Feature AI & ML
determine what kind of “magnetism” you will need this team to have. In general, it will consist of product and application development, manufacturing and technical service scientists and engineers working alongside dedicated marketing, sales and financial folks. Eastman invests heavily in its human magnetism, providing state-of-the-art instrumentation and access to literature and raw materials, as well as encouraging collaboration and exchange of ideas with academic and industrial partners. Having a compass is just a stepping
Building a compass for AI innovation in metal packaging coatings
CAMERON BROWN, application research scientist, and KUO-HSIANG RAYE CHANG, advanced application development scientist at Eastman’s coatings division, discuss how the company is benefiting from artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to develop a new class of exceptionally durable polyester resins for can coatings.
Identifying magnetic north
in the can coatings industry Metal packaging coatings are highly formulated products, used in a complex landscape that allows for various formulation combinations, combined with different types of metal substrate and curing conditions. Additionally, a variety of application testing methods are being used to mimic the experience of the coating during can fabrication, filling, shipping and storage. Navigating this landscape and identifying the most promising formulations can be a daunting task. Sound navigation requires a reliable compass. Compasses are rather simple devices
consisting of a magnetized needle that can pivot to align itself with magnetic north. But what is magnetic north in the can coatings industry? That answer depends on where you are in the value chain. For chemical material suppliers, it can be that elusive material ingredient that brings unique adhesive or flexibility properties. For formulators, it can be a more sustainable coating that is formulated without bisphenol A (BPA) but has equivalent performance to coatings that do contain BPA. For can
makers, it can be a novel can design that enables a reduction in the amount of metal used while still maintaining the structural integrity of the can. Once you have identified your
magnetic north, you can begin constructing your compass. You will need two major components to your compass: a magnetic needle that guides you towards your magnetic north, and a baseplate in which to mount that needle. The baseplate is the foundation of
your compass. It is used to build out and support the rest of your compass. Think about what sets your organisation apart. What are your core competencies? These will be key components of your baseplate. At Eastman, our baseplate consists of our long history of innovation in ester and polyester chemistry and our unique manufacturing capabilities in these areas.
The tools to design products faster
The needle in a compass is made of magnetized metal. The needle of innovation is made of a team of people working together towards a common goal. What that goal is will
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metalpackager.com Navigating
this landscape and identifying the most promising formulations can be a daunting task. Sound navigation requires a reliable compass.
stone to an innovative solution. How you use and maintain that compass is also critical. We believe a strong commitment to understanding structure-process- property relationships of our target applications is vital to the long-term success of our organisation. Building these relationships gives our scientists the tools to design new products quicker and to rapidly respond to issues facing our customers. We call this the application research mindset and have a specific team dedicated to these fundamental efforts.
Eastman’s resin systems for high-performance can coatings
Utilising our compass and mindset has allowed us to create a new class of exceptionally durable polyester resins from a unique monomer called 2,2,4,4-Tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol, or TMCD. These are commonly known as Eastman Tetrashield protective resin systems for metal packaging coatings. Tetrashield resins deliver a unique balance between chemical resistance, hydrolytic stability, solubility and flexibility. Of course, writing about how to
enhance innovation in the metal packaging industry would not be complete without mentioning recent advances in AI and ML. It is well-known that to reap the true benefits of AI you need to have a well-thought-out strategy if you want to implement AI/ML in your innovation workstream. The backbone of the Tetrashield AI
infrastructure revolves around a ML model that predicts structure-process-properties relationships of unformulated polyester resin properties. This general polyester resin model acts as the foundation for individually connected application-based formulation models for specific coatings applications such as three-piece cans, full aperture and easy-open ends for food. These models help ensure formulators get the best performance from Tetrashield
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