Director's Message: The Future of Powder Coating
Posted on Monday, July 1, 2013
Yes, I know. After reading this
headline you are likely expecting a
profound and illuminating column
about where our industry is going
and how it is going to get there.
I am writing this, however, after
a mere 8 months in the industry,
but with 35 years covering related
industries.
The Powder Coating Institute
(PCI®) was started by men who
had a passion for technology—
men like Gordon Cole, who
is still active in the American
Chemical Society. Gordon and
his colleagues worked together—
arm-in-arm—to invent the
industry that we see today. The
Mission Statement for PCI®
is “The Powder Coating Institute
is committed to serving
its members by promoting the
benefits of powder coating
technology.” I emphasize the word
“technology” here.
But, like all things, the spirit of
those who founded the industry
and PCI® has changed. For example,
much of the technology developments
today are hidden behind
the cloak of words like “proprietary”
and “confidentiality” or “NDA.”
That is what makes the Powder
Coating Summit a special event.
Started by Kevin Biller of the Powder
Coating Research Group—who
also happens to be a member of
PCI® and our technical editor, the
PC Summit brings top technical
experts in the industry together to
listen to papers on the technology
of powder coating, always with an
eye toward new and exciting
applications.
Though not as extensive as the
WaterBorne Symposium presented
annually by the University of Southern
Mississippi, the PC Summit is
the only venue in North America
devoted to the science of powder
coating. The PC Summit continues
to grow precisely because people
in the industry are hungry for the
latest innovations in science and
technology. (See page 29 for Kevin’s
wrap-up of 2013’s PC Summit,
which was held June 18-19).
Similarly, this year The Powder
Coating Show and Conference in
St. Louis, slated for October 8-10,
has 48 hours of programming. This
year, one entire 12-hour track is
devoted exclusively to innovations
in powder coating. While there are
unique applications presented in
the rest of the program, we realize
that innovation is the lifeblood of
our industry. Continuing to find
new ways to powder coat products
will drive the entire industry to
grow. We believe that professionals
who currently use powder to paint
as well as people who could use
powder to finish their products will
directly benefit from attending the
Show and Conference this fall.
It is, in fact, the only trade show
devoted to powder coating in
North America.
It has been my experience in
other industries that change can
be slow and difficult. The commonality,
though, is this: new
technology drives an industry
to succeed. Sometimes, it is the
unique application of technology
from another industry that
may drive innovation in our industry.
The people who founded The
Powder Coating Institute knew this
roughly 40 years ago. We are trying
to carry on that legacy and adapt it
to a more mature market, but one
that still has immense room
for growth.
Dave Lurie
Executive Director, PCI®