Sustainability, Electrification and Mobility

In early April, the Products Finishing team partnered with the Electrocoat Association to host ECOAT 2024. Held every two years, this year’s ECOAT yielded an amazing turnout for the event. After the past few years that we’ve all endured, it was so rewarding to see a packed conference room during the technical sessions.

Themes that seemed to be at the forefront of ECOAT 2024 reflected the concerns of the broader manufacturing world — sustainability, the growing presence of electric vehicles in the automotive market and other topics related to environmental responsibility. The topic of sustainability isn’t new, of course. However, what is new are demands from customers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for manufacturing supply chains to establish sustainable business practices.

Several sessions at ECOAT 2024 covered topics related to sustainability and environmental objectives. The event’s opening keynote was delivered by Thierry Destruhaut, sustainability director for automotive with PPG. Destruhaut discussed the rising need for sustainable protective solutions for the industrial and automotive industries. He touched on recent innovations and best practices to enhance the sustainability of pretreatment and electrocoat, as well as such challenges as evolving global regulations for chemistries and technologies.

Additional sessions at ECOAT covered such topics as the role applicators play in achieving decarbonization goals, improving process sustainability through use of a pretreatment control system, how sustainable pretreatments can help reduce operating costs, sustainability and cost saving benefits of zirconium conversion coating technology, water saving solutions and a panel discussion on sustainability of ecoat operations.

Several sessions touched on the topic of electric vehicles, including presentations on the electrification of automotive, impacts on the electrocoating market and the benefits of expanded bake window ecoat. Expanded bake window ecoat enables the curing of diverse substrates of varying thicknesses and is playing a large role in thicker parts designed to support heavy EV batteries. 

Events such as ECOAT are an indication of the ways in which electrification, mobility and sustainability are tied to so many conversations in the manufacturing industry today. These trends seem to have evolved past the point of debate and are becoming an expectation that is built into every manufactured part from initial design through production and final finish.

Speaking of these trends, this issue of PF includes a couple of stories that touch on these topics. Don’t miss the feature article on the use of electroless nickel chemistry in electric vehicle applications. You’ll also find a story on innovations in plating on plastic and how the process has found its way into an increasing number of functional applications.

In addition, you’ll find a preview to this year’s SUR/FIN surface finishing trade show scheduled for June 5-7, where you’ll undoubtedly have the opportunity to delve even deeper into the ways the finishing industry is being influenced by initiatives and evolving regulations focused on environmental responsibility and sustainability.

These concerns are a call to arms for everyone in manufacturing. And while there are many, sometimes conflicting points of view on the best path forward, most people I encounter in the industry are striving to achieve their own vision of how to serve their customers while improving efficiencies, reducing waste, saving costs and lowering environmental impacts. It’s not an easy problem to solve, but it’s encouraging to attend industry events and hear the conversations that are taking place.