THE BUSINESS OF VISCOSITY BLOG

Below is a continuation of the previous blog post. Please click here to review What is UV and Why is It Important? (Part 1).

Topics: Manufacturing, sustainability, Printing, paint and coating, Industrial finishing, Coating Technology, coating, wood and furniture coating

The week of March 18^th I was privileged to attend RadTech’s Big Ideas Conference in Redondo Beach California.  In addition to offering a nice reprieve from the Michigan winter, it also provided some keen insight into important things happening in the field of UV.  So, for the next few pages, let’s take a look at how UV affects us in our everyday lives.

Topics: Manufacturing, sustainability, Printing, paint and coating, Industrial finishing, Coating Technology, coating, wood and furniture coating

From recycling, to solar roofs, to electric cars, environmental sustainability has become a trend that means big business.

Topics: sustainability, flexographic printing

As the cost of virgin materials continues to increase, packaging recovery has never been as important as it is today. But recovery is also vital from a sustainability and environmental standpoint as well because more and more end consumers are looking for eco-friendly packaging that’s made from recycled materials, that is itself recyclable. For any packaging company looking to cut costs and improve sustainability practices, here are five ways you can improve packaging recovery rates.

Topics: sustainability

Over the years, it has become clear that sustainability in packaging is a concern that’s here to stay. In fact, the market for sustainable packaging is expected to be worth $244 billion within the next few years, and some sources estimate that it will supersede costs and other factors to become the number one challenge for companies over the next decade. So with that in mind, here are eight reasons why the sustainable packaging industry is only going to keep growing.

Topics: sustainability

Everybody seems to understand the basic theory behind continuous improvement as it relates to free market enterprises. Essentially, you have to get better because you have competitors and they are not standing still. Falling behind the competition can mean reduced margins, smaller market share, or outright business failure. If we can all agree that it’s important, why are so many of us struggling to maintain a culture that supports continuous improvement?

I’m sure those reasons are different for every organization but here are a few common themes that we see:

Topics: sustainability

To start, let me define what I mean by Capital Improvement Project. It is similar to a Capital Equipment Project in that it requires some investment, installation and training but it is typically on a smaller scale.

Most projects we do are considered Capital Improvement Projects. We make improvements to existing Capital Equipment for a variety of reasons including improving productivity, reducing material waste, reducing VOC’s, (Volatile Organic Compounds), and minimizing quality defects.

Topics: sustainability

Disposal of drums of waste paint and coating is a necessary evil for anyone in the industrial coating or finishing business, but is especially true for coil coaters.

Topics: sustainability, PCM

Please excuse the trite reference to Stephen Covey! But in this case, there really are seven traits that we see that signify that we are working with a world-class coater. Truly world class coil coaters are identified by their ability to:

1. Provide a high quality surface finish batch-after-batch
2. Deliver on time, every time

Topics: coil coating, sustainability, Coating Technology, PCM

If your business depends on processes where fluids are dispensed, whether they be adhesives, sealants, potting compounds, coatings, lubricants, or even just water, you know the importance of control.  Control of volume, control of flow rate, control of placement – all have a significant impact on the cost and quality of your output.

Topics: Manufacturing, cost of temperature, Fluid dispensing systems, Temperature control, Point of Application, coil coating, sustainability