“We cover everything from the metal to the finished product in the Technical Forum,” says Cullen Hackler, PEI’s executive vice president. “The content varies every year, but it always highlights new things that are being done or advances that the suppliers are investigating in their laboratories.”
The forum will also include training workshops on both porcelain enameling and powder paint. Following is a brief overview of what Technical Forum attendees can expect to find at this year’s meeting.
On Tuesday, two workshops will be held concurrently throughout the day. The Back to Basics Workshop, chaired by Holger Evele of Ferro Corp. and Tony Mazzuca of Pemco Corp., will cover the fundamentals of porcelain enameling, including substrates and selection, fabrication, metal preparation, porcelain enamel frits, wet and electrostatic powder application methods, drying and firing, defect analysis, and troubleshooting. The Powder Paint Workshop, chaired by Ken Kreeger of Nordson Corp., will cover powder materials, pretreatment systems, powder application equipment, powder spray booths, the basics of electrostatics, system efficiency and maintenance, curing, and troubleshooting.
A session on fabrication and metal preparation will include talks on a “Porcelain Enamel Checklist for Fabrication,” by Larry Steele, Mapes & Sprowl Steel; “Experiences with Hydroforming,” by Steve Champlin, Vitreous Steel Corp.; and “Economizing your Quality Porcelain Enamel Pretreatment Line,” by Ken Kaluzny, Coral Chemical Co.
A number of suppliers will also discuss laboratory investigations. Papers presented at this session will include “Impact of Ground Variation on Electrostatic Porcelain Enamel Powder Application,” by Holger Evele, Ferro Corp.; “A Standard Test Method for Measuring the Adherence of Porcelain Enamel Coatings to Sheet Metal,” by George Altemus, U.S. Steel; “The Effects of Rubidium on Selected Electrostatic Powder Properties,” by Steve Kilczewski, Pemco Corp.; and “Spindle Machine for Glaze Application,” by John Evans, Ferro Corp.
Other presentations will cover equipment used in the porcelain enamel industry, powder thickness measurement, principles of electrostatic powder, and various initiatives backed by PEI.