Products Finishing magazine is the No. 1 industrial finishing publication in the world. We keep our readers informed about the latest news and trends in plating, painting, powder coating, anodizing, electrocoating, parts cleaning, and pretreatment.
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BY JESS LARKIN ASSISTANT EDITOR Mix business, camaraderie at The Electrocoat Association conference. Revving Engines for ELECTROCOAT 2016 28 JANUARY 2016 — pfonline.com The Electrocoat Association's ECOAT16 conference is back, with a focus on automotive coatings and how it is impacting electrocoaters throughout North America and the world. Coaters will return to the Rosen Centre in Orlando for the two-day electrocoat conference from February 15–17, presented by Products Finishing and The Electrocoat Association. "ECOAT16 is a perfect mixture of top-notch programming and fun with colleagues where you will leave with extensive electrocoat knowledge and lasting relationships," says Karen McGlothlin, The Electrocoat Association executive director. With both social and professional opportunities to enhance understanding of the electrocoat market, ECOAT16 is a biannual conference that enables coaters to meet with clients and colleagues in a comfortable and educational environment. McGlothlin says the conference gathers professionals in a no-pressure atmosphere to inform and update today's coaters and manufacturers. This year the conference will host a discussion about the production process surrounding Ford's new F-150, which is made of lightweight aluminum alloy that presented a chal- lenge for coaters because of new adhesive bonding system requirements at lower operational costs. Keynote speaker Tim Weingartz from Ford Motor Company's global paint engineering division will start the conference on Tuesday by touching on how the electrocoating industry adapts to lightweighting. On Wednesday, be sure to check out The Auto Industry Beyond Black, Steel and V8s by keynote speaker Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design & Production magazine. The conference kicks off with a poolside luau on Monday evening, hosted by The Electrocoat Association and Products Finishing, where attendees can catch up with customers and colleagues before the start of the conference. And don't forget to stop at any of the company-sponsored showrooms at Tuesday's Exhibit Night for a night of food and entertainment. ECOAT16 has hosted a number of different exhibits on Exhibit Night in the past, including a casino night, a magician, a cari- cature artist, video race games and more. ECOAT16