The Importance of Using Technology in Industrial Marketing

The customer comes first. While this is true for just about every kind of business, it is especially true for industrial companies, including industrial coaters. Customer acquisition, customer satisfaction, and customer retention are among the most important driving factors for industrial companies, which means customers are the biggest motive for all industrial marketing. 

Industrial marketers, your best marketing tool now is the internet. Using online marketing tools, you can easily measure the return on investment of every campaign. The success of online marketing has led to budget cuts on traditional outlets, such as direct mail and trade magazines, while digital channels have been receiving more attention, as well as larger budget shares. More money is being spent on web content creation, and free social media sites are being used to marketers' advantage. 

To learn more, click here to read "Industrial Marketing Trends: Shift to Digital Continues; Focus on Customers Intensifies" from Marketing Maven.

Mary's Monday Markdown ceases

Due to a lack of interest, we will be ceasing to offer markdowns on Monday from Mary.  Mary really enjoyed giving these markdowns, but mondays seem like a busy day in the coating shops!  We still have great prices every day of the week in our CoaterONE e-marketplace where you can shop for gloves to ovens 24/7.

On the Cuff

All gloves are not created equal when it comes to protecting your hands from the hazards of the metal coating industry.  When choosing gloves for workplace safety, two key factors that should always be considered are glove size and cuff style.  Choosing appropriately sized gloves is as simple as measuring the circumference of your hand just below the knuckles.  Compare your measurement to the sizing chart below to find the perfect fit. It is also important to note, that there are a variety of specific cuffs that can provide optimal protection for multitude of different coating situations.  The cuff listing below explains the benefits of of each.

Sizing Chart

Glove	XSmall	Small	Medium	Large	XLarge
Hand	6”-7”	7”-8”	8”-9”	9”-10”	10”-11”

Cuff Listing
Knitwrist- Prevents debris from entering the glove, keeps cold air out and warmth in, fits under clothing sleeves
Slip On- No cuff, easy to put on and off, primary use for general purpose applications
Safety Cuff- Length varies from 2.5" - 2.75", gives added protection to forearms
Rolled beaded Cuff- Increased strength and protection from chemical droplets
Gauntlet Cuff-Typically 4.5" or longer, greater upper wrist protection
Serrated Cuff- Better gripping on surface edge for easier glove removal
Band Top- Allows air circulation, light wrist protection
Straight Cuff-Addition length to protect from chemical runoff


Check out CoaterONE's large selection of gloves and other protective equipment for the metal coating industry online at http://www.intechservices.com/CoaterOne.

National Manufacturing Day 10.04.13

October 4th is National Manufacturing Day! 

Manufacturing Day is a day to educate the public about what manufacturing really is. Misconceptions about manufacturing will be addressed, as well as problems faced by manufacturers (such as the skilled labor shortage). Manufacturing Day is a chance to connect with future generations, to change how people think about manufacturing, and to make sure the industry stays strong. This day applies to all manufacturing sectors, including the industrial coating world.

If you would are interested in participating in Manufacturing Day or host an event at your facility, click here to find an event near you or plan an event at your shop.

Fits Like a Glove...

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, has the general requirements for selecting appropriate gloves. When employees' hands are in contact with hazards, employers must require the proper hand protection to be worn. Hazards include, but are not limited to, working with harmful substances, a chance of severely cutting or scraping hands, or extreme temperatures. To figure out which kind of glove works best for a hazardous environment, employers must evaluate the gloves' amount and type of protection relative to the tasks being performed.

The American National Standard for Hand Protection Selection Criteria is another guide for selecting appropriate gloves. The document gives test methods and classification levels for many glove characteristics. It also has pass/fail criteria for hazardous exposures, such as chemical permeation, detection of holes, and heat and flame resistance.

For more information about glove selection, read more about hand protection regulations from OSHA.

Once you figure out what kind of gloves your employees should wear in your industrial coating shop, check out CoaterONE's huge selection of gloves online.

The Importance of Email Marketing for Industrial Companies

We all know that for industrial marketing, the traditional outlets like direct mail and trade magazines are losing popularity. However, some marketers believe the myth that email campaigns are going the same route as print marketing. This is not true. Email communication, if used properly, can lead to a return that is almost two times more than other marketing channels. Here are a couple tips that could increase the success of your email marketing campaigns:

1. Provide an easy unsubscribe process.
2. Clean up your email lists regularly
3. Make sure the emails are going to the right people. For example, if you do powder coating and liquid coating, do not send marketing material about liquid coatings to customers that are only interested in powder coatings.
4. Send only engaging, interesting, and relevant content.

To see an article with more information on this topic, click here to read "Industrial Email Marketing is NOT Dead" from Industrial Marketing Today.

