June has been a busy month with a new starter joining our operations team, internal training, product development and much more!
Inside Kortec
New Starter
Welcome to the newest member of our Operations Team – Tom Shipley!
Tom is our new Logistics Apprentice, his role within the Operations Team is to ensure all goods are checked in and out of the warehouse accurately, whilst maintaining our warehouse efficiency and cleanliness standards.
The Varlaq Story Continues
As the interest in our Varlaq Hydro range of water-based paint grows, one question we are asked is around the durability of our paint finish, something we are always proud to demonstrate first-hand!
At the recent Materials & Finishes Exhibition, our team were on-hand with painted samples, ready for visitors to try their own scratch test, leaving them more than impressed with the results.
See for yourself in this short demonstration video we recently posted on LinkedIn.
An Introduction to Abrasives
Often overlooked, the role of quality abrasives in achieving a truly world-class finish is crucial. No matter how good the paint, the sprayer or the equipment is, a truly high-quality finish simply cannot be achieved without an abrasive that suits the substrate and techniques you are using.
A full range of abrasives, such as velcro discs, pads, sponges and rolls are available to suit the different shapes and surfaces of a substrate, they smooth imperfections and clean surfaces, removing raw material, old paint and other contaminants.
It is vital that preparation is completed thoroughly at each stage of the coating process. Initial sanding ensures that primers can adhere properly, creating a strong foundation for subsequent layers. Further sanding is required between applying the primer and topcoat, creating a slightly roughened surface promoting adhesion between the two coats also providing a uniform aesthetic.
By being consistent with your preparation methods, you will find the longevity and quality of the finish are significantly improved.
A Day In Operations
Having recently joined the Kortec team, Emilio spent a day in our laboratory, which provided a valuable opportunity to observe the detailed process of achieving a colour match from beginning to end.
Working with our experienced Lab Technicians and our Spectrophotometers, he read the customer’s colour sample, visually checked the read for accuracy, created the formula and mixed the paint ready for the first spray test.
Emilio then moved to the spray booth and sprayed a sample substrate, then worked with a Technician again to check accuracy with the Spectrophotometer against the customer’s original sample.This process is adjusted and then repeated until an exact match is achieved, before the paint is produced.
Emilio noted that the team's expertise and attention to detail are incredible, consistently delivering reliable results week after week.
He commented “This experience has given me a massive appreciation for the work they do. I’m glad that I work in sales – as I’m not sure I’d cut it down there!”
Kortec Team Building Day
To reward and develop our team, we will be hosting a team event day on Friday 5th July 2024.
As a result, our entire team will be out of the office on this date.
We aim to use this day to strengthen our internal collaboration, teamwork and overall working environment, which will ultimately enhance our service for you, our valued clients.
Whilst we are away from the office, we want to assure you that we have taken necessary steps to minimise any potential impact or disruptions.
Heroes of the Month
Congratulations to all our Heroes of May!
We are pleased to announce that May’s top scorers against our values (Respect, Innovation, Dynamism and Expertise) were:
A Quick Recap
Are you struggling to achieve consistent colour?
In order to ensure best colour consistency, there are a number of variables to closely consider, in order to be aware of and mitigate their effect as far as possible.
In this article, we cover the common obstacles people face when reaching for that all-important colour consistency.
Paint Industry News
The British Coatings Federation recently held their annual conference, in Manchester. The day's proceedings took a forward-looking focus, hearing from Sherin Mathew, founder of AI Tech UK, followed by Fhaheen Khan, Senior Economist at Make UK and Professor Allan Matthews of the University of Manchester, who all provided insights into how businesses can harness and benefit from digitisation and innovation.
You can read in more detail a breakdown of the conference and its activities here: Press release – The future of the UK coatings industry takes precedence at the 2024 BCF Conference - British Coatings Federation Ltd
Coming Soon...
Keep an eye out for our next edition, with more news and updates!
- More on our team building day
- The growing range of Varlaq paints