News of the Month – January 2009

PRA and Pera Merge

On January 22nd PRA and Pera merged their organisations at an Extraordinary General Meeting of PRA Members held at PRA's Coating Technology Centre, Hampton, UK.

The merger, which follows a successful year for PRA, will bring benefits to both organisations and to their members and customers. PRA's expertise in coatings science complements Pera's expertise in materials science and engineering. A key benefit will be the integrated support that will now be given to companies pursuing government funding for R&D projects, whether under EC or national schemes.

Together the two organisations will enable their clients to develop:

• ideas for better differentiated products and services;
• more efficient business and production processes;
• more effective skills development;
• better access to global markets and knowledge.

Ian Gee, Head of Nanotechnology at Pera, has been appointed as PRA Commercial Director and will lead the development of services to clients.

PRA will continue to operate autonomously within the Pera Innovation Network and the PRA brand will continue as a mark of quality for coatings related science, knowledge and events.

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New PRA Members

PRA is very pleased to welcome four new members this month. They are:

• J W Ostendorf of Germany
• Steel Protection Consultancy Ltd of the UK
• Terraco of Ireland
• X-Rite Limited of the UK

Contact Susan Conyers for information on becoming a member of PRA

Keep up to date with some of the latest developments in the Coatings Industry with Latest News. Recent headlines include:

Click on the links below for more details of PRA publications. For information about any of our technical publications please contact Richard Kennedy.

MARKET INFORMATION

Coatings COMET - COmpanies, Markets and Economic Trends

COMET is the perfect market intelligence companion for busy coatings executives in such areas as: Marketing, Export Department, Business Planning, Product Development, Corporate Affairs and New Business Opportunities.

European Paint & Resin News (EPRN)

European Paint & Resin News contains the essential news of the global coatings industry, providing information in a clear and simple format.

For information about Coatings COMET or EPRN please contact the editor, Glenda Thisdell.

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REGULATORY INFORMATION

SHE Alert - (Safety, Health and Environment Alert)

A monthly bulletin on global regulatory safety, health and environmental matters relevant to the coatings industry, also available online as a searchable database. See SHE Alert highlights for July 2008.

For information about SHE Alert please contact the editor.

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LIBRARY AND DATABASE SERVICES

Paint Titles

Stay informed of all new scientific and technical knowledge with Paint Titles, PRA’s weekly alerting service covering paints, coatings, adhesives and inks. PRA Members can browse Paint Titles online or download the PDF version free of charge. For a fee, non-members can also subscribe to Paint Titles by contacting Dr Norman Morgan.

For details of our document delivery service, please contact the PRA library.

World Surface Coatings Abstracts (WSCA)

WSCA is the industry’s premier search tool for coatings related technical information. Produced monthly in print and as a CD-ROM, the electronic version of WSCA contains more than 300 000 coatings-related abstracts collated over the last 30 years. See recent WSCA highlights. WSCA also offers ‘personalised alerts’ and ‘one-off searches’. For further information contact Dr Norman Morgan.

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SPECIALIST TECHNICAL NEWS

Waterborne and High Solids Coatings

A monthly bulletin covering all aspects of waterborne and high solids technology from the properties of raw materials to the application and performance of the final coatings. See highlights from Waterborne and High Solids Coatings.

Dispersion Polymers: Technology & Applications

Dispersion Polymers: Technology & Applications provides critical reviews of developments in dispersion polymer technology, covering new latex compositions, polymer processes, physical properties and applications of dispersion polymers in paints, adhesives, membranes, non-woven fabrics, textiles and paper.

Polymer Curing Technologies

Polymer Curing Technologies offers a critical overview of journal and patent literature from the following topics: curing types, radiation cure, physical properties and test methods.

RADnews

PRA’s quarterly newsletter for the radiation curing industry, RADnews, provides extensive information on patents relevant to radiation curing, articles appearing in the technical press — from academic research to commercial developments — and new developments in products and equipment.

Testing & Measurement Services

Scientific measurement of coatings properties is the basis of coatings science and technology. Without reliable and relevant measurements, the coatings technologist is unable to develop products with confidence to meet the needs of the market. PRA's technical service department carries out a complete range of coatings tests and has compiled suites of test methods (many of them UKAS accredited, but with some in-house) which provide a means of obtaining the maximum amount of information with the minimum expenditure of time and money.

Evaluating the durability and the anti-corrosive properties of paint is an important part of PRA's work; we are also authorised to carry out the testing necessary to obtain Ecolabel approval and have particular expertise in all matters relating to colour matching. In addition PRA has a microbiology laboratory which carries out a wide range of standard and in-house tests.

The complete range of services available can be seen at: www.pra-world.com/technical.

