Category Archives: Induron In the News

I’m NOT Lovin’ It

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By Jeff White, Induron Sales Manager

McDonalds GraffitiCan you believe that vandals would dare to deface a mural of Ronald McDonald, The Hamburglar and friends? Well in Huntingdon Beach, Calif., it happened. A graffiti “artist” (aka, vandal), who apparently doesn’t like Big Macs or Chicken McNuggets, decided to spray over the iconic Golden Arches Mural with the word “VEGAN.”

My thoughts? Even if you don’t like the burgers, you could still eat the fries and salads. Personally, I love a good Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

If only those folks in Huntingdon Beach had protected the mural with Induron’s Indurethane AG (that’s anti-graffiti), the cleanup would have been as easy as wiping the paint off with a wet cloth. Read more on this story at Durability + Design here.

If you have special icons in your community that you want to protect from vandals with a spray can, check out Indurethane AG or talk to an Induron sales rep today. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of elbow grease when it comes to removing spray paint!

Don’t Tread on Me

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By Linc York, Induron Sales Representative

Don't Tread on MeThe U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is proposing new LEED regulations for the paint and coatings industry, prompting some of us in the industry to ask, “Why?”

I’ve been in this industry for 40 years. When I started, there was no such thing as VOC restrictions, and there were no regulations on how much solvent you could have in a can of paint. In the 1970s, many paints were more than 50 percent solvent. Some even contained lead, chrome, asbestos and other heavy metals. However, since those times, the industry has adapted to current standards and those harmful additives are thankfully things of the past.

For the last 30 years, the paint and coatings industry has been going in two environmentally friendly directions at the same time. We have been developing zero-VOC coatings, as well as low-VOC-containing water-based technology in all our generic coatings lines. We have innovated many products that are commercially available and sold daily that are both HAPS (Hazardouse Air Pollutants) AND VOC-free. It doesn’t get any better than that. Additionally, new water-based technology is being developed all the time.

So, my point is this – in my opinion, the paint industry is way ahead of the curve.  We don’t need more regulations. We compete against ourselves, forcing new and innovative products that are always being developed. Couple R&D innovation with the architects and engineering communities who are on the cutting edge of compliance regulations, and that keeps all good paint and coatings manufacturers ahead of government over regulation. We don’t need more bureaucracy!

Founded in 1947, Induron manufactures high performance coatings that serve a range of industrial applications, including the wastewater, transmission and distribution and groundwater storage industries. Learn more about us at www.Induron.com.  

Cogeneration: A win-win

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By Hayne Crum, Induron Chemist

I recently read an interesting article at Environmental Expert about a wastewater treatment facility in Adelaide, Australia, that uses cogeneration to reduce emissions AND produce needed energy.

Typically, water and wastewater treatment facilities have very long lifetimes (50+ years). In the Adelaide facility case, gases – mostly methane – from the waste treatment are being used to generate energy to run the plant. This kind ofcogeneration has been around for a while, but is picking up steam. (Pun intended!)

In this instance, the cogeneration saves the plant money by changing its capital cost and reducing the plant’s energy costs. In fact, with this system, the plant can pay for its generators in just eight years. Additionally, the cogeneration prevents methane from escaping into the air. Methane is more than 100 times the greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide is, which means it is much worse for the environment.

The capital costs of implementing cogeneration are high. However, the procedure pays for itself, or even makes a profit, IF the facility lasts ONLY least eight years. Induron makes paint that protects the piping and holding tanks for this type of facility, helping them run more efficiently and last longer. We recommend using Permaclean 100, or Ceramsafe 90. Both are green products because they are free of HAPS (Hazardous Air Polutants) and VERY low in VOC content, with PermaClean 100 being 100% solids and the Cermansafe having a VOC of 81 gm/l. These products have life expectancies of 15+ years when used per our recommendations.  This means you get 7+ years of profit from the generators even before you repaint the pipes or tanks! Continue reading Cogeneration: A win-win →

Induron Goes Political (At Least Where Infrastructure Is Concerned)

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By Davies Hood, Induron President

In today’s politically charged landscape, even blogs by industrial paint manufacturers are jumping into the fray. However, we’re not choosing a red or blue side here. We’re choosing to support infrastructure maintenance and improvement.

In this article from PaintSquare, two very different approaches to improving our country’s aging infrastructure are discussed. Both ideas look similar on the surface, but with a little digging the differences are easy to spot.

President Obama has suggested an Infrastructure Bank that his critics have compared to Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac. The proposed “Bank” backs private investments with public money. The idea was first proposed last year and has drawn bipartisan support. My concern is – which programs and/or projects get the public backing, and which are allowed to fail? I personally don’t like the idea of government picking winners and losers; the track record on that isn’t so great. Continue reading Induron Goes Political (At Least Where Infrastructure Is Concerned) →

Paint the Sky or Protect It?

