Coatings Supplier News

Gibraltar ship repair and conversion yard Gibdock said it recently hosted the Vulica Shipping Company-owned bulk carrier Donald M James for a 30-day project which brought a first opportunity to work with a new type of coating from GIT Coatings (Graphite Innovation & Technologies Inc).The 229-eterm-long ship entered Gibdock’s No.1 Dock for extensive works, including renewal to cargo holds, piping, thrusters, tail shafts and rudders. The yard also applied shipping’s first antifouling…

Global coatings supplier Hempel announced on October 24, that it has joined the 'Getting to Zero Coalition,' a multi-stakeholder group that aims to see the introduction of commercially viable zero emission shipping vessels by 2030.In 2018, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by at least 50 per cent by 2050 compared to 2008 levels. At the same time, the IMO will pursue efforts to eliminate emissions from shipping altogether – the full decarbonization of the industry.For this to be possible…

Nigel Shewring is Hempel Group’s new Research & Development Director. He provided Maritime Reporter & Engineering News insights on the future pace and direction of coatings technology.Nigel Shewring has spent his professional life on the R&D side of the coatings industry, starting in 1996 as a bench chemist developing liquid coatings for general industrial applications, moving later into the research and development of foul release coatings. For the last 15 years he has been leading…

A 10-tug build project leads to federal standard color update for Great Lakes Towing Company.Attention to detail enables uniformity. And when you’re refreshing a renowned tugboat fleet with a 117-year history, you want to ensure a uniform look across all vessels to portray a strong brand image. Doing so means achieving uniform coloring throughout the fleet. It also means having uniform colors on each vessel between dry dockings – such that maintenance coatings don’t stand out…

A new study seeks to determine the extent to which biofouling on ships’ hulls is contributing to the spread of invasive aquatic species in the Mediterranean Sea – a phenomenon commonly associated with ship ballasting operations. According to recent research published by Tel Aviv University’s School of Zoology, half the ships passing along the Mediterranean coast of Israel are carrying invasive ascidians, presenting a global threat to ecosystems around the world. TAU’s Dr. Noa Shenkar…

Luxury cruise line owner and operator Silversea has appointed coatings supplier Hempel to deliver innovative coating solutions for its newbuild 40,700 GT cruise ship Silver Muse. Silver Muse was built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa Sestri Ponente and delivered on Monday, April 3. Silversea selected Hempel’s advanced fouling defence coating Hempaguard X7 to protect the hull of its new vessel. Hempaguard X7 uses an advanced combination of hydrogel-silicone and an efficient fouling preventing biocide in a single coat.

Two new coatings, Hempadur Quattro XO 17820 and 17870, are being introduced to increase the service life and reduce on-station maintenance requirements of offshore assets by leading worldwide coatings supplier Hempel. The new high-performance pure epoxy uni-primers presented today (9 January), combine excellent corrosion protection with construction flexibility. Hempadur Quattro XO 17820 / 17870 are part of a series of two-component epoxy primer coatings which provide advanced crack resistance using Hempel’s patented fibre technology. They can be applied in immersed and non-immersed areas of any offshore asset, from offshore platforms and drilling rigs through to support vessels.

Coatings supplier Hempel has launched a new two-component pure epoxy coating for the marine newbuilding sector, Hempadur Quattro XO 17820, in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The PSPC (Performance Standard for Protective Coatings) compliant Hempadur Quattro XO 17820 was developed for water ballast tanks in new vessels, but can also be used as a uni-primer for most vessel areas – above and below the waterline. Hempadur Quattro XO 17820 has been created specifically to suit the working methods of shipbuilders and so accommodates shorter re-coat intervals and reduces maintenance costs, Hempel said. Additionally, its higher (80 percent) volume solids ratio means less volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released into the atmosphere, which is preferred in North America.

Global coatings producer Hempel announced today that it has closed its previously announced acquisition of Jones-Blair Company, a North American protective and waterproofing market supplier. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Danish-based Hempel is seeking to strengthen its presence in North America through organic growth and acquisitions, the company said. The acquisition of Jones-Blair Company, located in Dallas, Texas, supports this objective by accelerating Hempel’s growth in the region. We’re very pleased that we have closed this transaction.

Hempel has opened its first factory in Africa, its 26th worldwide, to manufacture coatings for the marine as well as decorative and protective industries to serve customers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Further boosting its growth plans, Hempel acquired its South African toll manufacturer, The Coatings Manufacturing Company (TCMC). Since 2011, Hempel South Africa has partnered with TCMC, which is located close to Johannesburg, to better serve customers in the region; the partnership covered the HEMPATEX and HEMPALIN range of products.

