Advanced systems for coatings
Coatings are of key importance in many industries from paints to steel works. Much information has been amassed in this area, however it remains difficult to access. The aim of project KNOWCOAT is to provide a distribution platform with advanced retrieval techniques and a content rich client architecture where structured information can easily be obtained. The project has addressed three areas of development. "Help Desk" could be the first port of call for users. Here information is provided on what is needed to provide a high quality, cost-effective coating for the purpose specified by the user in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. The user selects parameters such as the area of application of the coating. Access is then provided to all available coating systems meeting the criteria, without the user having to connect to suppliers' websites. Help Desk also provides information on purchase of raw materials and on how to deal with various problems that may be encountered. In order to utilise the Knowcoat Platform, the Knowcoat Software Development Kit (SDK) has been developed. This is a set of tools that allows users to develop, test and integrate applications that consume services from the platform. Thus, management software can be integrated into existing IT systems. A virtual formulator (VF) for coating manufacture has also been developed. The formulation defines the properties of the coating and drives the operation systems in manufacture. This is essential not only in coating manufacture, but also in the pharmaceutical and detergents industry among others. VF provides a virtual environment where liquid paint formulations can be tested with regard to essential properties such as film density, key weight or volume ratios and operational ratios such as mill-base to make up volume. This removes the need for wet chemistry, reducing both time and cost. Parties in the food, detergent and pharmaceutical industries, interested in platform technology, efficient development of formulations and coatings, can share in developing the huge potential of these tools.
