Another advantage is that parts that are fastened together, when coated at lower film thicknesses, typically fit together better and have less chipping.

PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 35 CLINIC SOFTWARE PFonline.com/experts

How to Use Manufacturing Technology to Reach Finishing Goals Q. We have big growth goals for this year, and we know we need manufacturing technology to help reach those goals. Where do I begin?

A. This is a timely question, as many leaders are still working The second common challenge is your culture. For through their organizational key performance indicators example, do you know how quickly your team adopts (KPIs) or objectives for the year ahead. You can’t throw a rock new technologies? What about new business processes, without hitting a New Year’s resolution so here’s one more— or maybe even new reporting structures? New tools and define what you want to improve with the help of manufac- processes require leadership support and training. If turing technology before you run to find a solution. your project halts when someone is holding tight to a You may have already done this exercise as part of business process, that’s an opportunity to evaluate it and defining your growth goals. If you haven’t, you can start by see if things can be done in a more efficient way. Find looking at your operational processes as well as key data the business needs underneath the process and solve for points, including: those. Don’t just solve for what you’re doing today. • What is your on-time delivery rate? This kind of discovery will lead you to the business • What is your first-pass quality yield rating? system most appropriate for your unique needs. For • What is your scrap rate? instance, organizations such as Top Shop 2018 winner • How accurate are your physical inventory counts? Burkard Industries and plastic paint solution provider A&K Finishing selected a manufacturing enterprise resource A good resource for more areas to measure can be found planning (ERP) system to run their businesses after going in this magazine’s annual Products Finishing Top Shops through a discovery and evaluation process of their own. Benchmarking Survey. This can help you understand what This is a viable option for your company if you’re you need to measure, and where your peers stand. You looking to connect all areas of the business and deliver should also consider other measures of success, including to all employees a single source of truth. A single source customer feedback, why you won or lost business, and if of truth means a single, common database where all there are any evolving customer or industry standards that business objects are stored. For example, an order may impact the way you work. Only by answering these initiated in the system is linked directly to the unique questions will you be able to identify what’s important to customer record for that order and all associated business your business and truly understand how these could impact objects, including (but not limited to) material orders, your optimistic growth goals. process routings, production operations, quality activi- There are two other common roadblocks to consider ties, labeling and final shipping address. All quality certi- when building out your plan of attack: how siloed are your fications are linked to the product specification and, in business departments (and, therefore, your data) and how the case of a change, everyone affected is notified. does your culture operate? The right manufacturing ERP system can help you If your business is like most, chances are that different track against the goals you set for the year. It helps departments have already invested in their own business automate your processes which, in turn, frees up systems to run their programs. Most business systems are valuable time for your team. It delivers shop-floor-to- designed to automate and streamline business processes. top-floor business insights that will allow you to make But, too often, these systems document transactions, better business decisions. It also effectively breaks down recording what happened instead of controlling what data silos—either by integrating with or replacing those is supposed to happen. There may be multiple data- systems. One manufacturer we work with was able to bases being fed by separate modules (with different data consolidate 250-plus systems down to 27 applications to models that have been integrated together), creating run the entire enterprise. disparate data silos. This makes getting reports or infor- mation out of the system difficult because you need to C essentially be a programmer to know how to pull all the BILL M GEE Plex Systems data together. Also, user interfaces often vary across func- tional areas, so users who cross organizational boundaries Bill is director of solutions engineering need to switch gears by logging into different screens. The at Plex Systems. Visit plex.com. result is disconnected processes that often require manual intervention—and increase the risk of errors.

36 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com Software CLINIC

You should expect a lot from any manufacturing tech- 100 percent, the company’s evolution also earned A&K nology investment. By implementing a manufacturing Finishing recognition as a Yanfeng Automotive Interiors ERP system, A&K Finishing was able to cut its scrap rate Distinguished Supplier for two consecutive years, an honor in half; achieve a near 100 percent inventory accuracy; only given to 10 of Yanfeng’s 2,100 suppliers. and they’ve been able to solve complicated business Keep in mind that the process that leads you to make processes (such as paint depletion formulas) that were a technology decision is different than the process to previously multistep formulas completed manually. implement it. In some ways, choosing manufacturing Managers who were spending up to 85 percent of their technology is just the beginning. By staying focused time on data entry were able to scale it back to just 30 on your goals, having a deep understanding of the way percent, with that time now solely focused on contin- your company works, and carefully choosing the right uous improvement. business systems, you can make technology the founda- In addition to realizing revenue growth of more than tion of your success.