As Hempel approaches its 100th anniversary in 2015, Christian Ottosen, Group Marine Marketing Director, offers insights on the company’s initiatives and drivers. Here’s a hint: protecting ships at sea and protecting the environment. Hempel was created 99 years ago as a specialist marine paints provider. Its founder, JC Hempel, was the first person to develop an antifouling product for a ship’s hull. Although Hempel is now active in other paint sectors such as decorative and protective coatings…

PPG Industries’ protective and marine coatings (PMC) business announced that it has manufactured more than 100,000 gallons of coatings in a new small batch process that began operation at its Little Rock, Arkansas, manufacturing facility in January. PPG invested in the new batch process to satisfy customers’ needs for small quantities and made-to-order products such as military-specified coatings, PSX polysiloxanes and MEGASEAL flooring coatings. According to Diane Kappas, PPG vice president, Americas, PMC, “Through customer interviews and commercial feedback, we learned that our customers needed faster turnaround on small and custom batch orders from their coatings supplier.

PPG Industries’ (NYSE:PPG) protective and marine coatings (PMC) business announced that it has manufactured more than 100,000 gallons of coatings in a new small batch process that began operation at its Little Rock, Arkansas, manufacturing facility in January. PPG invested in the new batch process to satisfy customers’ needs for small quantities and made-to-order products such as military-specified coatings, PSX(R) polysiloxanes and MEGASEAL(TM) flooring coatings. According to Diane Kappas, PPG vice president, Americas, PMC, “Through customer interviews and commercial feedback, we learned that our customers needed faster turnaround on small and custom batch orders from their coatings supplier.

PPG Industries announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Hi-Temp Coatings Technology Co., Inc., a privately-owned supplier of high-temperature-resistant and insulative coatings, based in Boxborough, Mass. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter, subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms were not disclosed. Hi-Temp is a global supplier of coatings that withstand extreme temperatures to protect both carbon steel and stainless steel substrates.

The 189-room five-star floating hotel Sunborn Gibraltar is due to welcome its first guests in February 2014, after Gibraltar shipyard Gibdock drew on its extensive cruise ship expertise to undertake hull blasting and coating work. Despite its role as a tourist and business travel destination Gibraltar does not have a five-star hotel. The 142m long, seven deck Sunborn Gibraltar resembles a sophisticated high-end cruise ship or mega yacht. However, while the vessel can move under its own power, it has been designed for sustained mooring alongside, and features its own heavy-duty mooring arms.

Global coatings supplier Hempel has launched HEMPAGUARD, a new hull coating concept for the shipping industry, which Hempel said offers both outstanding resistance to fouling during idle periods and significant fuel savings. The technology, dubbed ActiGuard, has been five years in development and is based on silicone-hydrogel and biocide science. HEMPAGUARD available as two separate products: HEMPAGUAR X5 and HEMPAGUARD X7. Hempel’s tests show excellent fouling resistance of up to 120 days during idle periods plus fuel savings of six per cent on average with HEMPAGUARD.

If lifecycle asset management is at the very forefront of an economically driven shipping company, then marine coating have to be a part of that discussion. That, in part, is because the global regulatory scheme is now impacting everything from marine propulsion, vessel discharge protocol, ballast water management and everything in between. The fact that marine coatings can be at the very heart of any and all of these discussions shouldn’t surprise anyone. Stephen F. Dickey, Market Director – Global Marine for Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings, knows that as well as anyone.

AkzoNobel signs J/V agreement with Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo group of companies for supply of the company's International Paint brand. The new deal strengthens the existing joint venture between AkzoNobel and Kanoo, which only covers the supply of the company's International Paint brand, along with coil and packaging coatings. Under the terms of the expanded agreement, AkzoNobel will offer products from across its Performance Coatings portfolio, including professional woodcare, automotive refinish, marine, yacht, fire protection, protective and powder coatings.

Leading industrial and marine coatings supplier Hempel is building a strong presence in the Indian subcontinent Hempel, one of the world’s leading industrial and marine paint suppliers, is expanding its operations in the Indian subcontinent. With the opening of a new manufacturing unit in Nashik, Maharashtra, Hempel is strengthening its manufacturing capabilities and presence in the Indian subcontinent. The company also plans to invest approximately EUR 15-20 million in a greenfield project over a period of three years. Expansion in the Indian market is an important element within Hempel’s business strategy, One Hempel – One Ambition.

Leading protective coatings supplier Hempel announces general product price increases. These price changes are driven by raw materials suppliers increasing prices as well as shortages of some raw materials and rising energy costs. Hempel reported that is making as many cost-saving measures as possible, but in order to continue to supply the same quality products and service to its customers in these tough financial times, the company must increase its product prices. In the past year, the average price of raw materials used in coating manufacturing has increased significantly – anywhere from 10 to 60 per cent for key raw materials, such as epoxy, titanium dioxide, industrial metals.

International Paint was selected as the sole marine coatings supplier for the Royal Navy Type 45 Anti-Air Warfare Destroyer program, a contract worth nearly $4 million. The award by BAE Systems Naval Ships, the Prime Contract Organization, covers the first six ships in a potential series of eight due to enter service by 2014. Production of the first of class ship, “HMS Daring”, began in March 2003 and is scheduled to enter service in 2009. Following sub assembly of the bow sections, masts and funnels at Vosper Thornycroft in Portsmouth, all ships will be assembled and launched at BAE Systems facilities on the Clyde.