Erie Powder / EPC is pleased to announce we have new color charts now available. This is “volume 3” of the series, and replaces volume 2. The new color chart shows powder coating colors, and is in addition to the current slate of RAL colors that EPC stocks.
The new color charts reflect our current stock offering. There are many hold over colors from the older charts to the new charts, but there have been a few colors dropped from the stock offering. A number of new powders have been added, or modified represented on the new chart.

Call your rep or our office for a copy today!

Erie Powder / EPC has revised our stock list once again. The good news is that there are NO pricing changes, and no deletions from our list. We have only added several products. The changes to the stock list are summarized below, with the addition of:

PF4041-G6 Merc Blue Polyester
This is a “version” of our merc blue. It is slightly lower gloss, fast cure TGIC-Free compared to our standard P426-G8. This product has excellent durability and weatherability.

SPF314-G8 6029 Mint Green
This is another in our series of Super-durable (SP) polyester glossy products for the RAL expansion. We have been stocking this one for a while, but it wasn’t entered on the list until now.

SP280-G3 Satin Black SD
The SP280-G3 satin black product is basically a SD version of our hugely successful P2230-G3 (standard durable) product. The SP280-G3 is using the exact same technology as the P2230 – but with superdurable resin and pigmentation. Thus, this product exhibits excellent combo of gloss and mechanicals, and is very smooth compared to most competitors satin products.

SP924-V7 Silver Vein SD
This is a new, revised version (4th generation) of silver vein. This product has the following properties compared to the older generations:
• 100% reliable texture – which is a massive improvement compared to the 1st and 2nd generation products
• Superdurable product for excellent weatherability
• No fogging formula
• Standard cure
• The metallic is NOT bonded, but we are getting close to bonded results. Pricing is somewhat more expensive due to it being a superdurable chemistry, but still very competitive compared to our competitors products (if they have any products in this range)

Please call our office or your sales rep if you would like further information on these products or any other of our stock products.

General Information on GHS:
Different countries around the world have had different hazard communication systems in place for safety communication about hazardous chemicals. Often, these systems have been coordinated so that they are recognizable in many different countries and consisted mainly of training, a MSDS, and product labels. Just the same, there were often significant differences in the format and information on these safety communications.

In an effort to standardize hazard communications, the UN along with a number of experts created a new change in safety communications for workplaces, the GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals). This is set to standardize classification of chemicals and their associated health, physical and environmental hazards, as well as the communication of these hazards through safety data sheets and labels.

The GHS has been formally and legally adopted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The timelines for implementation vary from country to country, but OSHA in the United States has set a date of June 1, 2015 for full implementation of this system by chemical suppliers and manufacturers. Implementation in Canada is taking place from 2015 to mid 2017.

GHS Components

To implement the GHS, Erie / EPC has worked diligently through the legislation to make sure that our products and shipments will meet the requirements of the new legislation. To satisfy the requirements of the GHS, you will see the following components changing:

Labeling:
In the past, safety information at EPC was printed directly onto the box. This included general safety information and a reference to view the MSDS. For the new GHS compliant labels: Chemical manufacturers and importers must provide a label that includes a signal word, pictogram, hazard statement, and precautionary statement for each hazard class and category. This information will differ in format from the previous labels. The labels will include:

Signal Word: The signal word is either “DANGER” for more severe hazards, or “WARNING” for less severe hazards. In general, the powder coatings that Erie / EPC ships will be labeled with “WARNING”

Pictograms: These are visual representations of the hazard, and are defined by the legislation. OSHA has mandated that these are printed in color on the labels.
For a complete list of pictograms, please go to www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/ghs.html

Hazard Statement: Hazard statements list a summary of the hazards associated with the product or ingredients in the product.

Precautionary Statement: The precautionary statement is a summary of the recommended practices and measures to reduce or minimize the adverse effects of the product in the workplace.

Safety Data Sheets:
Along with the change in the labeling of chemicals and products, the Safety Data Sheets are also revised for the GHS. Previously, information was communicated on Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). With the GHS, this has been changed to a Safety Data Sheet (SDS).

The classification, and communication of the data has been standardized so that the presentation of the information is common from SDS to SDS. For example on MSDS sheets, there were frequently 9, 10 or 16 sections to the sheet, and no defined order of the sections. With the SDS, the name of each section, the order of the sections, and the number of sections are all defined by the GHS and should be common on all SDS from all suppliers. The aim of this is to allow easier identification and discovery of the information contained in the SDS.

While there are format and information changes on the SDS compared to the MSDS, the two systems are similar enough that most persons who are familiar and trained on MSDS sheets will easily recognize the data and communication information on a SDS.

Training:
Training for the new system is essential. Legislation in both Canada and the USA has stipulated that workers be trained in the new system.

Implementation of GHS at Erie Powder Coatings / EPC Powder Mfg.
Customers of EPC / Erie Powder will begin to see the new labels and will be shipped the new SDS sheets. Full implementation of this system is expected at Erie / EPC by the end of April 2015 in the United States and shortly thereafter in Canada.

Information Change does not mean Product Change
Last, please note, the information and communication of hazard information is being revised by our company to meet legislation on GHS. However, the hazards associated with our products, and the products themselves are not changing.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact your sales rep or our office.

Erie Powder Coatings was happy to be the event sponsor for the Grimsby Museum Fundraising Dinner, Grimsby ON. The event took place on November 15, 2014.
“We are always happy to support local events, and we have a strong interest in the history of this area” said Linda Coutts. The dinner is a major fundraiser for the museum.

