By Dianna Brodine, managing editor, UV+EB Technology
RadTech held its annual Winter Meeting February 25-26 at the Radisson Resort Orlando-Celebration in Florida. A group of RadTech board members, committee leads, suppliers to the industry and interested members assembled to advance the work of the association in the UV, EB and LED markets.
RadTech committees, including 3D Printing, Printing and Packaging, Market Outreach, Education, Automotive/Transportation, LED and EHS held meetings.
The Transportation committee discussed its partnership with SAE for the 2016 World Congress and Exhibition. RadTech hosted a day of technical sessions at the event on April 14, with speakers from Allnex, Red Spot Paint & Varnish Company, Inc., Heraeus Noblelight America and Sartomer USA. Christopher Seubert, Ford Motor Company, was the chairperson of the event. In addition, a potential update to an automotive UV-curing supplement from 2002 was considered, and an update on the New York State Vehicle Composites program was distributed.
The Education committee contemplated student incentives for membership and updated the group on the progress of both the RadTech student lab competition and the TAGA/RadTech student poster competition. Additional outreach plans for regional/metropolitan areas and academic/governmental institutions were discussed.
The UV LED committee reported 600 downloads of version 2 of the UV LED eBook in the first two weeks following its release. UV LED 2015, the associations first event dedicated to LED technologies, also was a success, with 25 tabletops and 250 attendees gathering in October in Troy, New York.
Printing and Packaging meeting attendees spoke about ways to continue to gain exposure through relationships with other trade shows and/or conferences. A discussion was held on the success of the LED curing panel last fall at SGIA (Specialty Graphic Imaging Association) and the feasibility of another panel presentation in 2016. Other associations were mentioned, including AIMCAL (Association of International Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators) and the possibility of working with the group on a panel or paper session at the upcoming AIMCAL fall conference.
The EHS committee tackled the difficult topic of safety and compliance in response to the outpouring of growth in the 3D printing arena. A Safe Handling of UV Materials Used in 3D informational flyer was created and input received from those in attendance. The intent is to fill a need for information to be provided to those without chemical-exposure training, but with access to the plethora of 3D printing equipment now available in the consumer market.
Market Outreach continued its drive to expand the reach of both the association and the technologies that are central to the association’s mission. The implementation of the RadTech Resource Bureau was announced. It will serve as a hub to connect organizations wanting to disseminate information on UV/EB technologies through speaking opportunities, article possibilities and more to those willing to share their industry knowledge. Relationships with Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs) also were discussed.
A reception on the first evening of the event provided all attendees an opportunity to network with others in the field and continue discussions carried over from meetings held earlier in the day. The 2016 Winter Meeting was well attended and set the stage for important progress for the committees as the association headed into its premier event, RadTech 2016.