Quality Shop: Spray Gun Troubleshooting

Typical Troubleshooting with Spray Guns                                                                                            

Problem	Cause	Correction
Gun will not spray	1. No air pressure 2. Fluid needle adjusting screw is not open enough 3. Fluid is too heavy for suction lead	1. Check air supply and air lines 2. Change to proper suction feed air cap 3. Increase fluid pressure at the tank,     open fluid needle adjusting screw
Fluid leak or fluid jetting from fluid tip	1. Contamination on needle or tip 2. Incorrect fluid tip or fluid needle fitted to gun 3. Fluid needle stuck or binding up	1. Remove tip and needle and clean surfaces    thoroughly 2. Check needle/tip charts and find correct size 3. Remove and clean fluid needle shaft,      lubricate and loosen needle packing
Paint build up on air cap	1. Damaged air cap holes 2. Gradual build up of bounce-back on gun head	1. Replace with new air cap 2. Thoroughly clean gun
Stiff trigger action	1. Air valve stem bent 2. Contamination on air valve stem 3. Contamination on trigger bearing screw 4. Contamination on fluid needle shaft 5. Fluid needle packing is too tight	1. Replace damaged air valve 2. Remove air valve and clean 3. Remove screw and clean 4. Remove fluid needle and clean 5. Loosen packing nut
Unable to get round spray	1. Fluid tip or baffle incorrectly fitted 2. Air baffle chimney damaged	1. Remove and check components for damage 2. Replace air baffle
Air leak from around air valve stream	Air valve seal damaged or missing	Replace air valve
Air valve will not operate when trigger is pulled	1. Air valve stem bent 2. Contamination on air valve stem	1. Remove valve and replace damaged stem 2. Remove valve and clean

Incorrect Spray Patterns
Causes and Corrections 

Spray Pattern	Cause	Correction
Top- or bottom-heavy spray	1. Plugged horn holes 2. Fluid tip obstruction 3. Dirty air cap	Clean, ream with non-metallic point
Right- or left-heavy spray	1. Plugged right or left horn holes 2. Dirt on one side of fluid tip	Clean, ream with non-metallic point
Center-heavy spray	1. High fluid pressure 2. Material flow is faster than air cap's capacity 3. Spreader adjustment valve is set too low 4. Atomizing pressure is too low	1. Balance air and fluid pressures 2. Thin or adjust fluid flow 3. Adjust valve 4. Increase pressure
Split spray	1. Fluid adjusting knob turned in too far 2. Atomization pressure is too high 3. Fluid pressure is too low	1. Back out counter clockwise to achieve proper flow 2. Reduce pressure at the regulator 3. Increase fluid pressure or choose a larger tip

Spray Gun Cleaning

To clean air caps: Remove the air cap from the gun, place it in a clean solvent, and blow dry. If the small holes are clogged, after soaking the cap in the solvent, use a toothpick or some other similar soft implement (not wires or nail becuase they can damage the cap) to ream the holes.

To clean pressure feed guns with an attached cup: Turn off the air supply, loosen the cup cover and remove the fluid tube from the paint. Pull the trigger while holding the gun over the paint cup to let the rest of the paint drain back into the cup. Empty the cup and wash with a clean solvent and cloth, then fill the cup halfway with clean solvent and spray it through the gun to wash out the fluid passages. Make sure you spray into an approved, closed container and that you follow local codes about disposing of solvents! Clean the air cap and wipe the gun with a cloth soaked in solvent. 

To clean pressure feed gun with a detached cup or tank: Turn off the air supply and open the relief valve. Material in the hoses may be blown back, so make sure the lid is loose and the gun is higher than the cup or tank! Loosen the air cap and pull the trigger until all the material is back in the cup or tank. A gun cleaner should be used to ensure proper cleaning. Place the gun and cups over the nozzles in the cleaner and close the lid tightly. The cleaner will spray solvent through the nozzles, keeping the solvent contained so it can be disposed of properly. Be sure to dispose of the solvent correctly according to local codes.

 In the CoaterONE e-marketplace, we have cleaning, repair kits, and seal kits for spray guns from BInks & Devilbiss and Nordson.

VirtualPaint Training™

Intech Services offers a VirtualPaint™ training workshop for spraying liquid coatings as part of our Intech Information Institute. If you have not heard of it, this program allows attendees to improve their spraying technique, film thickness, and transfer efficiency in a virtual spray environment, eliminating any waste associated with spray application training.

Click here to find out more information or register for our upcoming workship on September 26, 2013 in Newark, Delaware.

Happy Labor Day!

Hope you have a great holiday! If you are working today and need to place an order, please do so at www.intechservices.com