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PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 37 CLINIC PARTS CLEANING PFonline.com/zones

How to Extend Parts Cleaner Solution Life—Part II Q. When is the best time to replace a cleaner on the plating line?

Part I appeared in March. To read the article in its entirety, TITRATION INDICATOR LAB BATCH PROCESS TANK visit short.PFonline.com/Extend. Azo Violet Endpoint 2.8 mL 0.0 mL Method III: Three-Titration methodology is used Phenolphthalein 3.4 mL 3.4 mL successfully to track cleaner concentration and soil loading MRBCG Mixed Indicator 3.8 mL 6.0 mL (contamination). These titrations are effective for all alkaline cleaners that use phenolphthalein to maintain What insight about the cleaning does this data reveal? concentration. Generally, the cleaner sample size is Generally, the free alkalinity phenolphthalein titration 10 mL and titrated against 1.0 N acid. These values may be will remain constant because it is being used to maintain different, but, as long as they are consistent for all titra- concentration. As this titration decreases, fresh cleaner is tions, they will be a good gauge for the solution life. added to maintain the concentration at the desired level. These titrations must be started with a fresh cleaner A primary problem with the phenolphthalein endpoint makeup or standard cleaner solution made up in the lab is represented by the fact that alkaline cleaners formu- and continued until the bath is no longer functional. These lated with sodium hydroxide have an affinity to absorb values can be used to approximate the disposal point for carbon dioxide from the air over time and with use. The the next bath (provided the soils are relatively consistent): older the cleaner, the more carbon dioxide that has been • Free Caustic: Azo Violet Indicator; color change from absorbed. This absorption forms sodium carbonate, violet to yellow. This titration will provide a value for which contributes to this titration value. The problem free sodium and/or potassium hydroxide. is that as sodium hydroxide is used up or converted to • Free Alkalinity: Phenolphthalein Indicator; color carbonate, the phenolphthalein titration value stays the change from red/purple to clear. This is generally used same or increases. This action signifies a loss in cleaning to maintain concentration. It detects caustics as well as efficiency, while the titration shows there is enough the alkalinity contributed by the other alkaline builders cleaner to be effective. Carbonate is not a good builder for such as carbonate, silicates and phosphates. improving the cleaning efficiency. • Total Alkalinity: Methyl Red Bromcresol Green Mixed The free caustic titration measured by Azo-Violet will Indicator (MRBCG); color change from green to red. generally decrease in spite of the cleaner additions. This This titration detects the alkalinity contributed by all occurs because a proportionally larger amount is being the builders as well as the buildup of titratable contami- used to neutralize fatty acids and react with other organic nants such as soaps, amines and other ingredients and inorganic soils. An Azo-Violet titration value much removed by the cleaner. less than the lab batch value indicates that the free sodium hydroxide formulated into the cleaner has been consumed, Day-to-day testing of the initial bath using this which is often the case. Here, the value is zero which approach should provide data that reveals a decrease represents no available alkalinity for improving cleaning in free caustic and an increase in total alkalinity. This efficiency. Since many soils are more easily removed when should be plotted along with the reject count. Provided free sodium hydroxide is present, a significant decrease in all else is constant, a point will be determined where detergency with a resulting decrease in cleaning ability can the reject rate is deemed unacceptable. This can then be be expected when this value is lower than optimum. tied to a failure point for the total alkalinity level. The A high MRBCG-mixed indicator titration (measuring next cleaning tank solution can then be monitored until total alkalinity) is indicative of high levels of contamina- it approaches this failure level. It should be replaced tion from ingredients of soils that can also contribute to before it reaches this point and before the rejects this titration. Examples of these types of soils are soaps, become unacceptable. This method provides reliable fatty acids, fatty oils and amines. Even though the insol- results, provided the soils are generally consistent on the uble soils are being removed from the work, some soluble line and other factors on the line are held constant. As an example, a finisher has difficulties with cleaning in the process line. A sample of the soak cleaner GREG TERRELL Coventya was analyzed using the three-indicators approach. For comparison, a lab batch of the same cleaner was made Greg is director of business develop- up at the same phenolphthalein endpoint concentration ment at Coventya. Brad Durkin when titrated against 1.0 Normal Acid for the produc- of Coventya collaborated on this article. tion bath: Visit coventya.com

