Tough Talk: Talkin' 'Bout My Generation

By Kevin Biller

It was 1965 when Pete Townshend’s words, “Talkin’ ‘bout my g-g-g-generation,” were stuttered by his band mate, Roger Daltrey. Energetic winds of change were in the air, and youthful enthusiasm was rampant. The next innovation in powder coating technology could be unlocked by the upcoming generation. Let’s give them a hand in making this happen.

…Pete Townshend’s prescient words as stuttered by his band mate, Roger Daltrey. I was but a youngster at the time, but the upheaval thrust upon our lives by a youthful clamoring for a better world was pervasive. The status quo was being challenged in many ways—civil rights, women’s roles, mind expansion, anti-war sentiments, open relationships—nothing was sacrosanct.

Throughout my career, I have always recognized the creativity of youthful enthusiasm. Most of us began our careers in our early twenties with a certain recklessness and creative abandon. When I got started in the business, I think I wasn’t smart enough to know things wouldn’t work. Unencumbered by doubt or failure, we fledgling powder technologists created innovation as our liquid paint forebears stood by often aghast of our unconventional manner. They would remind us, “That’s really not paint and lest you forget, it’s our massive paint sales that pay your salary.” Undeterred, we forged ahead slaying solventborne dragons while creating a new finishing industry.

Now as I gaze upon the powder coating world my fear is that most of that youthful energy is long gone. We’re called a “mature” technology now. Wow, that doesn’t leave anything to look forward to. I feel it’s time for a change. The 1970s and 1980s ushered in a generation of upstarts who established powder coatings as the preeminent industrial coating technology. Not only was it economical and answered every environmental concern, the quality exceeded that of traditional paint and nearly all emerging high solids and waterborne coating technologies.

We all know what has happened in the last decade or so. In all too Talkin‘ ‘Bout My GGGGeneration Photos courtesy BBC By Kevin Biller It was 1965 when Pete Townshend’s words, “Talkin’ ‘bout my g-g-g-generation,” were stuttered by his band mate, Roger Daltrey. Energetic winds of change were in the air, and youthful enthusiasm was rampant. The next innovation in powder coating technology could be unlocked by the upcoming generation. Let’s give them a hand in making this happen. www.powdercoating.org 39 many instances we have become a stale technology. Formulators are encouraged to reduce raw material cost. Production managers sharpen their mettle on increasing pounds per man hour. The focus has become lower material costs and increased productivity. Certainly laudable goals and no doubt good for a company’s bottom line, but if we don’t wake up I fear we may go the way of the typewriter, photographic emulsion film and the cathode ray tube.

So how do we reignite a passion for innovation? Perhaps some of this lies in the minds of the next generation of technologists. Hence, I am spearheading an initiative to welcome new minds to contribute to the future of our technology. It is high time that we encourage budding young chemists to bring their unbridled enthusiasm into the powder coating world. What I am proposing is the establishment of a scholarship program for college students who have an interest in pursuing a career in the powder coating field.

This, no doubt, will require collaboration with the universities that offer coatings technology curriculums. I suspect that most, if not all, of these programs are deficient in providing relevant and up-to-date powder coating technology. I see the Powder Coating Institute as an agent to change this. The concept of a scholarship program was introduced during PCI’s Technical Committee meeting held in St. Louis at the Coating 2012 show. All members present enthusiastically support the idea and pledged to assist in developing this initiative. We will be proposing options to secure funding, establish an awards process, and a system to support and verify the quality of powder coating technology curriculums. With this initiative, we expect to accomplish at least a couple significant goals. First, to encourage and support ambitious college students who may have an interest in powder coating technology. And, second, to help establish and foster university coating program curriculums that offer relevant powder technology modules.

If any of you readers have ideas on how to embark upon this important task, please let us know. The next innovation in powder coating technology could be unlocked by the upcoming generation. Let’s give them a hand in making this happen.

Kevin Biller is technical editor for Powder Coated Tough magazine. He can be reached at kevinbiller@yahoo.com.