On the Line

Final preparations are underway for Electroless Nickel Conference 2022, presented by  Products Finishing  and Gardner Business Media. Taking place October 11-13 in Indianapolis, Ind., the conference is the first of its kind for the EN industry since 2010 and offers attendees a wealth electroless nickel education and networking opportunities. Industry veteran Brad Durkin is serving as the technical...

Gary Vasilash is the transportation editor for Gardner Business Media. He has written about the automotive industry for more than 30 years and has covered everything from trends and best practices to innovations and emerging technologies. His work has appeared in a wide variety of publications including Automotive Design & Production magazine, AutoBeat , Car and Driver and The Wall Street Journal...

The National Association for Surface Finishing ( NASF ) SUR/FIN finishing industry tradeshow always provides a great opportunity to compare notes on the topics that are of the greatest concern for the finishing community. In this episode of Products Finishing 's On the Line podcast, we highlight some of the conversations we had at the show regarding the industry's collaborative response to increas...

In this episode of Products Finishing's On the Line podcast we're celebrating one of top-ranking shops in this year's Top Shops Benchmarking Survey – our annual program designed to provide shops with helpful data for measuring their performance. Jesse Baldwin, chief operating officer for 2022 electroplating and anodizing Top Shop Triplex Plating, discusses the importance of benchmarking and the co...

In this episode of On the Line, the official podcast of Products Finishing we delve into blasting methods for preparation of surfaces prior to finishing. Brandon Acker is president of Titan Abrasive Systems, a manufacturer of media blasting equipment and custom-engineered blast rooms that has been a provider of American-made blasting solutions since 1953. In this interview, Acker offers an overvie...

This year marks the 100 year anniversary of MacDermid Enthone Industrial Solutions —  global chemical supplier for the surface finishing industry.  In this episode of On the Line, we sit down with the company's vice president Richard Lynch as he reflects on the company's 100 years and discusses its goals for the future.

In this episode of On the Line, we speak with one of the recipients of the 2022 installment of the Products Finishing 's Hall of Fame Award, Tony Revier with Uymura International, a global leader in the development, testing and manufacture of plating chemistries. Revier discusses his experiences in the industry, as well as his insights into what the future might hold for surface finishing. 

Jim Jones has spent almost his entire life in and around the finishing industry. Jones' father began working in the plating industry during WWII where he worked for Air Service Command in the plating shop at Warner Robins Air Force Base, and then working at Simmons Plating Works (Atlanta, Ga.) and eventually co-founding DIFCO. Following in his dad's footsteps, Jones held summer jobs at finishing s...

In this episode of On the Line, we sit down with Doug Morrison of Trion Coatings LLC of South Bend, Ind., Mauricio Quiroz, chief scientist and co-founder, and Kyle Hankinson, director of special projects for KCH Surface Finishing to hear about a new non-aqueous trivalent chromium chemistry known as SAFE Chrome. Trion  says the solution is designed to provide the finishing industry with safe and en...

In this episode of On the Line, Products Finishing sits down with Andrew Kossowski , owner of Veterans Metal (an old school finishing operation with a 30-year legacy of offering a variety of finishes, including anodizing, chem film, and passivation). In 2022 the company plans to completely update its traditional manual processes with digital solutions and automation. Starting with this podcast epi...

In this episode of On the Line, Products Finishing looks back at what seemed like some of the most pertinent stories we covered during the course of the year. Topics included supply chain disruption, workforce issues and regulatory battles — issues that were top of mind for those in the surface finishing industry.

A number of factors have been driving the increasing adoption of IoT and automation technologies by surface finishing operations. In this episode of On the Line, we hear insights into automation trends for finishers from some of the exhibitors on the show floor at this year's FABTECH . Featured interviews include Derek DeGeest of DeGeest Corp., Rob Weber of Fischer Technology, Jacob Fortmeyer of C...

As finishers struggle to stay afloat amidst supply chain shortages and price increases, Douglas Hughes, product manager wear resistant coatings for MacDermid Enthone and Coventya  offers insights into the causes of the supply challenges metal finishers are facing, and discusses strategies for coping with the problem.

In this episode of On the Line, Michael Feldstein , president of Surface Technology Inc. (STI), the top-ranking 2021 Products Finishing Top Shop for the electroplating and anodizing benchmarking category, discusses STI's history of success and its approach to innovation.

From COVID to workforce to supply disruptions, the past year and a half has wreaked havoc with the flow of materials used for coatings. In this episode of On the Line, Products Finishing digs deeper into the supply chain woes that coaters are experiencing, specifically within the powder coating world, but also for manufacturing at large. Guests include Quint Towle, director of sales and marketing...

As discussions with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) continue over proposed hexavalent chromium regulations, many metal finishing operations in the state of California are thinking about the considerations and ramifications of switching to alternate technologies. In this episode of On the Line, we hear from  LumiShield CEO David Luebke and Senior Scientist John Watkins Ph. D, who over the...

In this episode of On the Line, Products Finishing editor-in-chief Scott Francis sits down with Jason Ray, CEO and co-founder of Paperless Parts, a software provider that offers a quoting system aimed at streamlining how companies involved in the manufacturing process communicate and work together.

In this episode of On the Line, Products Finishing editor-in-chief Scott Francis sits down with Bryan Leiker and Justin Guzman representing the Metal Finishers Association of California to discuss the impact of California's recently proposed transition deadlines for hexavalent chromium plating to trivalent chromium alternatives.

In this episode of On the Line, Products Finishing editor-in-chief sits down with Mark Shario , executive vice president with Columbia Chemical to hear about the latest innovations in trivalent chromium plating technology.

In this episode of  Products Finishing's On the Line podcast we focus on the environment, recycling and sustainability. We'll speak with powder coating recycling company Innovakote and hear about Advanced Plating Technologies' efforts to recycle metals from electroplating sludge.

In this episode of PF's On the Line podcast, we hear about an electrocoating facility installed by Air Tractor, a manufacturer of cropdusters and firefighting airplanes.

Products Finishing's On the Line podcast for coaters and finishers discusses the topic of diversity in the finishing industry with interviews with Lab Midwest president and PF columnist Matthew Kirchner and Bales Metal Surface Solutions president Stacey Bales. 

Our very first episode of On the Line discusses ways the PF brand celebrates the legacy of the finishing industry with programs like the Finishing Hall of Fame, but also looks to the future with programs like the 40 Under 40 emerging leaders program. Hear interviews with Finishing Hall of Fame inductee Bill Saas of Coventya and powder coating expert Rodger Talbert and commentary from editor-in-chi...