Industrial painting may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about technological frontiers, but there are advances in the industry’s products, techniques, and safety procedures being made everyday. An operation that’s open to adopting these technologies will be constantly improving as a company, while companies that remain stubbornly fixed in their old ways will fall behind.
Inflexible companies will find that, at some point, they are no longer able to provide a service that’s on par with their more innovative competitors.
If it’s fallen on you, or it may in the near future, to choose an industrial painter, ask if they’ve adopted any new technologies recently, or are testing out any new techniques for industrial coating applications. Any indication an industrial painter can give that they are committed to innovation will be a sign they are serious about staying competitive.
Equipment
A company’s industrial painting equipment can act as a source of innovation or handicap it by causing owners to avoid further investment in favor of holding onto obsolete equipment. We firmly believe in the advantages of owning your own industrial painting equipment, but not at the cost of sacrificing further improvement.
Upgrading older equipment with newer technologies is a telltale sign a company is committed to staying ahead. Has a company’s equipment been outfitted with GPS to enhance accountability and guard against theft? The relatively recent arrival of small, affordable tracking devices indicates that the equipment has recently been revisited, and the owner is committed to keeping it in top shape.
An industrial painters fleet of trucks can also be telling. This fleet represents an investment, more so the larger the operation. Once again, it can be tempting to cut costs by keeping vehicles on the road as long as possible. But innovation here can pay dividends in fuel efficiency, safety, and company image.
Technology
Powerful, portable and durable computing devices have changed the way business is done in so many industries. Industrial painting is no exception. It’s become increasingly rare to see high-quality industrial painters hit the job-site WITHOUT a tablet or smart phone. These devices vary in their value to an organization, but when outfitted with smart, purpose driven software for tasks like quality control and process management, they can be responsible for serious productivity gains.
And tech advances aren’t confined to computers. Better products and techniques for applying them are being discovered all the time. We’ve written recently on the new technologies that have made plural component coatings a more attractive solution, discoveries that have made metallizing more cost-effective, and companies that have designed safer suspended platform systems.
Training seminars and certification renewals are great ways to make sure crews stay up to date with industry trends. It’s important that managers make continuing education opportunities available. After all, new technologies aren’t worth much if they’re a mystery to the crews utilizing them.
Our take
In the industrial painting business, if you fall behind on adopting the technologies that make your operation safer and more effective, your quality of work will suffer. That’s why, at Thomas Industrial Coatings, we place a premium on innovation. It keeps us investing in our equipment, and more importantly our people. We take pride in staying ahead of the curve. Thomas Pride.