Tag Archives: John Anspach

Reflecting on a Paint Career with Induron…

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By: John Anspach, Induron Technical Director

In a flash of time, 15 years have passed. Unbelievable.

In fall of 2003, I interviewed with Induron Coatings looking for a fresh start in a career that had already spanned 25 years with three other coatings companies.  In the summer of 1978, I got my first taste of the coatings industry working as a QC technician summer intern for Ford Motor Co.’s coatings manufacturing plant in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. The following January, I received a full-time job with them as a process engineer and a production supervisor in training. Continue reading Reflecting on a Paint Career with Induron… →

Have you Seen us in CoatingsPro Magazine Lately?

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Papillion tank 4Recently, Induron was featured in CoatingsPro magazine’s May 2016 issue. The article, “Water Tank Déjà vu: 20 Years Later” discussed a recoating job on a water tank located in Papillion, NE. Family-owned and -operated coatings contractor, J.R. Stelzer, was tasked with removing the Papillion water tank’s existing coating and applying a new coating system. Fortunately, J.R. Stelzer turned to Induron to supply the coatings solution.  Continue reading Have you Seen us in CoatingsPro Magazine Lately? →

AquaClean: The Chemistry Behind the Product

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By: John Anspach, Induron Technical Director

AquaCleanTo ensure AquaClean’s performance matches its user-friendly and good-looking finish, many important design traits are formulated into the coating system.

First, AquaClean is formulated to be compliant to the OTC (Ozone Transport Commission) standard for low VOC content.  Complying with OTC allows us to sell AquaClean in most U.S. markets.  Continue reading AquaClean: The Chemistry Behind the Product →

The Key to Success

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John AnspachBy John Anspach, VP Operations

In a paint company, as in most companies, there are multiple departments that must work effectively together to ensure the success of the organization.  In a nutshell, there are a lot of moving parts, literally and figuratively.

 

It is easy to become compartmentalized, or focused only on your one job in your department, while forgetting the big picture. This can quickly result in delaying or altogether missing key communication between departments – the key to success. Continue reading The Key to Success →

Why Quality Control Also Means Consistency at Induron

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John AnspachBy John Anspach, Technical Director

Many people seem to confuse “quality control” with what is actually “consistency control”. We at Induron work really hard at measuring both consistency and quality to assure that our customers get consistent products that provide the application properties they need and the reliable protection for which they are paying. Continue reading Why Quality Control Also Means Consistency at Induron →

Why Cycle Count Matters and Why We Share Ours

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By John Anspach, VP of Operations

You’ve heard us talk about “cycle count.” This number is a tool used to gauge how efficient and consistent we are when making paint.

Each time a batch is made, technicians perform a battery of tests to ensure it matches the formula and meets qualifications for viscosity, solids and flow. If it’s just right the first time, the cycle count is zero. If something is even a tiny bit off, the batch goes back to our technicians and is adjusted. Testing is then repeated until the paint matches the qualifications exactly. Continue reading Why Cycle Count Matters and Why We Share Ours →

Is the U.S. Really Heading Toward Energy Independence?

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By John Anspach, Induron VP of Operations

Induron VP of Operations John AnspachWith the recent uptick in fuel prices, it wouldn’t appear to be the case.  However, a recent article in Chemical Processing indicates that significant strides are being made to really get there.

The likely biggest domestic energy development toward that end is the availability of gas from shale oil. New technology is allowing easier access to this enormous untapped energy resource.  Michael Cowen of the International Energy Agency (EIA) states that, “within five years, the U.S. is likely to break the record output high reached more than two decades ago, to flirt with the position of top world producer.” Imagine that… having greater output than the Saudis! This can be possible with efficient shale oil conversion, combined with investments in new pipelines.  If both methods are employed, it would significantly lower U.S. demand from oil imports, and move us closer to energy independence. Continue reading Is the U.S. Really Heading Toward Energy Independence? →

What Is Sustainability?

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By John Anspach, Induron VP of Operations

I recently read an article in a coatings publication and came across the term “sustainability.”  It’s quickly become a buzzword in industry – and even in personal – life.  But just what does it mean?

One definition of sustainability, written about 25 years ago, is, “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”  Today, it has been defined as, “providing the best for people and the environment, both now and in the indefinite future.

So how can a small business contribute to sustainability without drastically affecting how it does business?  One way is to look closely at how you package your products.

For example, many of our products are packaged in metal drums.  Years ago, Induron chose to utilize reconditioned drums instead of new ones for our packaging. The number of reconditioned, rather than new, drums we purchased last year resulted in 115 tons of greenhouse gas (CHG) emissions NOT being released to the atmosphere.  That’s more significant than most might imagine – energy “avoidance” through re-use!

This simple example demonstrates that it may not require large sacrifices to your particular process or program to contribute to “sustainability.”  Just think about your current process, recognizing opportunities that could incorporate the re-use of a raw material or package in that process.  Go Green!

What Cycle Count Says About Teamwork

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By John Anspach, VP of Operations

Last week, I spoke about the importance of cycle count in terms of efficiency.  Our numbers are consistently low, and that’s something we are especially proud of around here.

The final numbers are in, and I can say that annually, our cycle count has been at .25 or less since 2007. That’s 5 years running. So how did we get and keep our numbers so low?

I can sum it up in one word: communication.

Our paint is made great by three teams: Paint Makers in our production department, the technical folks in the lab and quality control. Internally, these departments have a genuine respect for each other’s work. They have trusted relationships that allow for feedback. Continue reading What Cycle Count Says About Teamwork →

Why Cycle Count Matters in Paint Production

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By John Anspach, VP of Operations

You’ve heard us talk about “cycle count.” This number is a tool to gauge how efficient and consistent you are when making paint.

Each time a batch is made, technicians perform a battery of tests to ensure it matches the formula and meets qualifications for viscosity, solids and flow. If it’s just right the first time, the cycle count is zero. If something is even a tiny bit off, the batch goes back to technicians and is adjusted. Testing is then repeated until the paint matches the qualifications exactly.

Each adjustment adds a number to the count. One adjustment equals a cycle count of 1, and so on. We take the average number of adjustments to get our cycle count. You can see why you would want to keep this number low:  Continue reading Why Cycle Count Matters in Paint Production →