R&D — The Long Term Development Group
Beckers' extensive range of coil products has been built up by understanding customers' real needs and using advanced technology to maximise their productivity. Tomorrow's coil products are being created in the same way.
Linking research & development with the world
Globalising markets and increasing sophistication of research methods demands an international centre of excellence. Beckers has created such a centre in its Long Term Development, or LTD Group.
Based in the UK, the Group is:
- Isolated from daily pressures but dedicated to market needs;
- Centralised for cost and synergy, yet "a part of all" operating businesses;
- Involved in fundamental research, but concentrating with a flexible attitude on developments for real markets;
- Compact, for effective administration and cost control, but containing a wide range of specialisation and experience.
Focusing on coil markets, it tackles some of the fundamental questions relevant to coil such as mechanisms of adhesion, extent of cure and the effects of environmental conditions on formability, degradation and weathering mechanisms. Their development work is yielding exciting results in chromate-free primers, radiation-cured systems for coil and infrared reflective systems (BeckryTherm). The LTD Group also works extensively on environmentally focused topics such as "High Solids" and powder coating systems for coil.
The LTD group has extensive application and curing facilities, including a pilot coil coating line, UV and infrared curing equipment.
Typical projects have a two to five year time horizon and, especially where new processing technologies are involved, have a customer as a prospective partner. Not all development work is taken into the LTD Group: vital short and medium term development is provided from local laboratories, working closely with their customers. Together with the LTD Group, local laboratories also work closely with Beckers' university partners in European centres of academic excellence.
Part of the Becker Coil Coating Group, the LTD Group is driven by those responsible for real markets, the commercial and technical arms of the European and regional coil businesses. They regularly scrutinise project selection and progress to ensure that the work will meet, or exceed, market expectations and environmental demands.
The LTD Group is a vital factor in the Beckers equation. Its ongoing success in the development of new products is fundamental to the company maintaining its position as the biggest and, more importantly, the best in Europe.
Staff development
The LTD group provides all regional businesses with the opportunity to deploy staff to or from the group for short single project visits or on a two to three year basis. This allows the temporary transfer of specific knowledge and expertise, improves technical communication and avoids "not-invented-here" attitudes.