The applicators and formulators of paints had their meeting point at Cubrecol Americas 2010. The quality and importance of the union and training were the key themes this year.by: Inpra Latina
In today's market conditions, paint and coating applicators must find products that guarantee high performance without increasing costs. That is why it is important that quality products are used, whose durability and resistance are adequate, while implementing the appropriate safety standards.
Through technical processes, with trained personnel and through the use of new technologies, the profitability of projects can be increased and a good finish can be ensured, which satisfies both the aesthetic needs and those of protection and corrosion control.
This is one of the main conclusions derived from the Fifth Technical Congress and Commercial Exhibition of Application and Finishes of Paints and Coatings, Cubrecol Americas 2010, an event that concluded in recent days.
Medellín was the setting chosen for the meeting between the main formulators of the Andean region and the paint applicators, who exchanged knowledge on different application techniques, products, technologies and management of the main problems that arise during the application of a paint or coating.
Learning from experience
One of the main innovations presented by Cubrecol Americas in terms of training was the use of practical and specific cases. With this tool, attendees were able to evaluate the application in specific situations and with real problems.
The event allowed to improve the process of application of different types of paint: there we wanted to focus on how to improve those processes, how to save paint, energy, etc. And this was done through the knowledge of application case studies.
Cases such as Brazil, where the training of applicators has been deepened, seeking that construction and remodeling projects have a support when hiring labor became an example of a good job.
The opposite happens in Colombia, where the president of Global de Pinturas denounced a lack of association between formulators and applicators and called attention to paint suppliers maintaining a better relationship with the client, given that this is the friendly face of his company to customers.
Due to the lack of controls on the paints that are marketed in the country, the quality of these has decreased, deceiving end consumers with lies about what they are buying. This was stated by Edgar Valderrama, manager of Global Paintings, Pintuco, who explained that the quality of the paintings in Colombia is classified in type 1, 2 or 3, according to the Icontec certification.
"This certification is not a requirement for producers, and only Pintuco and Princolor have it. Other brands are deceiving consumers by saying that it is type 1 paint, the highest quality, without being one," he said.
He added that another way to deceive consumers is with the import of paint balances brought from the United States, which in the country are repackaged or their label changed and sold as good quality paints when they are not.
"This deception occurs above all in decorative or home paintings, which are the best sellers. The poor quality of the paints means that the function of protecting is not fulfilled and that consumers have to be constantly painting because just by passing a rag on the surface the paint falls, "said Valderrama.
A contest that grows
Those attending Cubrecol Americas 2010 were able to observe a varied commercial sample that, year after year, grows. In this version, everything from application booths to protective equipment and application guns could be found.
The main formulation companies in Latin America had the opportunity to learn about technological innovations, new equipment, and at the same time, publicize their products and services through trade conferences.
The academic component was attended by outstanding speakers and a large attendance, as confirmed by Max Jaramillo, president of Latin Press, Inc., organizer of the event and publisher of Inpra Latina. "I think the balance was very positive, because we managed to have as speakers the most important companies in the Andean region who replicated their experiences in application projects," he said.
The academic coordinator of the contest also said that the event has an increasing impact on the region: "it is worth highlighting the participation of Peruvian, Colombian, Venezuelan, Bolivian, Mexican and Ecuadorian applicators, that is, international participation is growing every year."
Positive balance
The fact that it is the only event in the region that is aimed at paint and coating applicators, makes Cubrecol Americas an attractive event, which allows attendees, speakers and exhibitors to get to know each other more closely, to get a more complete picture of the industry in the region.
"Cubrecol Americas has always been characterized by a strong academic component, which has positioned it as one of the best events in terms of technical training," said Jaramillo.
The event is committed to the training of applicators as an alternative to optimize costs, reduce losses and maintain good levels of productivity and performance. "We think that Cubrecol Americas has to increasingly support the professionalization of the task of applying any paint or coating, because this process involves investments of money that can be lost if the applicator is not sufficiently trained for his work," he said.
A single goal
The main focus of Cubrecol Americas, during its five versions, has been the professionalization and updating of Latino applicators. That differentiation of audience and themes has allowed attendees to take it as an event of mandatory attendance for their companies.
The event has offered the possibility of studying in depth the different techniques of application, care and maintenance, pretreatment and other elements that surround the process of application of a film, whatever its type, on different surfaces.
Coverscol Americas 2011
New surprises and an academic component that includes the formulation of paintings will be the main novelties of Cubrecol Americas, which in 2011 will once again have the mountains of Medellín as a framework for the meeting. The intention is that professionals in the sector can access more complete information, and that the entire production chain of the sector is concentrated around a single fair in which technological updating is the primary objective.
The organization has announced that it is thinking about some approaches of what could be Cubrecol Americas in the next year and one of the alternatives that we analyze would be to refer to industrial applications from the point of view of the pretreatment of surfaces, application and finishes.
However, it is known that the definition of the theme is a process that is not yet concluded, since these issues will have to be discussed by a technical committee that is composed of applicators and formulators from several Latin American countries.
Currently, the Cubrecol Americas team is working on the improvement of the event, through the evaluations made by the attendees. Additionally, the journalistic team is preparing a series of special articles in which the main topics discussed during the conferences will be exposed, which will appear in the next editions of Inpra Latina.
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