David Savastano, Ink World Editor06.04.08
The UV and EB markets have enjoyed excellent growth in recent years, as the benefits
ofenergy-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 RadTech North America.
“I feel that the show is doing very well,” said Petra L’Abbe 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, RadTech’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 Dr. 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.”
Exhibitors said they were pleased with RadTech 2008’s opening day.
“The show has been very good,” said Henry Miller, UV/EB technical development manager, Sartomer Company. “We had a good mix of traffic and a good base of customers asking us about new applications.”
“The show was very good for us,” added James Goodrich, UV/EB technology manager for Sartomer. “There is a lot of good information here, and we are seeing a lot of interesting applications. We’re working on renewable resources, but no matter how much you do, acrylic acid is oil- or natural gas-based. It can’t be 100 percent renewable. We’re evaluating backbones and have products commercially available.”
“It’s been a good show for us in terms of volume and mix of customers and end users,” said Doug
McClellan, marketing communications – Americas at Cytec Industries, Inc. “We’ve seen good interest in bioligomers and hardcoats.”
“We’ve been pleased with the turnout,” said Ron Levitt, market segment leader for Shamrock Technologies. “This year’s show is improved from 2006. We have seen a broad spectrum of customers from different countries.”
“We’ve had some high quality leads so far and a lot of new contacts,” said Jeff Norris, platform manager – hyperdispersants for Lubrizol Advanced Materials. “Attendees are asking specific questions, which is good.”
Patrick Heraty Jr., sales manager – Midwest, Tego Coating Additives & Specialty Resins, said his company had good traffic.
“We are meeting with many formulators who are looking to adapt their energy curable products to meet their customers’ needs,” Mr. Heraty said.
Sue Jaszkowski, marketing communication manager for BASF, said that RadTech has been an ideal setting to showcase the combined capabilities of BASF and Johnson Polymer.
“The show has been going well,” Ms. Jaszkowski said. “The traffic has been nice and steady, and interest has been spread out among different applications and markets. For us, it has been good to integrate our Johnson Polymer line into the BASF legacy lines. It’s a new market for Johnson Polymer, so we’re doing a lot of learning. We’ve also been integrating our R&D efforts, which is allowing us to utilize the best of both worlds to create new technologies.”
Ink industry attendees felt that the show was a valuable experience. “This is my first RadTech, and I am
impressed by the show,” said Tom Farmer, president of Premier Ink Systems. “I’m trying to learn everything I can.”
Following up on this year’s show, RadTech North America announced that its next major show, uv.eb West 2009, is scheduled for Feb. 17-18 in Los Angeles, CA. In addition, RadTech 2010 will be held May 23-26 in Baltimore, MD.
Day one of RadTech showed strong traffic on the show floor. |
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.
More than 170 attendees were on hand for the UV & EB For Direct Food Contact Packaging session. |
“I feel that the show is doing very well,” said Petra L’Abbe 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
Attendees gather information at Sartomer’s booth. |
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, RadTech’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.
Lubrizol showcased new products at RadTech 2008. |
Exhibitors said they were pleased with RadTech 2008’s opening day.
“The show has been very good,” said Henry Miller, UV/EB technical development manager, Sartomer Company. “We had a good mix of traffic and a good base of customers asking us about new applications.”
“The show was very good for us,” added James Goodrich, UV/EB technology manager for Sartomer. “There is a lot of good information here, and we are seeing a lot of interesting applications. We’re working on renewable resources, but no matter how much you do, acrylic acid is oil- or natural gas-based. It can’t be 100 percent renewable. We’re evaluating backbones and have products commercially available.”
“It’s been a good show for us in terms of volume and mix of customers and end users,” said Doug
King Industries meets with attendees. |
“We’ve been pleased with the turnout,” said Ron Levitt, market segment leader for Shamrock Technologies. “This year’s show is improved from 2006. We have seen a broad spectrum of customers from different countries.”
“We’ve had some high quality leads so far and a lot of new contacts,” said Jeff Norris, platform manager – hyperdispersants for Lubrizol Advanced Materials. “Attendees are asking specific questions, which is good.”
Patrick Heraty Jr., sales manager – Midwest, Tego Coating Additives & Specialty Resins, said his company had good traffic.
PPG was active at RadTech 2008. |
Sue Jaszkowski, marketing communication manager for BASF, said that RadTech has been an ideal setting to showcase the combined capabilities of BASF and Johnson Polymer.
“The show has been going well,” Ms. Jaszkowski said. “The traffic has been nice and steady, and interest has been spread out among different applications and markets. For us, it has been good to integrate our Johnson Polymer line into the BASF legacy lines. It’s a new market for Johnson Polymer, so we’re doing a lot of learning. We’ve also been integrating our R&D efforts, which is allowing us to utilize the best of both worlds to create new technologies.”
Ink industry attendees felt that the show was a valuable experience. “This is my first RadTech, and I am
Attendees check out the exhibits. |
Following up on this year’s show, RadTech North America announced that its next major show, uv.eb West 2009, is scheduled for Feb. 17-18 in Los Angeles, CA. In addition, RadTech 2010 will be held May 23-26 in Baltimore, MD.
Innovative New Products Launched at RadTech 2008
By Tim Wright
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