The event speaker was David Phillips from Environment Canada, who spun a very entertaining evening talk on the climate and had many stories related to his work and climate history.

David Wayne Phillips, CM is a climatologist for Environment Canada, a spokesperson for the Meteorological Service of Canada, and author.

EPC has updated the current stock listing of products offered for sale. A number of new products have been added to the stock list, for the most part superdurable polyester coatings and RAL colors.
This latest update brings the total RAL color offering of EPC to 25 colors, and ups the offering on superdurable finishes substantially, in response to market requests.

This brings the listing of RAL colors to include:

RAL 1013, RAL 1015, RAL 2004, RAL 3002, RAL 3003, RAL 5003, RAL 5010, RAL 5015, RAL 6005, RAL 6018, RAL 7004, RAL 7012, RAL 7030, RAL 7032, RAL 7035, RAL 7038, RAL 7040, RAL 7043, RAL 7045, RAL 9001, RAL 9002, RAL 9005, RAL 9010 and RAL 9016.

Erie Powder / EPC have added a number of RAL superdurable powders to the stock color card, and the response from customers has been strong. We are now stocking the following RAL colors in a superdurable finish:
RAL 9001 Cream
RAL 7035 Lt Gray
RAL 7040 Gray
RAL 3003 Ruby Red
RAL 9016 White

Also, EPC is now stocking additional black superdurable powders. Give your sales rep a call if you would like to see more information about these new products!

Erie Powder Coatings / EPC Powder has once again signed on and supports the NAI Coating show, in Cincinnati OH from October 4 – 6. The NAI coating show was a great success last year, where EPC exhibited, in Indianapolis. The 2011 show covers all aspects of coatings, from liquid to powder. There are a large number of exhibitors at this show, including powder suppliers, equipment manufactureres and distributors, wash / pretreatment suppliers, consultants, etc, making this NAI show a great one stop shop for any company alreaady using powder coatings, or those that are interested in doing so.
We hope to see you there, we are at booth 1117, October 4 – 6 2011 in Cincinnati OH

Due to an unprecedented rise in the cost of raw materials, Erie Powder / EPC is having to increase pricing on all powder coatings, pricing to be implemented before May 1st. Over the last 6 to 8 months, pricing on many raw materials has increased to levels not seen before. Erie / EPC have aggressively sought to contain rising costs through efficiency, but the rapid rise of raw material costs have completely overwhelmed any savings through efficiency.
Brian Coutts, company president noted that the pricing increase was a difficult news item to bring to company customers. “Most of our customers haven’t had a pricing increase in the nearly 20 years we have dealt with them, and in fact, most customers have seen substantial pricing decreases over that time. Combined with the poor performance of the economy, it’s very difficult to convince our customers that we are actually seeing these very significant pricing increases on our raw materials, and that many of these raw materials are actually in a short supply position”

Mr Coutts noted that there does not appear to be any relief on the near horizon. “We have been told to expect more tightening of the raw material supply, which will probably lead to further increases in pricing on the raw materials. But we would also note that the pricing increase we are putting in right now to our customers simply reverses the cuts we made to our prices in 2009, and in many cases our new pricing, even after the increase, is still lower than it was in 2008 / 2009”

Pricing on Erie / EPC products will increase on or before May 1st, subject to prior contract.

EPC Powder, North East PA – EPC is pleased to announce its new listing with UL. The UL listing is now up on the UL website, under the online certifications directory. The listing is under the certification DTOV2.MH47209 Coatings, Organic, for Steel Enclosures of Outdoor-use Electrical Equipment – Component
Bob Whitman, Sales Manager was pleased to have the certification fully up and running. “It was a long process. But we are really happy to have this new certification. For us, this UL DT0V2 certifiction is another mark for our company which shows quality. We also feel that we have a number of potential customers that might buy product from us due to the certification.”

Information on the listing can be found on the UL web site, www.UL.com, and search “certifications”. The EPC listing can be found under the DT0V2 certification, with the EPC file number MH47209

Erie Powder Coatings / EPC Powder Mfg. have made the move to new boxes. “Our customers will be seeing them soon” said company president Brian Coutts, “and while it seems like a small change, after all it’s just packaging, it’s actually a significant product improvement”
Erie Powder / EPC made the move with the new boxes due to customer feedback. “We’re always trying to listen to our customers” Mr. Coutts said. “The changes help with a number of customer issues that have been brought up”

The main changes with the boxes are the size and set-up of the boxes. The new boxes have a smaller footprint, but are slightly taller. This allows a smaller footprint on the customers floor, and will allow skids to be packaged in 600kg (1320 lbs) and 900kg (1980 lbs) sizes.

And the other big improvement? “One of the big customer complaints that some of our customers have about our old boxes, and most of our competitors boxes are that they rip on the handles when you try to pick them up” said Mr Coutts. “We’ve taken the step of upgrading the boxes with specialty polymer tape between the layers of cardboard to give the handle area much improved strength. This adds some to the cost of the box, but we really feel the improvement is worth it for both our handling of these boxes and our customers too”.

Last, the boxes also sport new graphics. “Again, this is not just cosmetic. We’ve re-designed the boxes so that the label appears on the smaller face of the box. This means that for our customers, when they put them on the shelf, the label is facing out. Our older boxes, and most all of our competitors, have labels that face in or sideways towards the shelf, so that you have to actually pull the box out to read the label” says Mr. Coutts.

The new boxes are already in use, and will be seen in our customers production facilities shortly.