For further information or advice contact Peter Collins.

Developing Skills and Knowledge in Surface Coatings Technology

Market Research- a tool to lead you through the recession

Optimising one's market position is essential in the highly competitive coatings industry. Companies are restructuring to survive the 'financial storm' and market research has a vital role to play in reshaping the direction of an organisation.

Market Research in the Coatings Industry
21 April 2009, 9:30-16:30

Why bother to do Market Research?

• MR is linked to company strategy which recognises global needs
• An understanding of the market leads to good decision making
• MR stimulates creativity, vital to innovation and growth

This PRA workshop will give participants a clear understanding of Market Research as well as the practical skills and tools to carry out systematic Market Research and to set up a MR network.

The workshop will also show how to use the PRA's unique market leading sources and capabilities, to gather public domain information specifically for Coatings MR use. Participants will gain an understanding of a range of topics including: sources of information, types of market research, interviewing strategies selection and management of external consultants, competitor analysis, data analysis and presentation. Case studies for practical exercises are taken from the coatings industry.

Who Should Attend

This workshop is designed for marketing and sales personnel, analysts, insight and knowledge managers, business unit managers, senior R&D leaders and strategic planners, in the coatings and related markets who wish to innovate and grow their market share.

Tutor

Dr Robert G Milner – Consultant, Marketing & Management. Rob Milner has more than 30 years experience of the Chemical Industry and has a proven record as a business consultant and strategic planner.

For more details go to www.pra-world.com/training/marketresearchcoatings.htm

To register for this or any of PRA's courses please use our online registration form

All PRA Courses are now accredited by OCCA and will be accepted as evidence of Continuing Professional Development. For further information contact Elisabeth Brown.

Training courses are held at the PRA Coatings Technology Centre in Hampton, near London's Heathrow Airport. Customised courses can often be organised to suit your individual needs based on one of the courses in the training programme or on other topics. These customised courses may be held at your own site or at PRA. This can be an effective way of training a workforce. To find out more contact our Training Manager Elisabeth Brown by email or phone +44 20 8487 0815 (Fax: +44 20 8487 0805).




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Training Calendar for 2009

Please note that, following recent changes to UK taxation, training course prices for 2009 have been reduced.

Prices are now:

Course Length	Standard	PRA Member
1 Day	£470   £460	£405   £396
2 Days	£835   £818	£715   £698
3 Days	£1230   £1204	£1040   £1018
4 Days	£1430   £1399	£1225   £1199

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February 2009
9-12	Paint Technology
23-25	Print & Ink Technology
March 2009
10-11	Principles of Waterborne Coatings
April 2009
21	Market Research in the Coatings Industry
23	Coatings for Wood & Wood Based Substrates
May 2009
11-14	Paint Technology
18-20	Radiation Curing Technology
June 2009
2-3	Powder Coating Technology
September 2009
7-8	Colour Measurement & Colour Control
9-10	Advanced Colour Measurement & Colour Control
October 2009
5-7	Print & Ink Technology
13	Market Research in the Coatings Industry
19-22	Paint Technology
November 2009
3-4	Professional Paint Formulation
16-18	Radiation Curing Technology
24-25	Understanding & Testing the Wet & Dry Properties of Coatings
30-3 Dec	Paint Technology

For full details and prices visit www.pra-world.com/training/.

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PRA Conferences 2009

European Coatings Congress

30 March-1 April 2009, Nürnberg, Germany

The programme for the European Coatings Congress is now available at www.european-coatings-show.com.

This event is the largest general coatings conference in Europe and takes place parallel to the European Coatings Show. A total of 160 papers will be presented over the three days of the conference, split into 26 sessions according to: • Coatings [19] • Printing Inks [2] • Adhesives & Sealants [3] • Construction Chemicals [1] • Production Technology [1]. Two of the Coatings sessions will be devoted to papers derived from the European projects AMBIO and NAPOLEON.

The two keynote papers are being given by Dr Graeme Armstrong, Director, Research, Development & Innovation at AkzoNobel and Dr Dirk Mestach, R&D Manager, Nuplex Resins.

The Congress Registration Form can be completed online, or downloaded and mailed/faxed to the congress organisers. A hotel reservation form will be sent to you together with confirmation of your European Coatings Congress participation and can also be downloaded from the website.

Members of PRA qualify for a 10% discount on the Congress registration fee: be sure to use the "Reduced Fee" rates on the registration form.




