Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing Magazine November/December 2021 - 20

INDUSTRIAL FINISHING: WOOD LACQUERS AND VARNISHES
and conversion varnishes, all of
which out-perform nitrocellulose
lacquers.
Solvent-based, acid-cured
Changes to the labor force
coatings or lacquers continue to
dominate the North American
interior factory wood finishing
market because they exhibit the
best balance of health, safety
and environmental priorities,
performance, and cost. They feature
ease of application and perform
well under most ambient
shop
conditions while yielding durable
final film properties and aesthetics.
And now, large wood products
manufacturers have started moving
to UV-cured coatings as a way to
increase production volumes. UV,
waterborne UV and 100 percent
solids UV coatings are widely used on many flat-line applications.
We caught up with Chris Bradford, Segment Marketing
Director, Industrial Coatings for AkzoNobel to see what his
company is developing in this space.
What are the biggest challenges for the wood lacquers
and varnishes industry right now? What are the sticking
points and how do you see these being overcome?
There is no surprise that the wood coatings industry is facing
unprecedented challenges and disruptions due to COVID-19.
Increases in production are leading to capacity issues and
some raw materials for both substrates and finishes are hard to
source. The AkzoNobel wood coatings team is working hard to
mitigate these disruptions by ensuring continuity of supply with
an emphasis on On Time and in Full (OTIF) orders.
Chris Bradford, Segment Marketing Director,
Industrial Coatings for AkzoNobel
are also having an impact,
as fewer younger people are
joining the coatings industry
and older people have left for
retirement.
How has the pandemic
impacted the industry
over the past year?
During the early period, the
pandemic slowed production
and demand very quickly and
then some businesses were
not ready or in a position for
the recovery.
Looking ahead, where do you
see opportunities for wood
lacquers and varnishes?
Despite the many challenges, there are still opportunities within
the wood coatings industry, including home upgrades in flooring,
kitchens and furniture. More paint stores have opened creating
demand for professional-quality coatings. This is largely due
to an increase in people working from home and wanting their
homes to be on trend. Looking at the manufacturing side, it is all
about quick and efficient products with on-point performance
and new methods of paint curing.
What are the biggest trends you are seeing within wood
lacquers and varnishes?
Our dedicated Global Color and Design team for Wood Coatings
is continuously capturing and interpreting the color and texture
trends and, in collaboration with our customers, we create unique
complementary aesthetic wood coatings finishes for furniture,
Despite the many
challenges, there are
still opportunities
within the wood
coatings industry,
including home
upgrades in flooring,
kitchens and furniture.
20
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Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing Magazine November/December 2021

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