Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/740409
AMT, SME to coproduce five manufacturing events CHICAGO, Ill.—The Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) and SME have announced a new part- nership to produce a series of regional co-branded trade shows focused on the manufacturing technology industry. The collaboration will encompass the e x i s t i n g E A S T E C , W E S T E C , SOUTH-TEC, HOUSTEX, and Mfg4 events. The new events will feature a blend of education, applications, and technol- ogy innovation, particularly in the areas of digital manufacturing, automation, MTConnect and the Industrial IoT. Mirroring the industry trend of region- alized manufacturing in the US, each event will include a mix of topics and technologies that are of specific interest to that region. The 2017 and 2018 events will benefit from the partnership with innovative new learning opportu- nities, new interactive exhibits, and more ways for attendees and exhibitors to connect and collaborate. MSA opens new safety center CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa.—A global manufacturer of safety products has announced the opening of its new high-tech safety training center. MSA — The Safety Co. says its new three- story, indoor training complex repre- sents nearly a million dollar investment, enabling the company to offer a wide array of training courses covering nearly every industry the company serves. The training center is filled with an in- tricate rig of ladders, platforms, man- holes, and escape windows, enabling it to simulate a variety of true-to-life worker safety scenarios. The facility was developed to train industrial workers, construction contractors, utility work- ers, and firefighters on how to properly select, inspect, and use personal protec- tive equipment (PPE) in a hands-on, application-based atmosphere. Confined spaces training gets special emphasis, utilizing custom enclosures for workers to practice climbing and crawling, as well as provisions for pre- entry atmospheric testing/monitoring and related respiratory protection de- vices. Instruction on the repair and maintenance of PPE is also available to instill the confidence in trainees to run their own maintenance programs back at their own facilities. The training facility is located at the Re- gional Learning Alliance (RLA), a mod- ern technology-based conference and training center north of Philadelphia. In addition to the safety training areas, the center also includes a modular class- room setting consistent with the con- tinuing education mission of the RLA. Researchers use nanoparticles to bolster PTFE FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.—Researchers at the University of Arkansas are study- ing a method of using nanoparticles to increase the sturdiness in polytetrafluo- roethylene (PTFE) coatings, com- monly known as Teflon. Professors Min Zou and Jingyi Chen are set to re- ceive a $450,000 grant from the Na- tional Science Foundation to expand their research into the effect of incorpo- rating polydopamine-coated nanoparti- cles into applications of PTFE. The researchers hope to increase the compound's adhesion and decrease the effects of wear. So far, they are looking into two approaches: adding a thin un- derlayer of polydopamine underneath the PTFE to help it adhere to the sub- strate, or adding polydopamine-coated nanostructures directly into the PTFE formulation. Polydopamine was first recognized in 2007, the result of the self-polymeriza- t i o n o f t h e o r g a n i c c o m p o u n d dopamine. Its developers were inspired by adhesive proteins that occur natu- rally in mussels. In the years since, the compound has been studied for use both in medical applications and as an adhesive in other settings. The scientists anticipate that their new approach will allow thin, wear-resistant PTFE coatings to be deposited on any substrate material without changing the underlining surface topography. This could lead to a wide range of properties, such as self-cleaning, antifogging, anti- icing, anticorrosion, and others, that rely on surface topography and chem- istry for proper function. Hexion introduces new coating system COLUMBUS, Ohio—A new coating system from Hexion Inc. is described as offering performance that compares to solventborne systems while meeting stringent volatile organic compound (VOC) regulations, but without the premium price often associated with high-performance waterborne epoxies. The key to this new system is a water- soluble amine curing agent called Re- search Curing Agent RSC4431. This solvent-free curing agent has a lower equivalent weight, which means that formulators can use less to cure the same amount of epoxy resin. When com- b i n e d w i t h i t s E P I R E Z R e s i n 7520WD52 system, the company claims the curing agent can deliver lower VOCs, faster drying, and good hardness development. The NextGen Epoxy system can be used to formulate ultralow VOC coatings on metal and concrete. Recommended applications for this new system include coatings for automotive parts and accessories, indus- trial maintenance coatings for metal, and more. Vantablack coating heads to space NEWHAVEN, U.K.—The blackest coating on earth has made it into orbit. Vantablack is an ultrablack coating de- veloped by the UK-based Surrey Nanosystems that uses carbon nan- otubes to create a surface that absorbs nearly all the light that hits it. The blacker-than-black coloring has now made it to space for the first time aboard the Kent Ridge 1 satellite. Berlin Space Technology, which worked with the National University of Singapore o n t h e K e n t R i d g e p r o j e c t , u s e d Vantablack coating on baffles around the star tracker on the satellite to mini- mize reflection of light around the tool. The satellite was launched into orbit last December, though it wasn't announced that Vantablack was included in the de- sign until recently. Kent Ridge 1 is a low-Earth orbit satellite, meaning it or- bits at an altitude below 1,243 miles. 4 POWDER COATING, October 2016 UPDATE:Industry