The PPG industrial coatings business will present five technical papers and exhibit an array of integrated substrate-protection products as a Gold-level sponsor of ECOAT16, the biennial conference of The Electrocoat Association, Feb. 15-17, at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida.

Bob Enzerra, PPG product manager, substrate protection, said PPG will emphasize its unique corrosion-fighting capabilities and expertise at ECOAT16. “Customers are increasingly seeking suppliers that provide corrosion-protection solutions for every layer of the coating process. PPG can serve as a single point of contact for all their requirements, with pretreatment, e-coat, liquid and powder products all formulated to perform as a fully integrated, interdependent system,” he explained.

Among the products PPG will highlight are POWERCRON ADVANTEDGE electrocoat, a heavy-metal-catalyst-free e-coat engineered for high-edge protection of stamped, cut or formed edges on complex metal parts; and ULTRAX Metal Conditioner 257, a neutral descaler designed to facilitate processing of mixed-metal parts and assemblies.

PPG also will showcase the VERSABOND pretreatment system, featuring proprietary hyper-nucleation zinc-phosphate technology. The system is effective on multiple and mixed metal substrates and combines excellent corrosion resistance with operational and environmental benefits such as extended bath life, which results in lower processing costs and less sludge, waste and energy consumption.

Seven PPG representatives will present papers and serve on panels as part of the conference’s technical program:

•     Nathan Silvernail, PPG technical manager, substrate protection, will discuss “The Advantages of High-Edge Electrocoat,” focusing on increased corrosion-resistance expectations among automotive manufacturers and how proper metal preparation and high-edge electrocoat solutions can produce more robust paint systems to meet those expectations.
•     David Sechnick, PPG development associate, industrial coatings, will examine the difficult challenges of improving corrosion resistance and paint adhesion over welds, weld-affected heat zones, laser-cut edges and scale on laser-cut edges over a variety of substrates, including mixed-metal surfaces, in a presentation titled “Welding and Laser Cutting/Impact on Paint Performance/Metal Preparation Alternatives.”
•     In a presentation titled “Substrate Diversity – Coating Considerations for New Materials,” Brian Okerberg, PPG research associate, substrate protection, will examine how recent trends in the light-weighting of vehicles with aluminum, high-strength steel and new joining methods are changing their assembly.
•     “Presenting the Perfect Part – Designing and Hanging for Success,” by Jim Gezo, PPG platform manager, substrate protection, and Gary Orosz, PPG application process manager, substrate protection, will explore how proper racking design and hanging techniques can improve finishing-system yields.
•     Sarah Frye, PPG chemist, substrate protection, will present “From the Lab Bench to the Production Tank – What Happens in Between?” Her remarks will focus on the importance of rigorously testing coatings in extreme conditions before product trialing to identify potential problems and related prevention measures, and to generate a databank of knowledge to facilitate accelerated troubleshooting.
•     Mark Rowley, PPG pretreatment product specialist, industrial coatings, as well as Gezo and Orosz will serve on educational panels to discuss operating costs, troubleshooting, and preventive maintenance of systems, respectively.