AMPP Interview Series

The Future of Workforce Development in Skilled Trades

This roundtable panel features Alan Thomas, CEO of the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP); Dr. Rick Polanin, past president of the American Welding Society (AWS); and Ricky Morgan, past president of The American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT).

Topics include the current state of workforce development, as well as common challenges encountered, innovative solutions, and initiatives where these associations can work together. Other discussion points are recent technological advancements within those industries; lessons learned from each panelist’s career journey; and the role of diversity and inclusion in building the workforce of the future.

What’s MIC Got to Do with It?

Dr. Jason Lee, with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, and Dr. Susmitha Kotu, with DNV, join our CORROSION journal podcast series to discuss microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC).

This episode explains what MIC is and which industries it affects, challenges in predicting and mitigating MIC, new advancements in the field, and areas that need future research.

What Strategic CP Automation Means to MOBILTEX and the Industry

Future-focused integrity and corrosion mitigation program directors are recognizing many operational challenges that the future may hold. In turn, they are looking to IIoT companies like MOBILTEX to deliver both cutting-edge field hardware, as well as advanced cloud-based software capabilities (with the necessary security), to address these challenges—all while simultaneously improving their system performance.

Will Maize, Director of Product Management and Corporate Strategy at MOBILTEX, recently spoke with Materials Performance (MP) Magazine about the meaning of strategic cathodic protection (CP) automation and why it could be a key solution. Other points of discussion include how IIoT technology has evolved in recent years; strategies to bring the future into the present; and current focal points for the industry.

Dave Evans on AMPP’s Industrial Coating Application Launch

Dave Evans, director of business development at AMPP, explains what the newly released Industrial Coating Application (ICA) program could mean for members and the industry at large. Topics include how and why the new program was developed; updated features and opportunities to address current marketplace needs; and how it could help shape AMPP’s future education and training offerings.

Sustainable Solutions for the Built Environment

Job Coenen, AkzoNobel’s sustainability program manager and a strategic global corporate advisory board member of the World Green Building Council, tells CoatingsPro Magazine how sustainable solutions for the built environment can combat the challenges of producing more green buildings.

Discussion topics include the role of circularity in product development; science-based targets and goals; and how new technologies can help the cause.

Celebrating Open Access Week 2023

Drs. Doug Hansen (University of Dayton) and Raghu Srinivasan (University of Alaska) join our CORROSION journal podcast series to celebrate International Open Access Week 2023. The episode includes a roundtable discussion about why research and sharing findings is important within the industry, as well as some information about AMPP’s research program.

Sustainability and the Future of AMPP

In a panel discussion, AMPP members Cal Chapman (Chapman Engineering) and Sandy Williamson (Williamson Integrity Services) join Materials Performance (MP) Editor Kerry Cole to explain what sustainability means to them and why it is critically important to our industry. Topics include how sustainability is already being practiced and its impact on business; trends and new technologies to watch for; and expectations for the future.

The conversation also explores initiatives and opportunities to get involved at an association level, such as AMPP’s Sustainability Task Force; a technical community of interest (TCI) on materials sustainability; and a Sustainability Symposium and Expert Panel session at the AMPP 2024 Annual Conference + Expo next March.

Reflections on Peer Review Week 2023

In celebration of Peer Review Week 2023, Drs. Oumaïma Gharbi, with Sorbonne Universite, and Dave Kolman, with Los Alamos National Laboratories, join the CORROSION journal podcast series to discuss the importance of peer review. The episode includes a discussion of what makes for a good review; advice for reviewers; and an outlook on the future of peer review.

62Archer’s Eric Nenninger Finds Value in Coatings Education

Based near St. Louis, Missouri, Eric Nenninger is a founding partner of 62Archer Inspection and Consulting and a member of CoatingsPro Magazine’s 2023 Editorial Advisory Group. In all, Nenninger has served the industrial coatings field for close to 20 years.

Having worked for application companies, paint manufacturers, and inspection firms, Nenninger has a broad knowledge of the industry. He is a NACE Level 3 coating inspector and an AMPP member, and he was chairman of his local NACE International chapter for many years.

As part of this “member profile,” Nenninger shares lessons learned after nearly two decades in the industry. Discussion topics include market trends; ways in which Nenninger’s many certifications have boosted his transition into inspections; advice for the next generation of coatings professionals; and how associations such as AMPP, NACE, and SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings have helped his career.

Environment-Induced Crack Initiation in Aluminum Alloys

Drs. Henry Holroyd, a consultant, and Tim Burnett, with the University of Manchester, join our CORROSION journal podcast series to discuss environment-induced crack initiation and early stages of crack growth in aluminum alloys. They explain crack initiation, discuss some of the challenges encountered, and identify areas that need further exploration.