38 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com PARTS CLEANING CLINIC portions of these soils are accumulating in the cleaner and Method IV: Quantity of Additions making it difficult for the cleaner to perform its desired 1. Record the amount of the cleaner concentrate used at function. As the contaminants build up in solution, a makeup. point will be reached that will cause the cleaner to fail. An 2. Keep a record of all cleaner additions made during arbitrary point appears to be the point where this titration operation. doubles from its original value. Naturally, some soils are 3. When the total additions equal the original makeup amount, easy to remove and the cleaner will function at a higher it is time to consider replacing the cleaner. level of contamination, while other soils are more difficult 4. Compare data from Methods II or III as there could be some to remove and the cleaner will cease to function at a value other techniques to enhance performance. less than the arbitrary point. A reduction in detergency is usually the result of too high a value.

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PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 39 PRODUCTS FINISHING

INNOVATOR

Vitracoat America | Elkhart, Indiana 888-778-5994 | vitracoatamerica.com

Vitracoat’s Vitra-Vision Hand-held Spectrophotometer Offers Fast Response Times New tool connects Vitracoat’s lab to customer sites.

BY ANGELA OSBORNE MANAGING EDITOR

Calling Vitracoat’s new Vitra-Vision color matching system a game- needs or request test panels made with sample colors that can changer might sound overly dramatic, but it’s probably not far off. be shipped out the same day as the on-site spectrophotometer Until now, the normal process for matching customer paint color reading. requests could often take days or even weeks to accomplish. “The old process in the field was a visual evaluation without Vitracoat wanted to speed up that process, so they partnered numeric readings, so it wasn’t exact,” says Houston. “The benefit with a company that manufactures color reading instruments to of this new tool is that it eliminates subjectivity, gives the cus- develop a small, hand-held spectrophotometer that allows for tomer confidence and comfort that this is the correct color, and instantaneous color comparison. It has an algorithm that not only speeds up the process.” reads the color, but also interfaces with Vitracoat’s color database. All the technicians and sales staff have the Vitra-Vision spec- “There are other portable spectrophotometers, but it’s the trophotometer in the field. “They use it every day,” says Houston. library of information that’s unique,” says Steve Houston, “We’re always talking color, and we’re always talking matching.” Vitracoat America’s director of sales and marketing. The tool can also be used to confirm color accuracy on site dur- Sales staff can use the spectrophotometer at customer sites ing customers test runs. “We can compare that color to the actual to test color samples and, in real time, using an app on their standard and get a reading instantaneously,” says Houston. “It phone, connect with the Vitracoat database to search for all the takes away the visual or subjective view and gives you a numeric products that match the tested sample. reading immediately.” “Without the connection to the database, all you’re doing is The organizations that will benefit the most from the tool will comparing one color to another, and the customer has to be be custom coaters whose coating needs vary and change quickly. physically with you,” says Houston. “This allows us to bring the “It’s the customers with the unpredictable needs that will eye of our lab to the customer’s facility.” benefit most because they need the quick turnaround with accu- Search results immediately show colors that are close matches, rate colors,” says Houston. “Speed is the key; they need a match and list each color’s numeric readings comparing the Delta E quickly.” numbers. Results also include chemistry, physical properties, cure The customer is going to get the same product and the same schedule, gloss, price point, inventory amount and location of cur- answer, according to Houston. “They’re just going to get it so rent inventory. Customers can pick the product that best fits their much faster.”

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40 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com INNOVATIONS

500°F Belt Conveyor Oven Used for Drying Metals Grieve’s No. 876 is a 500°F (260°C) gas- heated belt conveyor oven used for drying brass and aluminum parts at customer facilities. Workspace dimensions are 22” × 126” × 15”. The workload rides through an 18”-long, open-belt loading zone; 126”-long insulated heat zone with recirculated airflow; 6”-long open zone; 72”-long cooling zone; and a 12”-long open unloading zone. Grieve Corporation / 847-546-8225 / grievecorp.com

