Maria Lamorey, PPG Commercial Strategy Manager, Industrial Coatings06.17.22
The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 had workers across the country trading in their office desks for workspaces at home.
Two-and-a-half years later, many of these employees are back in the office, but only on a limited basis. Current research indicates that the days of the office-centric work week are behind us.
According to the career website Zippia, 74% of U.S. companies are currently using or plan to implement a permanent hybrid work model.
Remote workstations need to be reliable for employee productivity and seamless transitions between the office and home.
Today’s tools of the trade include our home office furniture, electronic devices that keep us connected, equipment that keeps the power running and even the roofs over our heads.
Protecting these assets is not just important for our lives, but our livelihoods. Manufacturers know how important quality protective coatings are to the performance and longevity of their products.
With a growing number of workers heading back to their offices in some capacity, commercial workspaces are being reimagined to accommodate today’s blend of in-person and virtual work with evolving floor plans and spaces designed for collaboration and flexibility.
Office furniture like desks, chairs, cabinets and privacy panels need to withstand heavy use as shared and multi-purpose workspaces are becoming more common.
The coatings that protect them need to be durable but also enhance the space with uniform color and finishes that appeal to today’s office design trends.
A growing number of manufacturers in this industry are changing their paint lines from traditional liquid or solvent-based coating to powder coatings because of enhanced durability and resistance to abrasions, mars and scratches.
But beyond aesthetics, powder coatings offer other valuable advantages. The most notable includes batch-after-batch color consistency and a broader range of on-trend finishes like bonded metallics, ultra-smooth surfaces, multi-color textures and the ever-popular matte finishes.
Manufacturers are also taking note of powder’s sustainability benefits, including their low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content and the ability to reclaim and reuse overspray. Additionally, certain powder formulations can reduce waste with first-pass transfer efficiency rates of up to 85% and others are formulated with post-industrial plastic (rPET).
New powder innovations are also helping manufacturers expand their offerings of products that help to create safer and more sanitary office spaces.
Since the days of ancient Rome, silver has been prized for its antimicrobial properties. Today, coatings manufacturers are formulating coatings with silver ionic technology to help inhibit the growth of microbes on coated surfaces in commercial spaces. Silver also defends against bacteria that can lead to discoloration, odor and corrosion.
High-performance coatings for electronics like laptop screens and cell phones not only enhance performance, but safeguard them from damage, especially as they are transported between the home and office with growing frequency.
Electronic primers and coatings are engineered to meet consumer demand for functionality and durability, plus color and touch.
For leading electronics makers, waterborne coatings are effective solutions for these applications, as they emit fewer VOCs when compared to their solvent-borne counterparts.
Transparent functional coatings are also more important as we interact with our phone and computer touchscreens. Quality coatings for electronics are engineered to appeal to consumers and boost performance with anti-fingerprint, easy-to-clean, anti-smudge, low-reflective and anti-reflective formulations.
By creating coatings that are durable and engineered for optimal optic requirements, electronic devices help to keep employees connected, engaged and productive.
Considering the investment that we put into our homes, keeping them in good working order has always been a high priority. But today, our homes are not just where we live, they are where we work. Protecting our residential infrastructure is more important than ever.
On a home’s exterior, reliable roofing, siding, window frames, gutters and rainwear offer formidable protection from harsh elements, UV rays and wear, keeping the valuable assets inside the home protected for years to come.
Electricity is critical and protecting transformers, power generators and electrical boxes from corrosion and damage is important no matter where you work.
The metals that make up these electrical components can corrode for a number of reasons, including exposure to extreme heat and humidity, damaging pH levels and ultraviolet radiation.
Coatings designed to cover every edge, angle, nook and seam on these components keeps them in good working order. Manufacturers are increasingly using new coatings technologies that offer superior coverage on hard-to-coat areas like louvers and sharp corners to extend the life of these critical parts.
With its PPG ERGOLUXE® powder coatings for home and office furniture, PPG ENVIROCRON® PCS coatings for electronic devices and PPG ENVIROCRON® EXTREME PROTECTION EDGE powder coatings to preserve power generation, PPG is a single-source provider for coatings that manufacturers need to keep hybrid workers safer, more comfortable and more productive while they work, wherever that may be
Maria Lamorey is the PPG Commercial Strategy Manager with over 20 years of industry experience. Maria plays a leading role in PPG’s commitment to delivering high-performance coatings products across a variety of general industrial applications.
