I've always looked at industrial trade shows as more academic than equipment and supply selling.
Yes, the latest and greatest when it comes to hoists, spray guns, tanks, and chemicals is always important, but trade shows for me are where the best ideas and problem solutions come into play.
That was the case at the NASF SUR/FIN show in Chicago in June when there were 80+ technical presentations that took place over three days, while at the same time, more than 120 suppliers had their wares on display on the show floor a few feet aware.
And one of the things I always try to do when I attend these trade shows is to ask each presenter I run into this: "Can you turn your presentation into a written paper for me?"
I try to make my logic sound: the presenter just shared their knowledge with maybe 40-50 people, but it would also be good to share it with 20,000 other people in the industry, too.
I'm happy to say that some presenters were very happy to put their Powerpoints to paper and turn them into written presentations, which we have included some in this issue of www.FinishingAndCoating.com.
"Polarization: The Key to Anodic Oxide Formation" is the keynote given by Dr. Judy Runge, which you will find on the ensuing pages. Dr. Runge gave a brilliant presentation on this topic at SUR/FIN, and I was thrilled to get her written paper to share with readers. She is one of the premier minds when it comes to anodizing, and anything she says or writes is extremely important to any applicator.
"Using XRF for Measuring Conversion Coatings" was presented by Bowman's Zach Dismukes, who shares that content this month with our readers. It is a very good dive into how to properly ensure coatings are meeting all specifications and details the latest technology available to applicators.
We also have some great technical pieces from those who didn't present at SUR/FIN.
"Corrosion Protection of Battery Electric Vehicles" is actually a paper presented at the Automotive Corrosion Symposium by Dr. Karsten Lessmann of Pfinder and is very applicable to anyone in the finishing industry.
"The Past and Future of Passivates" is from Tyler Batchler, a Research Chemist and SEM Technician at Pavco, who talks about the use of cobalt in trivalent chemistry.
"Special Effects for Powder Coatings" was written by Fiona Levin-Smith from IFS Coatings and shows applicators how to use these special effects.
"In-Place Anodize and Coating Repair," by Dr. Alan Rose of Corrdesa, explains how OML and IML anodize coatings often get damaged, especially around fasteners and leading edges.
SafeChem's Richard Starkey penned "Making Beneficial Parts Cleaning Decisions" shows how industrial parts cleaning plays a crucial role in quality assurance during the production process.
And "Direct Immersion Gold as a Final Finish" by Uyemura's George Milad and Don Gudaczauskas and others takes a detailed look at this delicate process.
I hope you enjoy these technical papers as much as I did.
Tim Pennington is Editor-in-Chief of Finishing and Coating, and has covered the industry since 2010. He has traveled extensively throughout North America visiting shops and production facilities, and meeting those who work in the industry. Tim began his career in the newspaper industry, then wound itself between the sports field with the PGA Tour and marketing and communications firms, and finally back into the publishing world in the finishing and coating sector. If you want to reach Tim, just go 
