TPT January 2011

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14 January 2011 ›
Industry News
Pemco International celebrates its
100th year as leading coating provider
Pemco’s tailor-made, highly technical approach is in step with the drive to improve steel,
alloy and cast iron performance in a range of industries
THIS year Pemco International will celebrate
its 100 year anniversary. A great achievement
these days to have survived this long in an
industry that has and still does require
constant evolution in its product range.
The company, with its roots in Brugge,
Belgium, made its name originally in the
development and production of porcelain
and glass enamels across a wide spectrum
of applications. Today, Pemco positions
itself as the leading solutions provider in
the enamels, specialty frits and conductive
coatings industries. Products range from
coatings for metal and glass to metallurgical
frits used as processing agents by the steel
industry. Additionally, the introduction of
conductive coatings has seen a significant
widening of the applications of Pemco’s
products to areas as diverse as demisting
strips on windscreens (automotive) and
solar cells (energy generation).
As Pemco has evolved to meet market
demands so has its management. Marcel
Zegger, CEO, was appointed in 2008 and
is championing a new vision focused upon
taking the company into the next decade
with a much leaner and fitter management
structure and a developing product portfolio.
“We are building upon strong established
skills and capabilities to bring innovation
and competitively differentiating solutions to
other quality-critical production industries.”
As clear global leader in metallurgical
glass for extrusion processes, Pemco has
strongly supported innovation in its business
unit metal processing solutions (MPS) by
intensifying efforts to develop two dynamic
business lines now part of MPS:
Pemforge Glass Coatings – the total
solution for companies in the forging
industry determined to achieve consistent
high quality forged output and die durability.
And refractory glazes for hot
transformations, where protection against
oxidisation at extreme temperatures becomes
a key functionality for steel processing.
These product solutions, across a wide
range of applications, are very much ‘part of
life’ for millions of people worldwide. Pemco
International is an established company
and can be relied upon to be there in the
future, with long-standing relationships with
customers being a hallmark of the company.
“Our goal is to improve the competitiveness
of our customers by delivering value –
it’s about excellent products and good
technical services delivered at an affordable
price,” explained Mr Zegger. In recent
times metallurgical glass for extrusion has
become a core strength of the business
with the development of a unique range of
metallurgical frits for use both as lubrication
agents and as protective layers against
oxidation in processes such as the extrusion
of seamless tubes, hot shaped metal and
other techniques. As a processing aid,
Pemco’s metallurgical solutions reduce
significantly the loss of material through
oxidation, ensure the best surface quality
as well as good homogeneity of metal
structure, helping to increase the efficiency
of the process and the longevity of the
equipment used.
There is no doubt that the industry seeks
improved and consistent quality products
within the supply chain, particularly for those
industries with mission critical roles such as
aerospace, defence, oil and gas and power
plants. The stakes are high and people’s
lives often depend upon it.
Product innovation requires an in-depth
knowledge, understanding and appreciation
of end-use applications methods,
manufacturing conditions, parameters and
equipment, plus focused laboratory support
and back-up. Vincent Guasp, MPS business
unit manager is focused on future technology
at Pemco. “The life cycle of products
produced in the Metallurgy industry has to be
extended and high performance lubricants
are required in the process to ensure high
quality of the final products in terms of
mechanical and corrosion resistance. We
are constantly leveraging our expert know-
how to smelt frits suitable for this industry.
For instance we do not use recycled glass
due to the danger of impurities and unstable
formulations.”
“Inclosecollaborationwitheachcustomer’s
own experts, we are able to provide detailed
analysis of coating performance. We use a
broadrangeofphysicalandchemicalanalyses
such as energy dispersive spectroscopy,
DSC and TGA, XRF together with particle
size distribution to ensure the highest quality
of powder compositions is achieved relative
to the specific needs. In fact, an ‘A – Z’ quality
policy is rigorously applied throughout the
production process, starting from the analysis
of the raw material until the final production of
our finished products.”
Technology improvements will continue
in the future and companies like Pemco
International will play an important role in the
development of tailor-made glass coatings
for the advanced metals now commonly
used such as titanium, zirconium and nickel
and super alloys. Going forward the key
to success lies in the processing industry
being able to harness the technologies and
stay one step ahead of the game.
Pemco International – The Netherlands
Fax: +31 88 258 8525
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