My coatings experience

I present here some of my experience since 2005 when I started to work in the Colorants for Coatings Industry. Applied Technology & Developent has always been my home base within the organization.
No need to mention that secrecy agreements constrains the information I can share.

Generally, coatings are protective layers on substrates combining the functionalities of protection and of esthetics (equals color).
A good example is the Eiffel tower. Originally build for the world exposition 1889 and planned to last for 20 years. The metal structure is protected against corrosion by coating and still standing strong in 2014.
A starting point about coating can be: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coating
and about color:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color .

I started working in a product-  and proces development environment for colorants, with a solid theoretical base in physical chemistry but without solid practical experience.
Colorants are used in various coating systems, I.e. decorative architectural paint, high performance industrial coating systems, thermoplastics and thermosets.

The first 2 years I learned, in practice, about the product Colorant (a dispersed system of a pigment in a solids/liquids matrix), it’s development,  it’s properties, applications and processing. With my backgrounds in the Laboratory and Glass manufacturing I was given the opportunity to discuss and improve the existing methodology. I developed experience in the color-metrics, rheological fingerprinting, the traditional methods of qualification and tuning of pigment dispersions and coating layers in place.

Using this qualification technology to develop effective product-development-processes. Develop effective product-scaling-processes and production process technology. This led me to some very exciting ideas about the automation of the qualification methodology and the correction process in a pigment producing environment in Coatings color production environment in reducing the total trough-put time in product development and in the production process of pigment dispersions.

I can audit an existing processing situation and provide you with advice in order to optimize your dispersion processing operation. I can advice in the choice and operation of milling machines, provide advice in grinding media, scaling issues, effective coloristic and rheologic qualification technology. I developed an effective strategy to bring a grinded dispersion within a very tight coloristic and rheologic specification

As of 2006 I acted as a project leader in Alternate Raw Materials projects in a team of Product Development, Quality Control, Purchasing and Production.
Developing my expertise in the Raw Materials market, both technical and commercial. The team created significant economic and product variation results.

I provide advise in technical and commercial issues of raw materials. I developed a deployment method called “apples and oranges” serving as a guideline in the communication between pigment supplier and color producer. This guideline turned out to be of great practical help in understanding the differences between the European and other global markets for pigments.

At the end of 2009 I became the lead in a R&D team called APP (Alternate raw materials Processing Pilot plant) with the main focus on RM’s with Processing and product Scaling. In the mean time I started a coaching program with young apprentices.
I am experienced with the possibilities of all modern technologies of milling from lab. Scale to full production scale and I see some interesting possibilities for short term and long term improvements reducing the quality variations and increase robustness in the production phase and accelerating the product developments phase by change of process.

I conducted a feasibility study upon a very unusual and innovative method of dispersion processing. Making use of a very small reaction chamber volume. Bringing versatality in product change over and offering efficiency in cleaning and waste management. Last but not least; providing a very energy efficient and improved carbon footprint.
I can advice in this energy-efficient and lean way of processing and act as a feasibility and implementation project leader for this technology.

I have practical experience with High Trough-put Experimentation and the set-up and operation of this type of mini plants. My practical interfacing, programming and database experiences where well serving this operation. I can provide practical advice about a mini plant set-up and operation.

In 2012 a company merger was the reason for a change in the organization resulting in a job-title change Manager APP -> Project leader Processing, Pilot plant and Quality (PPQ).

Between 2012 and the end of 2013 I ran a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Project and lead a project together with apprentices focussing upon practical discoloration of coating layers.

After another merger in 2013, my position became redundant in 2014.

I am looking for professional opportunities to use my expertise as described in the foregoing.