PPG Offers Chemical Service

When you take a hard look around any aircraft production or maintenance facility you soon learn that this is one chemically dependent industry. The cleaners, paints, and solvents used in day-to-day work are often enough to overwhelm anyone.

To help eliminate the need to deal with multiple chemical suppliers, PPG Industries (www.ppgaerospace.com) has created the Total Service Solutions program for the aerospace industry. It's a turnkey solution that includes the outsourcing of chemical and fluid management, process management, and logistics.

"Response by the aerospace industry has been overwhelmingly positive," said Mike Beers, aerospace industry manager for Total Service Solutions, "since the program was introduced to North American customers in late 2000. By integrating and taking over key functions for the chemical logistics supply chain, we enable aircraft manufacturers and operators to focus on their core competencies and business requirements.

Beers explained that the program can be tailored to meet the individual needs of each customer. "We take over responsibility for as much or as little of the chemical logistics supply as the customer wants us to, thereby reducing the number of suppliers they have to manage," he said. "That can include everything from purchasing, incoming receiving, and quality control testing to warehousing, point-of-use stocking, and even environmental testing.

For added flexibility, PPG offers the Total Service Solutions program in two components: Optima Solutions, which is the service side for implementing and operating the program, and Specialty Products, which supplies solvents and paint-related products used in the program. Beers said the services can be implemented separately or as a turnkey solution.

�To help customers select the best program for their needs, PPG's Total Service Solutions team will audit their operation to determine current process and costs for managing chemicals through the total lifecycle, and then design a program that cost-effectively meets the customer's needs. -