01.08.16
Ashland is adding a dedicated laboratory to its campus in Wilmington, DE. The new 2,000-square-foot facility complements the company’s existing 8,000-square-foot Coatings Center of Excellence on the site. Ashland invested approximately $400,000 in the expansion, which took six months to complete.
Combined, the facilities provide paint formulators with expansive resources for testing new or modified formulations, understanding consumer preferences, and optimizing their products for success.
Expanded access to Ashland’s patent-pending Application Reader Technology (ART) device will be an attraction for global customers. The ART device interprets how painters apply paint and converts that information into objective, actionable data.
The facility’s footprint provides versatility, allowing for application trials that range from small-scale screens to simulated field applications using 10 sheets of 4’ x 8’ drywall. It will accommodate trials using the three major application methods – spray, brush and roller.
Customers will also benefit from numerous other resources:
• A profilometer for mapping surface roughness.
• A spray booth that can handle two full sheets of drywall at one time.
• A viewing/evaluation area with variable integrated lighting (incandescent, CFL, LED) that accommodates a full sheet of drywall .
“These resources can help manufacturers create new formulations and speed product development,” said Prachur Bhargava, Ashland global marketing manager, Coating Specialties.
Combined, the facilities provide paint formulators with expansive resources for testing new or modified formulations, understanding consumer preferences, and optimizing their products for success.
Expanded access to Ashland’s patent-pending Application Reader Technology (ART) device will be an attraction for global customers. The ART device interprets how painters apply paint and converts that information into objective, actionable data.
The facility’s footprint provides versatility, allowing for application trials that range from small-scale screens to simulated field applications using 10 sheets of 4’ x 8’ drywall. It will accommodate trials using the three major application methods – spray, brush and roller.
Customers will also benefit from numerous other resources:
• A profilometer for mapping surface roughness.
• A spray booth that can handle two full sheets of drywall at one time.
• A viewing/evaluation area with variable integrated lighting (incandescent, CFL, LED) that accommodates a full sheet of drywall .
“These resources can help manufacturers create new formulations and speed product development,” said Prachur Bhargava, Ashland global marketing manager, Coating Specialties.
