Long Term Development in Becker Industrial Coatings
Industrial Coatings is the leading supplier of coil coatings in Europe. Leadership in a field means ‘Setting the Standard’. The Long Term Development Laboratory (LTD), based in Liverpool, fulfils a critical development role within the field of coil coatings on a Group wide basis The LTD’s strategy is to focus on the key requirements of the coil coating market and to work to meet these requirements through practical developments of new products, new processes and new and novel test methods in concert with pragmatic academic study.
In the above mentioned field of coil coatings, Beckers are continually introducing innovative products, some of which have been developed over the long term by The Long Term Development (LTD) Group. Over the years new products such as super durable polyesters and plastisols have originated within LTD, as have smart coatings such as self cleaning systems and thermal control coatings. Although they are still in their infancy commercially, paints that react when irradiated with UV light or electron beams have been a mainstay of the development effort within LTD from inception in 1992 until today. These coatings consume a fraction of the energy to achieve cure compared to conventional coatings which should have a positive impact on the environment. In fact the environmentally friendly credentials of the laboratory have been enhanced by a decision, taken over 18 years ago, to concentrate on chromate free primer technology.
The means by which paint can be applied is also a critical aspect of the Group’s work and a small scale pilot line and curing ovens are routinely used to help understand Becker products’ robustness. We have also investigated means of applying 100% solids systems and powders by new processes and novel techniques
An essential part of our strategy is to apply a scientific approach to development, which involves forming hypotheses and then assembling programmes that will answer the questions posed. On occasions this called for the employment of different and new means to test materials that that commonly used in our industry. This results in a greater understanding of how our products function, which in turn helps in ensuring that our products are more robust when they are eventually launched. A critical aspect of the scientific approach is the sponsoring of university research to gain an in depth knowledge of the materials that we encounter on a daily basis.
To aid product development, Becker Industrial Coatings has invested heavily within LTD to ensure that they have a range of analytical equipment that helps determine how paint systems function. They have at their disposal instruments that detail; the molecular makeup of paints or resins, the material properties of polymers, the results of the interaction between pigments and electromagnetic radiation as well as microscopes that allow the eye to see the cause of defects. This equipment is employed in elucidating the causes of defects that occur from time to time on customers’ lines.
To summarise the LTD Laboratory develops environmentally friendly solutions to a wide range of challenges encountered on both a daily basis and a strategic level.