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2-day International Conference & Mini-Exhibition
Measurement and Testing of Coatings
12/13 May 2009, Birmingham, UK
 



The programme will shortly be finalised for this event which will include papers from a broad range of companies. However we still have a few speaking opportunities available and the deadline for papers has therefore been extended until Wednesday 14 January 2009. Full conference information, including submission details can be seen on our website:- www.pra-world.com/conferences

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PRA Conference: Architectural Coatings for the Green Age
27 – 28 October 2009, Nice, France
 



The Call for Papers has been issued for this conference, and can be seen on the conference website, www.pra-world.com/conferences. The conference, which is being sponsored by Rohm and Haas and Huntsman Pigments Division, will bring together the major players in the Architectural Coatings community to discuss the future direction of the market and in particular the impact of current concerns about environmental sustainability. Papers with both Technical and Marketing focus are planned, to give a total picture of market-driven innovation.

For further information please contact Janet Saraty.



 

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Symposium Proceedings: Predicting the Service Life of Organic Coatings, "Options and Constraints"

Held at PRA, Hampton, UK, 21 January 2009

The eight papers presented at this one-day symposium – covering various aspects of service life prediction – generated lively discussion. These papers are now on sale and can be purchased in bound or CD-ROM format. Go to www.pra-world.com/conferences/proceedings to view abstracts and to order your set.

For information on PRA Conferences or to obtain copies of Proceedings from recent PRA Conferences, please contact Janet Saraty, Tel:  +44 (0)20 8487 0811, Fax:  +44 (0)20 8487 0801.

A list of other conferences, exhibitions and events is also available in our Coatings Events Diary.

The Coatings Summit
15–17 February 2009, Munich, Germany

"Shaping the Future of a Dynamic Industry"

The Global Strategy and Networking Forum for Senior Coatings Executives

The coatings industry continues to evolve while several key issues continue to have an impact on both large and small manufacturers. The Coatings Summit, launched in 2003, will again address these issues in a globally unique fashion. Distinguished speakers from Asia, America and Europe will share their vision, their strategic thinking and their success stories.

Further information, together with the programme, can be seen on the website: www.european-coatings.com/thecoatingssummit/.

Rompaint Conference/Exhibition
24-26 February 2009, Bucharest, Romania

INTERLAKOKRASKA 2009 Exhibition and Conference for Paints and Varnishes
10-13 March 2009, Moscow, Russia

TiO₂ 2009 Conference
17-19 March 2009, Rome, Italy. Contact: Natalie King T: +44 1372 802164, E: natalie.king@pira-international.com

European Coatings Congress 2009
30 March–1 April 2009, Nürnberg, Germany. PRA will again be partnering Vincentz Network in producing the coatings part of the programme for this important industry event, which runs in parallel to the European Coatings Show (31 March-2 April 2009). Contact: Friederike Plasswich, Tel: +49 511 9910-274; Fax: +49 511 9910-279; e-mail: friederike.plasswich@coatings.de

5th Coatings Science International Conference
22-26 June 2009, Noordwijk, The Netherlands. This Conference will focus on the scientific backgrounds of the newest technological developments relevant to Coatings.

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American/Canadian Conferences/Exhibitions

PACE 2009
15-18 February 2009 New Orleans, USA. Contact: Annette M. Suriani, Tel: +1 302 275 6213, Fax: +1 302 234 4608, e-mail: suriani@pace2009.com

uv.eb West 2009 Conference/Exhibition
17-18 February 2009, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

The Waterborne Symposium
18-20 February 2009, New Orleans, Mississippi, USA. More information from The University of Mississippi, e-mail: waterborne@usm.edu

Smart Coatings 2009
25-27 February 2009, Orlando, Fla, USA. Contact: Dr Jamil Baghdachi tel :+1 734 487 3192

2009 CoatingsTech Conference
28-29 April 2009, Indianapolis, USA. The CoatingsTech Conference is the industry's new state-of-the-art technical conference. Contact: FSCT, Tel: +1 610 940 0777, Fax: +1 610 940 0292, e-mail: fsct@coatingstech.org

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Asia Pacific Conferences/Exhibitions

Materials of the future, science of today: radical polymerisation – the next stage
15-17 February, Melbourne, Australia. Contact Ms Sarah Nolan T: +61 3 9662 7344, F: +61 3 9662 7101, E: Sarah.Nolan@csiro.au

Middle East Coatings Show 2009 – New
17–19 March 2009, Cairo, Egypt. The Middle East Coatings Show 2009, now in its 16th year, is still the only dedicated coatings event in the Middle East and Gulf Region for raw materials suppliers and equipment manufacturers for the coatings industry. Contact: Jeff Montgomery, Tel: +44 (0)1737: 855078; Fax: +44 (0)1737 855034; e-mail: jeffmontgomery@dmgworldmedia.com

Asia Coatings Congress 2009 Exhibition
28-29 April 2009, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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