The Year Ahead of Us

Welcome to 2023! When I look back on the past year, it seems like so much has happened. Granted, perhaps in comparison to two years of dealing with the COVID lockdowns, 2022 seemed particularly action-packed. Meanwhile, the economic struggles and general uncertainty surrounding COVID have played a role in the trends that have come to the forefront of manufacturing — from reshoring efforts to guard against supply chain disasters to increased adoption of automation solutions to alleviate workforce shortages.

In just a few short years, attitudes about many things have shifted. From major investments by automotive OEMs in electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing capacity to a rising need for improvements in infrastructure, signs are pointing to new opportunities for finishers.

In the January episode of Products Finishing’s On the Line podcast, Todd Luciano, vice president of finishing and valve media for Gardner Business Media, stated, “At the end of the day, whatever your thoughts on EVs are, the reality is that they’re coming. There’s a huge tsunami of investment coming down the pike for EVs. I’ve heard that by the end of the decade there will be 1.4 trillion dollars invested by the OEMs, battery companies and suppliers of various components. Granted there aren’t as many moving parts on an EV as there are on a traditional combustion engine, but there are still a lot of parts that need to be plated or coated — so there’s a lot of opportunity for finishers to serve that market.”

When one considers all of the excitement and innovation surrounding EVs, it’s amazing to think that electric vehicles are anything but new. Some of the first automobile prototypes were electric and inventors and engineers have been toying with the idea of electric cars since the early days of the industry. Like anything, innovation isn’t always about creating something new, but instead about building upon existing ideas. The course of that work can sometimes spark a giant leap forward. We seem to be at the precipice of such a giant leap.

As we kick off the new year, I for one am excited to see where the manufacturing industries will take us and what opportunities will be in store for coaters and finishers. Over the past year, PF has told stories about trends in such areas as automotive, aerospace and medical. Not surprisingly, many of the trends in these areas revolve around electrification. In 2023, PF will continue to explore the work of finishers and suppliers in these areas. We’ll also continue to report on the difficulties facing the industry — of which there are numerous ones including supply chain challenges, material costs and workforce shortages. One hurdle that finishers feel especially keenly are regulatory constraints.

PFAS materials — used in various coatings and often used as fume suppressants in plating baths — has been an area of increasingly strict regulations from the EPA and will continue to present challenges for coaters and finishers. Increased concerns over the health risks associated with hexavalent chromium is driving an effort to ban the material from use in metal finishing facilities in California, with critical discussions with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) scheduled for the end of January. Efforts to negotiate a compromise are being led by the Metal Finishers Association of California (MFACA) and the National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF) (see an interview with Bryan Leiker, executive director of MFACA).

Luciano says, “The electroplating community has done an excellent job of working with local and national government to communicate the industry’s value proposition for the markets they serve.”

All of this is to say that there are exciting days ahead for the finishing industry. There are plenty of challenges ahead. Sometimes the right solution is simply staying the course, buckling down and continuing to do good work. Other times, it is necessary to seek creative new ways to solve problems. These approaches can at times seem like opposites — doing the work you know vs. trying to reinvent a process. Yet both are necessary, depending upon the task at hand. No matter the approach, I’m confident that the creative, hardworking people in this industry are up to the task. On behalf of Products Finishing, I wish you a prosperous new year.

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Listen to a special retrospective episode of Products Finishing’s On the Line Podcast offering a look back at some of the best interviews of 2022 and a discussion of the industry trends that will be at the forefront in 2023: short.pfonline.com/OTL27