EcoScreen Analyzes Paint Booth Data in Real Time Dürr EcoScreen Equipment Analytics is a streaming analytics ap- plication for real-time data analysis. The software enables paint shop operators to monitor processes online, including all robot and process data traceable down to the millisecond so that faults can be quickly identified. The product also provides a visualiza- tion for the graphical representation and analysis of the results. Safety Air Gun Cleans Small Inside Diameters Dürr Systems / 866-387-7178 / durr-northamerica.com Exair’s Soft-Grip, Back-Blow Safety Air Gun uses a small back-blow nozzle to deliver a blast of air to blow debris and liquids from inside small pipe or hose diameters, channels, bores, holes, internal threads and other internal part features. The ergonomic design of the air gun keeps the operator’s hand in a comfortable position so it can be used for hours of continuous use without fatigue. Follow PF on An array of holes on the Model 1004SS M4 Back-Blow Air Nozzle provides a forceful back-facing, 360-degree airflow to clear out coolant, chips and light oils from machining processes. This nozzle prevents blowing chips further into a part, tube or pipe, and helps eliminate safety hazards created by blowing debris coming out the far end of a pipe or tube. Air consumption is 4.5 SCFM at 80 PSIG, with @PF_Editor_Tim a low sound level of 75 dBA. The nozzle is manufactured to clean Fol Stay informed about the low inside openings as small as 1/4” (6mm) and up to 1” (25mm). It is latest news and trends in the finishing industry with constructed of type 316 stainless steel to provide durability and cor- Products Finishing. rosion resistance. The air gun with nozzle is OSHA and CE compliant. Exair Corporation / 800-903-9247 / exair.com

PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 41 NEVER FINISHED

The Expense of Frugality Push the limits on travel expenses and your employer may implement a policy.

One of my favorite interview questions to pose to sales that company. I do this position candidates and others who will likely travel as part every time, often calling of their employment is, “What hotel chain do you prefer several hotels, and when you travel on business?” The answers speak volumes discounts of 30 to 40 MATTHEW KIRCHNER about the candidates. If a candidate tells me they travel in percent are common- Managing Director, Profit360 their current position and they don’t have an answer, I have place. If I have to stay [email protected] reason to doubt how much they actually travel. If they refer- in a larger city, I almost ence a fleabag chain, I wonder if they are telling me what they always use Hotwire. I think I want to hear. If they respond with a premium chain, usually end up in a premium hotel room at a budget price that I suspect they are accustomed to traveling on a generous can be half the advertised rate. expense account or are not a particularly good steward of I think companies that require their employees to cede their their employer’s resources. In either event, they likely won’t fit travel points to the company are petty. I think employees who our culture. Answer with a reliable, midrange option and you pick their hotels with the sole objective of earning points they might be our type of person. can use for personal travel, rather than choosing the option that Thoughts go back to my time as chief operating officer makes the best use of the company’s resources, are lining their of a health care RFID technology company when our pockets with the employer’s money. accountant flagged a certain item on a salesperson’s I rent midsize cars and I’m willing to take a shuttle to a rental expense report. At considerable expense, the salesperson agency a mile or two away from the airport if it means saving had selected a posh Jaguar as his rental vehicle for a trade a little bit of money. I always fill the fuel tank myself before show. When the rejected expense report ended up on my returning the vehicle. desk, I placed a phone call in search of an explanation. There is no glamour left in air travel. If it takes me less The offender’s response, “I did it to impress the nurses.” Of than six hours to drive, I almost never fly unless there’s a course you did. compelling reason to do so. I like a little extra leg room on However, in spite of the an airplane, but I pay the difference between the premium Every dollar spent on propensity on the part of seat and the economy one out of my own pocket. Also, if I can some to abuse their expense save my employer a decent amount of money by connecting excess travel cost is a accounts, I disdain expense instead of flying direct, I’m willing to do that. If I park at the dollar the employer policies. The moment we airport for more than a day, I don’t mind taking the shuttle to can’t spend on pursuing institute one, we embark the remote lot. It’s about half the cost. on a Byzantine cat-and- Mileage reimbursements should function to offset the its mission. mouse game between team cost incurred by the employee and not as a source of extra members intent on getting income. I’ll never forget the team member who tried to justify the better of the policy and his request for a raise in compensation by reasoning that he angry accountants obsessed with enforcing every rule and was traveling less on business and his reimbursements had wringing their hands over every infringement. I’m always dropped. a bit amused at how the office people who get to go home I like to have a decent dinner when I’m on the road. Decent every day after work and sleep in their own beds can be so to me is a sandwich and a beer at Applebee’s. Have two nitpicky about the habits of those who have to spend nights beers if you dealt with a lot of problems that day. Have more on end away from their families to earn a living. We avoid than two and your job may not be the problem. Regardless, all of this when we reject the temptation to adopt expense don’t embarrass yourself by passing the extras through your policies. Alternatively, if we employ honorable people, they expense report. will expend our resources in an honorable fashion. Here are Keep in mind that every dollar spent on excess travel cost some guidelines: is a dollar the employer can’t spend on pursuing its mission, I have three criteria for the hotels I stay in—clean, safe and advertising, marketing, research and development, and all quiet. From there I choose the least expensive one I can find. the other important activities in which a company can invest. Sometimes, this takes a little bit of work. The quoted rate is Push the limits on travel expenses and, for the good of the never the hotel’s best rate. Once I have their opening bid, I ask business, your employer may be left with no choice but to for the corporate rate, AAA rate and, if I’m in town visiting a implement an expense policy. You won’t like it as much as not customer or supplier, I ask if the hotel has a different rate for having one.

