Tough Talk:Innovation is Not Dead

I talk about innovation every day. It’s what we do at PCR Group. And I find that Bill O’Connor’s words ring true. There’s no doubt that we technologists invent things. As a matter of fact, a couple guys on our staff recently filed a patent application for some really cool powder technology.

Inventions are one thing. If you take the sum total of powder coating inventions granted by the United States Patent Office since 2001, your search yields 441 patents. Surely not all of these have made the impact that would qualify them as innovations. I would say the vast majority are quirky little ideas spawned in the laboratory by scientists hunkered down around a molecule or two. Whether these inventions are true, innovations that bring commercial success is anyone’s guess.

So where can we find innovation? In past missives, I’ve written about the dearth of innovation characteristic of our fair technology over the past decade or so. All too many technical groups have played it cozy, avoiding projects possible of breakthrough impact because of financial and/or staffing constraints. Some technical managers avoid innovation out of the pure fear of making blunders. In addition, plenty of global players have shifted their technical energies to emerging geographic markets where technologists play catch up with Western technology. You can’t expect innovation in these theaters, at least not anytime soon.

In spite of these harbingers of doom, I’m seeing innovation emerging from unexpected places. Most are relatively small enterprises that push back the frontiers of powder coating technology in their own unique manner. These organizations embody the nimbleness to create innovation as they keep a keen eye on the customer while brandishing fearlessness rare at mega-corporations. Let’s take a look at a few examples:

Powder Coating on Molded Plastics. UV-curable powders are back and have been crafted to perform on molding grade plastics such as ABS, PC/ ABS, nylon and polypropylene.

Anti-microbial Powders. The next generation of anti-microbial technology will not rely on silver ion mechanisms. These appear to offer better economics and higher efficacy for killing bacteria.

Thermal Spray Powder Application. Innovative engineering has led to better film thickness control, more precise heating and improved safety.

Self-cleaning Coatings.S Photocatalytic titanium dioxide has been incorporated into powders that destroy the dirt that can accumulate on exterior surfaces.

Smog Eater. A novel powder coating product absorbs smog-producing nitrogen oxides and thereby reduces environmental air pollution.

Thermal Marking Powders. Thermochromic powder technology reversibly changes color with temperature gradients.

UV Color Shift. Photochromic powder coatings have been developed that change color with the intensity of UV exposure.

Lotus Effect. Super hydrophobic surfaces produced by novel powder formulations.

In-mold Coatings. An old concept gets revived with optimized chemistry and process technology.

3D Dye Sublimation. Innovators have perfected a process to transfer a pattern to a three dimensional powder coated object.

Bio-based Polyesters. Improvements have been made to the original concept materials. The new generation of resins offers improved UV resistance and coating smoothness.

Some of this technology is ground-breaking and some may be the door-opener for new applications and markets. Of course, some may be one-hit wonders that break into the industry only to fade into coating technology oblivion, begging the question as to why they didn’t make it big.

Regardless of the eventual outcome of these forays into uncharted waters, they are a clarion call for all of us to imagine new ways to solve market needs and emerging customer requirements. It is the imagination of the enterprising entrepreneur or the budding young chemist that changes our paradigms. Not all invention delivers impact, but creativity and vision can take a clever idea from a curiosity to innovation. And innovation changes our world.

If any of you readers would like further details regarding any of these innovative developments, please drop me a line at kevinbiller@yahoo.com.

Kevin Biller is technical editor of Powder Coated Tough magazine. He can be reached at 614-354-1198 or via email at kevinbiller@yahoo.com.