In an Interview Bine Pangršič, Managing Director Helios Coatings Italia, talked about the trends in powder coating, the italian powder coating market and the importance of plant automation in powder coating.
Bine Pangršič, Managing Director
Helios Coatings Italia
Production Site Helios Coatings Italia,
Tezze sul Brenta (VI)
In the past few years, the powder coatings market has been developing in a variety of market spaces with growth and innovation. The main driving force for technological development is the growing demand for sustainable solutions and meeting customer demands for enhanced performance. Powder coatings are viewed as a sustainable option in many industrial coating applications. Environmentally friendly powder coatings are a continuing trend and will become more and more important. Powder coatings have obvious environmental benefits. Their VOC content and carbon footprint are generally far better than those of liquid coatings. In recent years, HELIOS has been intensifying its activities for environmental protection. We developed and designed solutions, which not only protect objects, but also extend their lifetime significantly.
Helios Coatings Italia is a system supplier. As a system supplier and specialist in the entire industrial coatings sector, we offer the full assortment of liquid coatings, e-coat solutions and adhesives, in addition to our high-quality powder coatings. For many years, we have been working intensively with our customers and partners like NEUMAN & ESSER to achieve the lasting excellent results and exceed customer expectations. More than 900 products in 750 different shades are constantly available on stock at Helios Coatings Italia, where we produce approximately 10,000 tons of powder and PVC coatings every year. We are constantly developing our coating systems and product solutions in accordance with new regulations, the growing market requirements and in line with the new trends. In March 2021 Helios Coatings Italia obtained the QAULIDECO certificate with license PS-027. QUALIDECO defines the quality requirements for the special finishes to be applied on decorated painted aluminum and monitors their compliance by licensed powder suppliers, film suppliers and final decorators worldwide.
Helios Coatings Italia offers epoxy and hybrid powder coatings, polyester for architecture, superdurable polyester, polyester in economic and industrial quality as well as PVC thermoplastic coatings. Due to the large number of different materials to be processed, the selected manufacturing equipment is of particular importance. For example, some materials are very temperature sensitive. Even in summer in northern Italy the ICM Grinding System allows us a very gentle grinding for temperature critical materials. In addition to decorative and protective powder coatings for application in interior and exterior, we provide the right solution and technical support for market needs. Our powder coatings represent one of the most perspective programs and open up a completely new perception for functional coatings of the future. Depending on the application, a modern coating can be resistant to chemicals, anti-bacterial, conductive, thin-layered, non-slip, textured, metallic, or pearlescent. The number of variations is almost endless. We have perfected the ability to produce common as well as custom-made powder coating solutions in outstanding quality and shortest production times. As already mentioned, 900 different products - require shortest possible cleaning circles. Whenever it comes to cleaning and access to product contacted parts a superior designed grinding system provides essential and tangible advantages.
Italy is one of the most important markets in Europe for powder coatings within the KANSAI HELIOS Group. Helios Coatings Italia, with two production facilities in Riese Pio X (TV) and Tezze sul Brenta (VI) in northern Italy produce around 10,000 tons of powder coatings and PVC coatings per year. The Italian production site is not only an important research and development site in the KANSAI HELIOS Group, but also an important production site for customers from Italy and southeastern Europe. Our responsibility as a chemical company is also to make a valuable contribution to the future of our planet and society.
Plant automation will accompany us in the future. Currently we are working intensively to further upgrade production technologies and safety. NEA recognized the potential to automate powder coating plants when they founded the cooperation "NEA by Niverplast". Employee safety is an important reason for achieving industrial automation. Technologies in the industrial manufacturing change extremely rapidly in order to deliver products faster and create a more flexible production process. The size of our group allows us to draw on a pool of experience and integrate it into our production processes in line with our growth strategy. Best practice learnings, new technologies and optimized processes are steadily entering all our entities and operational fields.
KANSAI PAINT and MITSUI enjoy a high reputation in the global market, advanced products, strong R&D and extensive network. HELIOS is the European competence center of the worldwide Kansai-Group. The cooperation has been intensive from the beginning and is characterized using synergies, knowledge transfer and the exchange of state-of-the-art product technologies with KANSAI PAINT and MITSUI. This efficiency and intensive cooperation enable us to offer our customers even more innovative product solutions today and in the future.
Christian Begass
Product Specialist Powder Coating
+49-2451-481-203 christian.begass_at_neuman-esser.de
NEUMAN & ESSER Process Technology
Werkstr. o. Nr., 52531 Übach-Palenberg