42 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com PFONLINE.COM

The Voice of the Finishing Industry

GET THE WEEK’S Products Finishing’s weekly e-newsletters FINISHING NEWS include the latest industry news and activities, plus details on the newest technology DELIVERED RIGHT and equipment that help finishing shops TO YOUR INBOX. improve efficiency and grow business. Each issue gives you the pertinent information you need to be competitive and up to date on issues facing the finishing industry.

Sign up for our weekly newsletters at short.PFonline.com/latestnews GARDNER BUSINESS INDEX: FINISHING

Finishing Index Reports Modest February Expansion February Finishing Index: 50.9

The Finishing Index logged its 26th consecutive month of growth with a February reading of 50.9. The Index has reported slowing growth over the last year as the Index has fallen from an all-time high in March 2018. Despite the decline in MICHAEL GUCKES, MBA the Index over the last 12 months, the finishing industry has reported consecu- Chief Economist tive months of expansionary readings since January 2017. The latest reading Gardner Intelligence was supported by supplier deliveries, production and employment. The compo- Michael has performed economic nents which pulled the index lower (calculated as an average of the components) analysis, modeling and forecasting included backlog, new orders and exports. All three of these components contracted work for nearly 20 years among a during the month. wide range of industries. February’s data reported the Finishing Index’s first contractionary reading for new [email protected] orders since December 2016. The new orders component (which measures the total expansion or contraction of orders in the finishing industry) has experienced slowing growth since registering an all-time high in March 2018. Beginning in the second half of 2018, exports began contracting and have done so at an accelerating rate through February. That total new orders contracted significantly less in February than did exports, suggests that domestic demand conditions are better, although apparently not able to fully offset the latest reported weakness in foreign demand.

FINISHING INDEX The Finishing Index reported mild industry expansion during 65 February driven by supplier 60 deliveries, production and employment. 55 50.9 51.5 50

45

40 1/13 7/13 1/14 7/14 1/15 7/15 1/16 7/16 1/17 7/17 1/18 7/18 1/19

NEW ORDERS AND PRODUCTION (3-month moving average) Falling export volumes caused total new orders to contract in 65 February. Until recently, domestic orders had been supplanting the 60 decline in exports. 55

50

45

40

1/13 7/13 1/14 7/14 1/15 7/15 1/16 7/16 1/17 7/17 1/18 7/18 1/19

n New Orders n Exports

Stay ahead of the curve with Gardner Intelligence. More information about the Finishing Index can be found at gardnerintelligence.com.

44 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com The Insight That Matters Most to Your Business

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46 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com AD INDEX

This issue of Products Finishing is being sent to nearly 28,000 subscribers in more than 19,000 plants— the largest circulation in the finishing industry.

Alexandria Metal Finishers Inc...... 46 Met-Chem Inc...... 47

American Plating Power LLC ...... 1 Midwest Finishing Systems...... 31

Axalta Coating Systems ...... 29 Miraclean...... 15 biganodes ...... 46 NASF SUR/FIN ...... 5

