Oct. 2, 2003
Glenn Wigington went to Anaheim, CA for the American Composites Manufacturers Association's COMPOSITES 2003 with a new purpose. As Technical Director for HK Research, he'd attended dozens of trade shows to gather information. This time however, his mission was to give information away, to educate his composites industry colleagues and spread the news about low-HAP gel coats.

The role of seminar presenter is a natural offshoot of the creative process prevalent in his daily environment, and one that Wigington particularly enjoys. "It's a privilege to get up in front of people and talk about the things that are of great interest to me and anyone in the industry," he said. Given the freedom by HK President, Richard Higgins, to create new products that save time and raw materials, Wigington embraced the opportunity to share the benefits of low-HAP gel coats with members of the marine and bathware industries.

The well-attended session addressed issues facing composites manufacturers every day. Available low-HAP gel coat categories including clears, pigmented, deep-tone accent and FDA certifiable products, among others, were highlighted. Discussion of critical performance topics like resistance to UV yellowing, osmotic blistering, hardness and tensile strength issues brought forth valuable information for session participants.

Non-atomized and airless/air assisted product delivery systems were addressed in light of new emission control regulations designed to reduce Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP). Wigington also provided compelling evidence on how low-HAP gel coats reduce the styrene emissions at the heart of the Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards. "All the regulations are HAP-driven, meaning that compliance with MACT will revolve around reducing pollutants. I have been a believer in the low-HAP philosophy since its inception," Wigington said. "Some people in the industry are still trying to solve yesterday's problems today. I went to Anaheim to talk about how a forward-thinking vision now can help the industry two years down the road and beyond."

For more information about the American Composite Manufacturers Association, visit www.acmanet.org.