Two-and-a-half years later, many of these employees are back in the office, but only on a limited basis. Current research indicates that the days of the office-centric work week are behind us.
According to the career website Zippia, 74% of U.S. companies are currently using or plan to implement a permanent hybrid work model.
Remote workstations need to be reliable for employee productivity and seamless transitions between the office and home.
Today’s tools of the trade include our home office furniture, electronic devices that keep us connected, equipment that keeps the power running and even the roofs over our heads.
Protecting these assets is not just important for our lives, but our livelihoods. Manufacturers know how important quality protective coatings are to the performance and longevity of their products.
Office Cubicle Coatings
With a growing number of workers heading back to their offices in some capacity, commercial workspaces are being reimagined to accommodate today’s blend of in-person and virtual work with evolving floor plans and spaces designed for collaboration and flexibility.
Office furniture like desks, chairs, cabinets and privacy panels need to withstand heavy use as shared and multi-purpose workspaces are becoming more common.
The coatings that protect them need to be durable but also enhance the space with uniform color and finishes that appeal to today’s office design trends.
A growing number of manufacturers in this industry are changing their paint lines from traditional liquid or solvent-based coating to powder coatings because of enhanced durability and resistance to abrasions, mars and scratches.
But beyond aesthetics, powder coatings offer other valuable advantages. The most notable includes batch-after-batch color consistency and a broader range of on-trend finishes like bonded metallics, ultra-smooth surfaces, multi-color textures and the ever-popular matte finishes.
Manufacturers are also taking note of powder’s sustainability benefits, including their low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content and the ability to reclaim and reuse overspray. Additionally, certain powder formulations can reduce waste with first-pass transfer efficiency rates of up to 85% and others are formulated with post-industrial plastic (rPET).
New powder innovations are also helping manufacturers expand their offerings of products that help to create safer and more sanitary office spaces.
Since the days of ancient Rome, silver has been prized for its antimicrobial properties. Today, coatings manufacturers are formulating coatings with silver ionic technology to help inhibit the growth of microbes on coated surfaces in commercial spaces. Silver also defends against bacteria that can lead to discoloration, odor and corrosion.
Protecting New Work Spaces
Tools that keep us connected to each other and the world around us have never been more important than in this era of teleworking.High-performance coatings for electronics like laptop screens and cell phones not only enhance performance, but safeguard them from damage, especially as they are transported between the home and office with growing frequency.
Electronic primers and coatings are engineered to meet consumer demand for functionality and durability, plus color and touch.
For leading electronics makers, waterborne coatings are effective solutions for these applications, as they emit fewer VOCs when compared to their solvent-borne counterparts.
Transparent functional coatings are also more important as we interact with our phone and computer touchscreens. Quality coatings for electronics are engineered to appeal to consumers and boost performance with anti-fingerprint, easy-to-clean, anti-smudge, low-reflective and anti-reflective formulations.
By creating coatings that are durable and engineered for optimal optic requirements, electronic devices help to keep employees connected, engaged and productive.
Protecting the Workday
During a busy work-from-home day, losing valuable time due to home repair emergencies and power outages is not high on anyone’s to-do list.Considering the investment that we put into our homes, keeping them in good working order has always been a high priority. But today, our homes are not just where we live, they are where we work. Protecting our residential infrastructure is more important than ever.
On a home’s exterior, reliable roofing, siding, window frames, gutters and rainwear offer formidable protection from harsh elements, UV rays and wear, keeping the valuable assets inside the home protected for years to come.
Electricity is critical and protecting transformers, power generators and electrical boxes from corrosion and damage is important no matter where you work.
The metals that make up these electrical components can corrode for a number of reasons, including exposure to extreme heat and humidity, damaging pH levels and ultraviolet radiation.
Coatings designed to cover every edge, angle, nook and seam on these components keeps them in good working order. Manufacturers are increasingly using new coatings technologies that offer superior coverage on hard-to-coat areas like louvers and sharp corners to extend the life of these critical parts.
With its PPG ERGOLUXE® powder coatings for home and office furniture, PPG ENVIROCRON® PCS coatings for electronic devices and PPG ENVIROCRON® EXTREME PROTECTION EDGE powder coatings to preserve power generation, PPG is a single-source provider for coatings that manufacturers need to keep hybrid workers safer, more comfortable and more productive while they work, wherever that may be
Maria Lamorey is the PPG Commercial Strategy Manager with over 20 years of industry experience. Maria plays a leading role in PPG’s commitment to delivering high-performance coatings products across a variety of general industrial applications.