This column expands upon my observation to that effect, which I described in my previous column (Metal Finishing, Volume 108, Issue 2, Feb. 2010). My basis for that belief is attendance at the Parts-2-Clean (P2C) international (though primarily German) trade show devoted to parts cleaning, held annually in Stuttgart. 22 February 2010
Thoughts on the largely German—but increasingly European—trade fair, Parts-2-Clean, held in Stuttgart from Oct. 19–22, 2009. 16 February 2010
More than 11,000 visitors converged on the Shanghai New International Expo Centre Nov. 18–20 to attend SFCHINA ’09, billed as China’s foremost exposition and conference for electroplaters, suppliers of surface finishing chemicals and equipment, as well as coating formulators and manufacturers of paint delivery systems. 08 February 2010
The U.S. EPA has developed new requirements to reduce air pollution from plating and polishing facilities. Shaikh Tayeb and Tapan Das, from the Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Control, discuss the new compliance and reporting requirements, in addition to providing suggestions on how to cost-effectively minimize your facility's emissions. Links and downloads to helpful compliance documents are also provided. 19 November 2009
Drew Amorosi, managing editor of Metal Finishing, recently caught up with Dr. Manik Roy and Dr. Janet Peace of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change to discuss the climate change legislation making its way through Congress. One fact is clear from the conversation: Whether it’s via Congress, the states, or the EPA, the regulation of greenhouse gasses is very much on the horizon here in the United States, if not already upon us. The question for the business and manufacturing community is by which method and from what source will regulation emerge, and what system will be the least harmful to business conditions? 11 November 2009
In June of 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established national reactivity-based emission standards for 170 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in aerosol coating products. This aerosol coatings reactivity rule aims to encourage reformulation of aerosol coatings to reduce ground-level ozone formation. The rule specifies reactivity limits for 36 aerosol product categories. The 170 VOCs are ranked by their reactivity factor (RF, units in grams of ozone per gram of VOC). VOCs with a high RF are more likely to form ozone, an air pollutant, than VOCs with a lower RF. 05 November 2009
Modify employee health plans and adjust production shifts. Renegotiate lending terms with banks and payment schedules with customers to secure more favorable financing and expedite receivables. Diversify your client base beyond the core, staple sectors in order to provide a buffer against markets prone to extreme cyclical swings. 24 July 2009
Kelly Mowry has four children to feed and a business to run. As president of Gull Industries, a metal coating service provider in Houston, Texas, Mowry—a 40-year industry veteran—has recently been thinking twice about his chosen profession. Make no mistake: The Texas A&M University alumnus loves his job, but with the sliding economy his company has taken a hit. 22 May 2009
Many theories abound as to what will be required to breathe new life back into the U.S. economy in general and industry in particular. For instance, do we prop up ailing banks and financial institutions, retool America's manufacturing base, or shore up the weakened housing market—the troubled sector that, according to many, touched off the recession? Regardless of the specific plan of attack, analysts argue that any successful initiative (or combination thereof) must adequately address both industry and the economy, as the two are inextricably linked. 18 February 2009
The National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF) is offering members valuable assistance in deciphering Europe’s complex regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals—otherwise referred to by the acronym, “REACH.” The regulation—which went into effect in June 2007—aims to streamline a preceding legislative framework on chemicals by the European Union (EU). Among REACH’s main objectives: improve the protection of human health and the environment from the potential risks posed by chemicals; promote alternative test methods; support the free circulation of substances on the internal market; and enhance competitiveness and innovation. 03 November 2008
The Electronic Age is no longer a fad in industry. It’s a proven vehicle for conducting business, obtaining important information, and shopping for goods and services. For solid proof that the Internet is dramatically changing the way consumer and business products are marketed and sold today, look no further than the meteoric sales growth of online retailers and e-commerce transactions. 09 June 2008
A challenging economic climate, coupled with increasing local and off-shore competition in the surface finishing industry, is forcing businesses to pay closer attention to satisfying customers. The Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," may seem self evident in the way we try to conduct our personal lives. Yet, this axiom is assuming new importance as a guiding principle in business. 03 March 2008
Of the slew of informative educational seminars offered at FIN-X ’07 in Indianapolis last month, perhaps none hit home like the presentation by noted author and industrial turnaround specialist Michael Collins. In his keynote speech, titled “New Strategies for the New Century: Finding Growth Opportunities in Today’s Global Economy,” Collins took a detour from the oh-so fashionable tactic of bashing international competitors. Instead, Collins sought to provide participants with some textbook cases of how several American companies, particularly smaller ones, are competing successfully. 05 October 2007
A few weeks ago I headed off to the state of Michigan—reporter’s pad and camera in tow—with the goal of sizing up a handful of plating and finishing operations for possible inclusion in the new “Profile” section of the magazine. I got much more than I bargained for via a healthy dose of harsh reality. 09 May 2007
Christian Richter, founder of The Policy Group, said recently that there are two key regulatory issues that bear watching closely if you are a finisher: "The fact that we have more—not fewer—regulations coming at us over the next few years," and second, "They're coming at us from more places." 14 March 2006
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