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In the words of Warmington-on-Sea local defence volunteer Corporal Jones, ‘Don’t panic!’ says independent paintmaker HMG Paints of Manchester, in response to next year’s implementation of the new EU Products Directive 2004/42/CE, limiting the use of organic solvents in vehicle refinishing. Contrary to sometimes feverish speculation and misguided scaremongering, this will not mean a wholesale switch to waterbased paints from January 2007, since the vast majority of CT finishing and refinishing applications will be covered by existing compliant products. Only newly-developed waterborne basecoats will be a specific Products Directive requirement and this should not represent a major problem for most bodyshops, since the volume usage is relatively low in the CT sector.

Market concerns about the new legislation were highlighted to HMG, when the company made its first-ever appearance at the 2006 Commercial Vehicles Show, Britain’s biggest road transport exhibition that this year recorded record attendances. One of just two paint manufacturers represented at the event, HMG distributed over 5,000 leaflets to trade visitors and handed out almost 50 kilos of sweets, dispensed rather incongruously by a giant armoured Ork figure.

“We achieved our main objective of highlighting HMG’s growing presence in, and commitment to, the CT market within the UK and Ireland,” says the company’s CT Products Manager, Steve Louis. “With our network of specialist distributors and an impressive customer base that includes major train, bus and coach manufacturers and top class CT refinishing bodyshops, we feel that we have a good overview of the market sector and can offer informed opinions on key issues within the industry.”

“Certainly, the new environmental legislation, due to come into force on 1st January 2007, is causing some degree of concern and confusion in the marketplace,” continues Steve. “As part of our strategy of differentiating HMG from its main competitors and offering best advice to customers, we are deliberately adopting a ‘don’t panic’ approach to the directive and offering OEM’s and bodyshops practical guidelines and application training where required.”

Although the legislation still contains a number of grey areas, the actual products to be used by the CT market post-January 2007 are actually the simplest aspects to understand, according to HMG. Two separate pieces of legislation will apply to specific segments of the CT market: EU Directive 2004/42/CE, otherwise known as the Product Directive (PD), applies to the vehicle refinishing and repair sector, while the 1999/13/EU Solvent Emissions Directive (SED) continues to cover OEMs and bus and truck coachwork builders only.

The PD legislation sets down maximum VOC content for various product categories, including primers and topcoats, in their ‘ready for use’ state; other than basecoats, these are the same levels as required under PG6/34, which has been in use since 1998 within the UK. Since the onus is now on paint manufacturers to observe these limits for solvent content, this does lighten the administrative load on refinishing bodyshops, although it does mean that all are now affected, rather than just the larger bodyshops previously registered under PG6/34.

For most CT bodyshops within the UK the legislation should not present a problem, especially given the relatively low usage of basecoats; although for smaller shops not currently using compliant products and Irish operators yet to be exposed to significant product VOC legislation, there will be an initial learning curve. This will entail moving from low-to-medium solids products to ultra high solids formulations, but HMG and its independent distributors are happy to advise on product selection, equipment upgrades and application methods needed to make the transition.

“If it’s any consolation, most UK customers have already gone through the same process, initially working with earlier generations of compliant coatings,” comments Steve. “Now they are so comfortable with the products and air handling techniques, they wouldn’t dream of going back to the old technology.”

Like other vehicle refinishing paint manufacturers, HMG is actively developing a waterborne basecoat that will spray like a conventional solvent-based system and offer the same degree of colour accuracy, yet meet the new PD requirements. The company is taking advantage of the very latest resins technology to formulate a low-solvent basecoat and ready-to-use tinters for solid colours, metallics and pearlescent finishes; however, it does caution that waterbornes will require new storage, transportation and spraying regimes, not least because of their obvious propensity to freeze at sub-zero temperatures.

As to businesses concerned with the first painting of bus, truck and trailer coachwork, the new directive does not regulate the VOC content of products used within this sector, which remains under the scope of the existing SED legislation. This new build / OEM market can effectively use any paint product as long as the total average usage of solvents does not exceed 54% by weight overall. However, says HMG, this is best achieved by simply adopting products that meet the VOC limits set out in the parallel PD legislation, which should also ease the burden of maintaining detailed product records.

Finally, HMG points out that, whilst manufacturers must meet the new solvent limits for all products sold after 1st January 2007, a grace period will allow non-compliant products to be used for up to 12 months after this date, under a ‘placed on market’ codicil. Which means there is even less reason for CT bodyshops to panic!

Further enquiries to:

HMG Paints
Riverside Works
Collyhurst Road
Manchester
M40 7RU
Telephone 0161 205 7631
email sales@hmgpaint.com

Press Contact:

David Gent Creative
Tel 01706 220388
Fax 01706 215849
email david@davidgent.com

Space tourism will be a reality in a matter of years, according to Steve Bennett, CEO of Starchaser Industries, the privately-held high technology company that specialises in the development, operation and commercialisation of space-related products and services. As a vital step toward its own low cost space tourism launches, the Hyde, Cheshire company will shortly test fire its new Churchill Mk3 rocket engine, the largest of its kind in Europe, which uses the same liquid oxygen and kerosene bi-propellant combination that took Apollo to the moon.