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By Hayne Crum, Induron Senior Chemist

As a senior chemist at Induron, I try to keep up with a wide range of research.  I recently read an article in Paintsquare News entitled, “Can Paint Protect from Global Warming?” The article discussed the global warming problem and whether a balloon spouting stratospheric aerosols could work toward decreasing global warming. In essence, they want to paint the sky to keep some of the sun’s harmful rays out.

It’s an interesting thought, but with many possible drawbacks. But it got me thinking about things Induron is doing that might help the global warming issue.

I am not convinced that carbon dioxide is a huge problem with regards to global warming, but we do know it contributes. According to the IPCC report, methane is currently the bigger contributor. There is speculation that will change, but methane is definitely a problem.

Natural gas (methane) is the most efficient of the fossil fuels, but containing it is a problem.  However, it is becoming more and more available as new methods of extraction have been discovered.  And what’s the lowest-cost, lowest-loss method of transporting this potentially dangerous fuel? Pipelines. Continue reading Paint the Sky or Protect It? →

Save some Green by Ditching the Wires

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By Davies Hood, Induron President

Are you ready to go wireless? Is your employer? How about your water system? Well, according to this feature article in “Automation World,” wireless communication is coming whether we like it or not. A prime example is the Crescenta Valley Water District near Glendale, Ariz. This water system recently switched to an all-wireless communication system, and estimates that getting rid of land lines will save the company roughly $27,000 each year. With that kind of savings, I’m trying to figure out how Induron can go wireless!

 

I Just Signed It

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By Davies Hood, Induron President

I believe that people worldwide have a right to clean water. I’ve encouraged the entire Induron staff to sign and support the Water Environment Federation’s (WEF) “Water is Worth It” pledge.  I just signed it. And I encourage you to as well.

By signing this short, four-sentence pledge, you too can help support clean and safe water worldwide! Think of the difference access to clean drinking water can make in one child’s life.

The Silver Lining

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By Davies Hood, Induron President

I’ve heard it said that it is often darkest right before the dawn. I’ve also heard that every cloud has a silver lining. In this article from the May 2012 edition of Municipal Water & Sewer, the City of Americus, GA, learned that even during hard times – such as rebuilding from the destruction of a tornado – efficiencies and improvements can be made.

Instead of taking the easy route and just rebuilding what had “always been there,” the City of Americus actually took a step back, hired an engineering consultant and had their entire water system put through a Hydraulic Modeling process. The results revealed several previously forgotten about underground water pipes, unknown valves (some of which were closed) and realization that some of the existing pipe was significantly undersized. This modeling allowed the city to not only replace what was damaged in the storm, but provided information used to build a new water infrastructure system that would assist in growth and “provide greater certainty in day-to-day operations.” Continue reading The Silver Lining →

Water (tanks), Water (tanks) Everywhere!

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By Davies Hood, Induron President

I remember well my first site visit to an elevated water tank painting project. I was driving down the road with an older salesman who was pointing out all of the different styles of water tanks.

We saw fluted column tanks (large flashlights), standpipes (tall, skinny tanks w/ out legs), Taurus-bottom tanks (made famous being depicted as aliens in George Orwell’s War of the Worlds) and a couple of single pedestal tanks (golf ball on a tee).

I suddenly realized that the paint being applied to all of these tanks was not being applied very close to the ground. After getting over the first round of nausea caused by my deep rooted fear of heights, I started thinking about the “how” part of the equation, as in, “how the heck do they paint up there?”

Motorized pick-boards, baskets and Bozeman’s Chairs on rope falls were the answer. I then saw this cool invention. This motorized chair looks like a great way for our high-work customers to save time and improve worker safety. It also provides a very good reminder of just how much intestinal fortitude some of Induron’s customers have!

Founded in 1947, Induron manufactures high performance coatings that serve a range of industrial applications, including the wastewater, transmission and distribution and groundwater storage industries. Learn more about us at www.Induron.com.  

What we can learn from Chemical Engineers

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By Davies Hood, Induron Executive Vice President

I recently read this article in “Chemical Processing” about the salaries and overall happiness of chemical engineers, and I found it quite interesting.

Although this article is about one particular field (chemical engineers), it can apply to nearly any professional career. I particularly like the comments, “No job is worth having if you can’t enjoy most of it. There is no good job that you will enjoy every aspect of. That’s why they pay us,” and “Stay current, the field is continually evolving and there is a lot to learn.” Do those quotes sound like they could have been made by your peers and/or predecessors? I think they’re good reminders that we all need to maintain a positive attitude and continue to try to grow through learning.

I also found the statement, “Lack of recognition remains the leading downside most respondents identified about their jobs,” to be similar to ring true in my business. Simply put, people like to be recognized for their successes… I know I do!