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The development of a new product which is helping to change the face of the energy and infrastructure markets in Europe has won world-class coatings manufacturer Sherwin-Williams the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation 2016.
The breakthrough was made by Sherwin-Williams Protective and Marine Coatings through its new coating Dura-Plate 301W, which has unique surface, humidity and temperature tolerant properties designed to protect assets in the harshest of environments, offering a longer painting calendar, increased efficiencies and reduced overall project costs.
The cost of downtime on maintenance has long been an issue in many offshore European locations, with shortened seasons for coating depending on how low temperatures have fallen in winter.
Working with key customers, the technical team developed a cold curing expansion of the surface and humidity tolerant epoxy technology, keeping the same broader field of application covering its use in immersion as well as atmospheric service conditions in offshore, marine, industrial and infrastructure applications.
Dura-Plate 301W offers cold curing down to 0ºC and extended re-coatability of up to six months, two important extensions of this technology reach.
Ian Walker, managing director of Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), said: "This award is testament to the whole team and the truly innovative nature of this product, how it was conceived and developed to meet a specific gap in the market.
"We¹re particularly proud that we have won such a prestigious honour, we understand how tough it is to be recognised at this level and what it means.
"Our customers are now seeing the benefits of this coating, the difference it offers in terms of the extended season and the financial advantages.
"We have sought to provide a balance of uses for the Dura-Plate 301W technology to add to the options for the asset owner and maintenance contractor worldwide and in Europe particularly."
Sherwin-Williams Protective and Marine Coatings Division EMEA, based at Bolton in Greater Manchester, is a leader in the development of coatings for passive fire protection, oil & gas and bridges and highways applications.