The Starchaser programme demonstrates that British space engineering is still at the forefront of technological innovation and amongst its most enthusiastic supporters and sponsors is HMG Paints, which has provided high performance paint systems for every rocket built and launched since 1996. Its surface coatings adorn Starchaser rockets exhibited at the Spaceport tourist attraction, the Thunderstar 3-man capsule displayed at the X Prize Cup Expo in New Mexico, and the 11 metre Nova/Starchaser 4 rocket demonstrated to over 150,000 schoolchildren around the country and a recent gathering of MPs. HMG paint systems also protected SHARP and Starchaser rockets during actual test flights, surviving speeds up to 500mph and acceleration forces of 5G, and will shortly do the same for the latest generation of Skybolt reusable sounding rockets.

Starchaser was set up by Steve Bennett in 1992 as an experimental rocket test programme, aiming to develop inexpensive means of delivering small scientific payloads to high altitudes. Subsequently it relocated to Salford University, where Steve still serves as Director of Space Technology, and latterly transferred its manufacturing and rocket assembly arm to Hyde, where a dedicated team of graduate-level specialists are employed.

In 1996 it launched Starchaser 2, then the largest private civilian rocket ever flown, and has subsequently achieved 14 successful launches, culminating in Nova/Starchaser 4, the world’s first independently-built reusable rocket capable of carrying people into space.

The potential market for commercial space travel is huge, with estimates suggesting the market for sub-orbital tourism could be worth $300 million a year and orbital travel as much as $10 billion annually. As it prepares to enter this lucrative market with its Thunderstar/Starchaser 5 design, the company helps finance its project with a number of revenue-generating activities, including Team Starchaser, an online shop, the Merseyside Spaceport exhibition and a highly successful outreach programme that engages with schools and the general public.

One of its earliest sponsors, HMG Paints, whose slogan is ‘one name that covers everything’, is delighted to add sub-orbital space to the places where its high performance paints (and logo) can be found, supplementing every other form of transport from ocean-going yachts and canal boats, to trucks, buses and cars. The Starchaser programme also provides an unusual and demanding test bed for its products, needing to withstand weathering and road grime on display rockets and massive G-forces at launches.

“HMG is a great outfit, with great people and great paint,” says Steve Bennett succinctly.

Initially, the early SHARP test rockets were sprayed by Starchaser technicians, using a regular HMG automotive cellulose, but the standard of finish prompted the Manchester company to recommend a more sophisticated coating system and provide technical training for improved application. Such was the success of this revised paint system, based on HMG’s renowned 2-pack Acrythane acrylic polyurethane, that subsequent SHARP 4 and 5 rocket firings actually gained an extra 1000ft (310m) in altitude. The same high gloss finish was consequently applied to the Nova/Starchaser 4 rocket, successfully launched in 2001 and now, refurbished and repainted, touring the nation’s schools and even making its mark at the House of Commons.

For the 3-man Thunderstar capsule, displayed to great acclaim at last year’s international X Prize Cup Expo in New Mexico, USA, HMG provided a mainly decorative finish based on its M99 high gloss cellulose, in satin black and metallic lacquer. In due course, it will collaborate with Starchaser on developing suitable paint systems for the Skybolt sounding rocket, developed to launch experimental and scientific payloads on a sub-orbital trajectory, and ultimately the Thunderstar/Starchaser 5 combination, expected to reach an altitude between 130 and 160km (80-100 miles) as it carries its 3-person crew on a sub-orbital flight and returns them safely to Earth.

“As an independent British company ourselves, we are privileged to be involved with a UK company that is carving an international reputation in such an advanced field of technology,” says HMG’s Managing Director, John Falder. “It’s somewhat humbling to think of our paint and our name being launched into space. If I could afford it, I would love to be one of Starchaser’s first space tourists.”

Further enquiries to:

HMG Paints
Riverside Works
Collyhurst Road
Manchester
M40 7RU
Telephone 0161 205 7631
email sales@hmgpaint.com

or check out www.starchaser.co.uk

Press Contact:

David Gent Creative
Tel 01706 220388
Fax 01706 215849
email david@davidgent.com

I noticed that since the switchover to hmgpaint.com my login system hasn’t been functioning correctly - the login only lasted as long as the session rather than as long as the login cookie… eventually I realised I was still using the dev domain for the cookie, therefore rendering it invalid

The issue should be resolved now

I’ve also made a few modifications to the login procedure:

• Generated password is more user friendly
• Account activation automatically logs the user in

I’ve had to switch the new website over to hmgpaint.com for numerous reasons, however I’ve made an archive of the old website available

If you need something from the old HMG website which isn’t available on this new website, you can access the archive here:

v2.hmgpaint.com

Please note however that you should register with this new website as the old website will soon be discontinued completely