SPL Coatings Technology has over the years developed a number of market specific coatings that strategically positions the company as it enter the 21st Century. We manufacture our coatings to specifications that ensures each and every batch of a colour is within a Delta (D) E of less than 1.5 of the standard.

Our primary coating material, RCM, was developed to meet the needs of the telephone industry during the 1980's and is primarily used for coating products made of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). It can also be applied to PPO, related substrates as well as certain blends of PC-ABS. What makes our RCM unique is its bonding and recyclability characteristics, which has become key as environmental considerations grow in importance.

During the 1990's, SPL moved into the office equipment market, offering re-coating services on photocopiers, facsimile machines, printers and computers. However, as with any market, the copier market changed during the 1990's. The original equipment manufacturers started to use different types of plastic looking for more cost-effective ingredients for their products. Soon we were dealing with numerous different substrates and one coating was not sufficient for the job.

For a time, we used various primers to ensure good adhesion of our RCM to the newer substrates as well as to metal components. The problem was the extra preparation time required, a luxury we could ill-afford. Our Research and Development team set out to develop a coating that would coat all the various plastics confronting us, without losing the properties of our RCM that made SPL's products unique. The result was our RCM-WB (SA), a unique waterborne coating that does not affect the recyclability of the coated substrate. We also developed a less expensive alternative RCM-WB (A) for customers not concerned with recyclability. By offering a waterborne coating alternative we have been able to meet many of the environmental concerns regarding volatile organic compounds (VOCs). We fully support our RCM as it is the most effective of the coatings and remains the most cost-effective means of reducing the life cycle cost of many of the products we re-coat.

Although our coatings were specifically designed for the re-coating of used products, we soon found they had many applications for new plastic products. A number of new computer products being introduced into the marketplace, have very complex mould designs and require a fog coating to mask the mould imperfections. In addition, many companies are now offering colour options on their computer equipment, generating a demand for coloured computer parts. This need has to be met while ensuring the environmental movements push for recyclable equipment is being addressed. SPL's RCM-WB (SA) satisfies these requirements.

In addition to these products designed to coat products with an expected indoor use, we have also developed a coating for use on rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The coating, Solvinco was originally designed for the vinyl siding industry to address the issues of damage caused by conventional paints. Solvinco is used to provide a superior finish with no embrittlement to the substrate on products as diverse as vinyl extruded profiles used in window manufacturing, vinyl siding, telephone cords and computer cables.

When we entered the US telephone market, where companies had been painting telephone plastics for many years, we discovered a demand for a high gloss finish on certain styles of telephones. Although the telephones were made of ABS, a plastic not known for its high gloss levels, painters in the US had been using an automotive paint thereby giving the customer a high gloss appearance on refurbished units. Although some customers were concerned about recyclability or wanted the product returned to its original appearance, most telephone consumers in the USA wanted the shiny look. Accordingly we developed a high gloss coating (ACM) to satisfy that market. Although only available in black currently, other colours could be developed as demand dictates.

In addition to our own in-house coatings, which we both sell and apply, SPL offers specialty coating application services out of its Burnaby, BC Canada facilities. If you have a product that needs to be coated, we can offer speedy, professional coating services out of our 12,000 square foot facility. We will find the best coating for the job enabling us to give you the surface colour, texture and finish you require. We can coat almost any product and will add specialty finishes such as EMI shielding as required.

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