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Coatings

Kidde-Fenwal - New Coating Technologies Provide Big Payoffs. OTA 1996.

  By updating its coating operations with 1990s technologies including computer-programmed spray applications and ultraviolet (UV) curing, Kidde-Fenwal Incorporated reduced its air emissions by 75%, eliminated 20 drums per year of flammable waste, and reduced its production cycle by an entire day. The new system, which also reduced the amount of coating used per printed circuit board by 96%, is expected to save the company $300,000 annually, providing a payback on its investment in less than one year. Download PDF file (107.42 kB)

Stainless Steel Coatings - Input Substitutions. OTA 2015

  Stainless Steel Coatings, Inc. (SSC), makers of STEEL-IT, a rugged, industrial coating used in corrosive and high-impact applications, has taken a number of steps to reduce toxics, improve energy efficiency, and increase worker safety. Input substitutions in the production process have reduced the company’s use of xylenes by 57% and eliminated hexavalent chromium. SSC has also been able to reduce its hazardous waste costs by 52% by implementing a new production schedule. Furthermore, through a partnership with OTA and the MassSave energy efficiency program, National Grid, and Prism Energy Services, SSC has made its facility more energy efficient, reducing energy costs by 20-25%. For Stainless Steel Coatings, environmental compliance and worker health and safety are integral parts of a collective company effort to improve product quality and find new applications in the competitive paint and coatings market. Download PDF file (562.09 kB)

Franklin Paint Company - Toxics Use Reduction. OTA. 2015

  Franklin Paint Company employs 28 people in Franklin, Massachusetts, and produces about 2 million gallons of traffic and field marking paint annually, primarily for customers on the Eastern Seaboard, though they have customers worldwide. In the past two decades, Franklin Paint has dramatically reduced the use of hazardous chemicals, including heavy metals, in its paint, and improved safety in the workplace. Download PDF file (231.85 kB)

Tubed Products, Inc. - Ultraviolet Curing of Inks and Coatings. OTA 1995.

  In the early 1970s, Tubed Products, Inc., of Easthampton, Massachusetts, introduced production changes to allow the use of 100 % solids ultraviolet curable inks to decorate plastic squeeze tubes. Approximately five years later the technology to cure epoxy coatings for the tubes became available, enabling the company to convert to ultraviolet curing in all decorating and coating operations. This means that inks and coatings no longer need to be dried by heat-evaporation of solvents, and thus toxic solvents are no longer evaporated off into the surrounding environment. These changes have also resulted in increased line speeds, energy savings and more economical use of floor space. Download PDF file (24.51 kB)