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| Paint&pintura | Julho2015
specialtyproducts. “Oneof themainaspectsofourworkat
Sibelco is creationof value for our customers.We currently
work in thismanner through specificdevelopments carried
out in conjunctionwithour customers. Optimized targeted
solutions areour strong suit.Wehave technical experts on
oursalesteampreciselytopromptlycapturetheneedsofour
customers.Thatteamissupportedbyatechnicaldepartment
staffedwithprofessionalswithexpertiseonthecoatingsma-
rketandcustomer-specificdevelopmentsandapplications,”
saysSibelco’sownDelegá.
Inaddition to tailor-madesolutions,Delegásays thatSibelco
is introducing locally-developedsolutions in themarketplace
forproductsthatwerepreviouslyfoundonlyabroad(imports),
such as specialty anddifferentiatedperformanceproducts.
“Oneexample isRoyale560,aslurrydevelopedasareplace-
ment for diatomite, featuringmattingeffect, high titanium
dioxidespacingpowerandexcellentbrightnesswith lowoil
absorption.Royale650, for itspart, isaTiO2extenderthat is
applied in theprocess inadifferentiatedmanner, leading to
10to15-percentreductions intheamountoftitaniumdioxide
used inpaintformulations.”
According toCustódio, of Imerys-Itatex, more sustainable
developmentsarethosevalidatedbycustomersastailor-made
products.“Morethan90percentofourproductsaredevelo-
pedspecificallytomeettheperformancerequirementsofour
customers.Besidestailor-madeproducts,whichareencoded
in Imerys’ DNA, involving innovation and thepromotionof
synergies between customer requirements and enhanced
performance,we’vealsofocusedonproductsthatwillenhance
bothproduction capacity andquality, whileboostingpaint
propertiesthatarevalued inourmarket.”
Knowcraft’stechnicaldirectorMarcoAntonioNogueirastres-
ses thathis company’snewvalueproposition is focusedon
qualityforinnovationwithhigh-technologyequipment.“That
willenabletheprocessingofproductswithnano-particles,re-
producibilityandrepeatabilitysupportedbynano-mechanics,
resulting inuniformparticleswhilemaintainingproperties,
opticalandcrystallographicdirectionsintheultra-micronization
ofmineraladditives,which isgoingtobeamajorpointofdi-
fferencemakingformulationsmorecompetitivethankstothe
significant roleourproductswill play in imparting functional
valuetoslurries.”
Nogueiraalsosays thatthecompany’s investmentscontem-
plate1,500cubicmetersworthoftankstoragecapacity,with
tanksundersupervisorycontrolsconnectedtoaCLPcenter.
“As a result,we aregoing toproduce slurries eithermixed
or specifically tailor-made, with reserved contractual rights
throughexcellence in customer serviceand respect for our
customers.”
MetalPackaging -TheShineofSteelEnnoblesPaints
Metalcontainershavebecomeoneoftheprimarymeansofpacking
paints thanks not only to their beauty and increasinglymodern
shapes,butalsototheirkeypointsofdifference,suchassafety,pro-
tection,strength,practicality,versatility,differentiateddesignsand
shapes,texturedprint,andbeingmanufacturedfroma100-percent
recyclablematerial.
Themetalpackaging industryhasbeen tryingandputting intoac-
tionalternatives thatwill hopefullyhelp themovercome thehard
economic times that are affecting their growth. “The economic
situation inwhich thecountryfinds itself inspirescaution, and the
metal packaging industry, inparticular, isat adifficult juncture. In
thisenvironment,weneedtobecreativeand innovative inorderto
standout,whichweconsistentlyseektodo,whilehaving intensive
internal controlswith a view to improvingquality and lowering
costs.Toensuresustainedgrowth,weneed tobedeeply focused
oncompetitiveness. Inaddition,differentiatedservices,excellence
in customer serviceand top-qualityproducts areessential, as are
innovation and new product development,” saysMetalgráfica
Renner’sgeneralmanagerDanieleHeinrich.
Danieleaddsthatfortheyear2015sheexpectsthemetalpackaging
industrytoexperiencemoderategrowth. Itwon’tbeaneasyyear,
butwillkeeplookingforopportunitiesforinternalprocessimprove-
ments,productandmarketdevelopment,andstrongerrelationships
withour customers. Thediscussions on theworld stage lead all
segmentsof society toworryabout the futureof theplanet. The
heavypressure fromenvironmentalists and society is for greater
protectionoftheenvironment,andthatwillnecessarilyinfluencethe
developmentandchoiceofmaterialstobeusedformanufacturing
packagingproducts,andsteelcansare inauniqueposition.Metal-
gráficaRennerkeepsonbankingoncontinuedgrowth inbuilding
andconstructionand in themanufacturing sector at large,which
areservedbythepaintindustry,andontheprevalenceofsteelcans
as theappropriatepackaging for theirproductsbecause theyare
stronger than thealternatives, and theyarealsoenvironmentally
friendly, a strength thathasbeenmoreandmoreappreciatedby
businessesandendconsumers.”
According toBrasilita’schiefexecutiveofficerTiagoHelenoForte,
there isaconsensusamongall industriesthat2015willbea rather
difficultyear.“Asthoughtheunstablemacroeconomicsituationand
thelackofconfidenceintheeconomyamongstbothconsumersand
themanufacturingsectorwerenotenough,wearenow lookingat
aperiodofwater andprobablypower rationing. Thatbeing said,
whatnotonlyBrasilita,butalsoothercompaniesneedtodoistorun
veryleanoperationsanduse innovationaspartoftheirattemptsto
growththeirbusiness.Ontheotherhand,weshouldbear inmind
thatthepaintindustryhashistoricallyemergedmuchstrongerfrom
stagnationperiods.Forthisreason,wemustbepreparedwhenthe
marketpicksup.Forthisyear,weexpectourvolumetoeitherremain
thesameas in2014orgrow2to3percent.”
