Coatings World - June 2008

RadTech 2008 Showcases
Latest in UV, EB Technologies
BY DAVID SAVASTANO

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

The UV and EBmarkets have enjoyed excellent growth in recent years, as the benefits of energy-curable technologies are leading to new industries and applications. RadTech UV/EB Technology Conference & Expo 2008, which was held May 4-7 at the Lakeside Center at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL, showcased the latest technologies, through its technical conference, end-user sessions and exposition.

The gains being made by UV and EB technology can be seen by the companies that spoke at these sessions. Representatives from major companies such as Ford Motor Company, Kraft Foods, BASF, PPG Industries, 3M, Northrup Grumman, Armstrong World Industries and Red Spot Paint and Varnish, as well as representatives from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army and U.S. Navy, were on hand to discuss the advantages of UV and EB.

According to RadTech officials and exhibitors, the show did extremely well considering the economy.

“Not only are we happy with the turnout, but considering the state of the economy for the manufacturing sector, it is a reflection of how energy curable technologies can help companies stay competitive as well as move ahead in key areas such as sustainability and the environment,” said Gary Cohen, executive director of Rad Tech North America.

“I feel that the show is doing very well,” said Petra L’Abbe

Attendees make their way around the Rad Tech show floor.

Day one of Rad Tech showed strong traffic on the show floor.

of PPG Industries, president of RadTech North America. “We have a really high concentration of end-users, significantly higher than in the past. We also have a large international contingent here, which is a plus.”

Among the highlights were the end-user sessions, covering areas as diverse as wood finishing and building; automotive OEM, Tier One and refinish markets; aerospace and defense; sustainable printing and packaging; and industrial applications.

Perhaps the most successful session was UV & EB For Direct Food Contact Packaging, which as attended by more than 170 attendees.

“I’m impressed with how RadTech 2008 started off,” said Dr. Mike Idacavage of Cytec, Rad Tech’s incoming president and co-chair of the technical conference. “The traffic looks strong, and there seems to be a lot of in-depth conversations going on. The technical sessions were good, notably the waterborne and food packaging sessions, which indicates a clear interest in lower-VOC chemistry and sustainability.”

Dr. Molly Hladik of Hewlett-Packard, co-chair of the technical conference, said that a record number of papers were submitted this year, and she was impressed with the diversity and quality of the presentations.

“The papers and presentations we received were very high quality,” said Hladik. “We have a diverse group of presenters and topics, and we are covering a lot of innovative and new topics, including green chemistry and sustainability.”