Bionomic Industries ...... 46 Nordson Industrial Coating Systems ...... 25

Birchwood Technologies ...... 39 Parker Boiler Co...... 13

Caplugs...... 3 R J Manufacturing Inc...... 46

Chemical Coaters Association ...... 33 Reliant Finishing Systems...... 12

Chemical Solvents Inc...... 37 RIGHTech Fabrications ...... 39

CJI Process Systems Inc...... Inside Back Cover Schaffner Mfg. Co. Inc...... 35

Coventya Inc...... Inside Front Cover SEMicro...... 46

DeFelsko Corp...... 10 Society of Vacuum Coaters ...... 14

Durr Systems Inc...... 19 SUR/FIN ...... 5

ECOAT 2020 ...... Back Cover Therma-Tron-X Inc...... 15

Fischer Technology Inc...... 11 Tri-Mer Corp...... 4

Freiborne Industries Inc...... 35 TrueLogic Company LLC ...... 21

Gardner Business Intelligence ...... 45 U.S. Chrome Corporation ...... 46

George Koch Sons LLC...... 13 Waste Treatment Equipment Specialties Company ...... 46

Hubbard-Hall ...... 9 Water and Wastewater Equipment Co...... 46

Lanco Corp...... 46 Webb-Stiles Co...... 37

Magic Rack/Production Plus ...... 31 Women in Finishing ...... 33

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PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 47 END OF THE LINE

A Conversation with … Larry Capoccia Alexandria Metal Finishers

After leaving Italy with wife Anna in the 1960s, Loreto “Larry” Capoccia took his experience with metals to a new home in the U.S. and soon to Alexandria Metal Finishers, where he eventually became an owner. He also served as secretary, vice president and president of the AESF Baltimore-Washington chapter. More than 50 years later, he continues leading the company as a proud American and proud part of the surface finishing industry.

Get to know Larry PF: How were you involved in Italy’s finishing industry? LC: I was in a foundry, both in the mechanical aspects and as Family: Married for 53 years; sons Richard, an artist. I worked with the casting of bronze, brass, alumi- Dennis and John; and five grandchildren num, silver and gold. Favorite hobby: Stained glass, wood projects and metalwork PF: What was it like immigrating from Italy in the 1960s and trying to find work in the U.S.? Favorite movie: Westerns LC: It was a bit of a culture shock and I had difficulties with Favorite book: National Geographic magazine the language. I was very fortunate to find a job at Alexandria Bluegrass Metal Finishers after being in the U.S. for only one week. What’s playing in your car CD/radio: and country PF: What’s the best piece of advice you were given? LC: It was from my first boss, Tony Facciolo: “Don’t worry about your accent; people will listen to your knowledge and skill.” PF: If you could trade jobs with anyone for a day, who would it be? PF: What was your first job and what did you learn from it? LC: A teacher in high school. LC: A silversmith, and I learned about stripping metals, then repair and replating. PF: What organization do you most admire? LC: Aerospace companies; Northrop Grumman, PF: If you had $100,000 to give to a charity, which one Lockheed Martin. would it be? LC: I would want to give it personally to a poor family. PF: Personal heroes? LC: John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. PF: What was your first car, and what is your dream car? LC: First car was a Fiat 500 in Rome. My dream car is a 1929 PF: How do you motivate people? Ford pickup truck. LC: By example.

PF: What leadership traits have helped you along the way? PF: How do you motivate yourself? LC: Honesty, hard work and being a good teacher. LC: It’s just genetic for me.

PF: What did you want to be when you grew up? PF: Three greatest passions? LC: I hoped to be a soccer player or an air force pilot. LC: Driving in the countryside, horse farms and wineries.

PF: Favorite place you’ve ever lived? PF: Best business decisions? LC: Switzerland. LC: The ones I don’t agree with myself.

PF: Where would we find you on a typical Saturday? PF: Worst business decisions? LC: Riding through the countryside in my Porsche 911. LC: When I listen to other people to try to be accommodating.

PF: Best way to keep competitive edge? PF: Words that best describes you. LC: Quality and commitment are most important. LC: Pain in the neck, hardworking, friendly and self-made.

48 APRIL 2019 — PFonline.com UL 508A Panel Shop

ASME Code Shop (U, R & S – Stamps) Call for Speakers! ECOAT2020 is accepting abstracts Suggested Topics from industry professionals to present + Part design and racking efficiency during the robust technical conference. + Reduction of costs in system processes + Energy savings solutions + Paint types and properties Please submit your abstract here: + Best practices for improving efficiency www.ecoat.events + Innovative technology + Troubleshooting techniques in process control Deadline: June 3, 2019 + Successful pretreatment technologies

APRIL 28-30, 2020

INNISBROOK GOLF & SPA RESORT TAMPA BAY AREA, FL