PPG Industries, Inc. announced a collaboration with IPG Photonics and Whirlpool Corporation, to accelerate the broad-scale commercialization of laser curing systems for powder coatings. The focus is on identifying opportunities to reduce curing costs and environmental impact while increasing finishing line speed. PPG announced the installation of a pilot finishing line that features IPG's PhotoniCURE??
laser curing system at its powder manufacturing and technical facility in Strongsville, Ohio. Unlike conventional thermal curing, laser curing uses infrared (IR) light to initiate crosslinking, the chemical reaction that transforms powder particles into a durable protective finish. It is compatible with both standard powder chemistries and those optimized for laser curing and cures in minutes, a fraction of the time required by traditional thermal processes and more efficient than conventional IR curing systems. This leads to meaningful energy savings through lower heat requirements and higher throughput.
PPG announced the installed of a pilot finishing line that feature IPG's PhotoniCure?? laser curing system at Its powder manufacturing and technical facility in strongsville, Ohio, and a laboratory system for research feasibility studies at the PPG Coatings Innovation Center near Pittsburgh. The company has begun conducting pilot trials for Whirlpool Corporation that evaluate various powder formulations cured with the PhotoniCURE laser system across a range of appliance components.
The process will soon be available to other customers. As the laser industry leader, IPG sees powder coating as another opportunity to expand laser solutions into mainstream manufacturing. Sustainability is core to PPG's purpose, and a key enabler that supports the company's growth strategy.
That commitment is reflected in major investments in radiation curable technologies as well as powder solutions formulated with recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) and without PFAS, and which cure with less heat and produce less waste. PPG has significantly expanded its powder coating portfolio and manufacturing capabilities in recent years. It has an expansive global footprint, with 21 powder manufacturing plants, seven plants with bonding capabilities, a powder resin plant, a research and development center and a Global Center of Excellence.
