On-site reports

30LUG

Global chemical supply chains: midst wars and rumors of wars

As we reach the midpoint of 2026, with the global chemical supply chain continuing to be reshaped by geopolitical tensions, regionalization strategies, and evolving economic conditions, taking stock of the current landscape is more important than ever. With this objective in mind, George R. Pilcher, Vice President of The ChemQuest Group, Inc., presents this insightful analysis, offering a clear perspective on a market that remains in constant evolution. A consulting firm specializing in business strategy and technology development for the specialty chemicals, advanced materials, and formulated products industries, The ChemQuest Group has been collaborating with the ipcm® magazines for many years, providing analyses that help readers interpret the dynamics of the global chemical industry through a practical, business-oriented perspective. In this latest contribution, Pilcher reviews the events that have transformed global supply chains over the past few years and assesses their most recent developments, offering readers an up-to-date overview of the challenges and opportunities facing the industry today.

Plants and technologies

29LUG

Metalfab 5.0: Pramac’s smart factory with a new powder coating line

Pramac, a company specialising in the manufacture of generator sets and material-handling equipment, has opened a new site, insourcing, among other operations, its powder coating process. For the new line, it has chosen Silvi as the plant engineering partner, Futura as the conveyor system supplier, and Wagner for the application technology. The most innovative feature of the resulting plant is its two-lane curing oven, which automatically adjusts the dwell time of workpieces according to their mass, ensuring the coatings cure correctly without disrupting production continuity.

Plants and technologies

27LUG

An advanced robotic system to ensure repeatable UV coating results on heat exchangers treated with ElectroFin® technology

Robotics is not always used to speed up production: in the case of Modine CIS Italy, which has specialised in thermal management solutions for over a century, the integration of two coating robots supplied by CMA Robotics was driven by the need to ensure greater uniformity, repeatability, and control over the application of a UV top coat on heat exchangers with highly complex geometries and stringent performance requirements, which are treated using the patented ElectroFin® process.

Plants and technologies

24LUG

Colourific Coatings’ industrial project for transforming the North American powder coating market

For decades, the North American architectural aluminium market has favoured liquid paints. Today, advances in powder coating technology, together with investment in digitalisation and automation, are shifting the balance. Colourific, a long-established Canadian coating contractor specialising in architectural aluminium profiles and panels, has chosen to lead this transformation by building one of the continent’s most advanced vertical production lines in collaboration with Euroimpianti.

Plants and technologies

24LUG

A strategic choice for growth: TML invests in boiler enamelling

Starting as a small family business and growing into an international company, TML has built its success on strategic investments, insourcing individual production stages, and direct quality control. Today, the company produces around 50,000 domestic hot water boilers a year and has chosen to insource its tank enamelling process by installing an automated system designed by Trasmetal. This forward-thinking investment has increased its autonomy, flexibility, and control over a crucial stage of the production process.

Plants and technologies

24LUG

Bosch Home Comfort: a new powder coating line for heat pump components, supporting the European energy transition

Bosch’s Aveiro plant was the focus of an investment plan aimed at expanding production capacity for heat pumps destined for the European market and supporting the energy transition in the construction sector towards high-efficiency models. A new powder-coating line designed by Fimel was installed as part of the project and integrated with a hybrid curing oven fitted with Infragas’ BOOSTERCAT® catalytic IR panels.

Coatings

04GIU

When finishes and colours turn playthings into design icons

RS Barcelona, a leading name in the world of table games such as table football, table tennis, billiards, and shuffleboards, has radically transformed these products, elevating them from recreational items to genuine design pieces. Today, its creations are designed to blend seamlessly into high-end settings such as hotels, luxury residences, offices, and hospitality spaces. To meet design requirements that are increasingly focused on design and architecture, it has been collaborating for over fifteen years with AkzoNobel, which supplies a wide range of high-performance powder coatings for architectural applications.

Plants and technologies

03GIU

Asturmadi Doors improved the efficiency of its coating line through the seamless integration of manual and automated handling solutions

The project to improve the efficiency of Asturmadi Doors’ coating line arose from the need to meet growing production requirements and increasingly stringent regulatory standards in the fire-rated door sector. The design and installation of the new powder application plant, carried out by Cabycal in collaboration with Nordson, involved a complete reorganisation of its layout, with particular attention to integrating manual and automatic handling systems and optimising production flows.