In March 2024, several key members of the HMG team were featured in The Oil & Colour Chemists’ Associations release of Surface Coatings International Volume 107.1. This bimonthly publication looks to showcase the industry news within the world of coatings, produce a focus of some of the emerging developments within the industry, as well as display an interest in the raw materials and equipment within coating production. In this press release, HMG focused on some of the emerging technologies within the world of coatings and how they will impact the industry going forward.
Firstly, two members of HMG Paints, the UK’s leading independent paint manufacturer, were featured in the article as members of the council at The Oil & Colour Chemists’ Association. HMG’s Paul Sheppard and Isla Taylor were mentioned within the articles “Meet the Council” section of contents, displaying many members of the council at OCCA with the background each member has in coatings and each members positive impact on the team.
Paul Sheppard, currently working as the Regulatory and Compliance Manager at HMG, as well as working alongside many members of one of the UK’s largest paint manufacturers in the Senior Leadership Team, was mentioned within this section as a member of the OCCA council. In this short yet powerful description, Paul honours are highlighted during his time at HMG, such as his joint honours degree at the University of Salford, as well as outlining his 27 years at the company. Paul has gathered most of his experience within the Quality Assurance department at HMG, from fixing paint problems to authoring quality manuals and co-ordinating REACH activities, which has given Paul the experience to move to his current role. Within Paul’s time at OCCA, he has displayed his avid support through working at a local level as a Manchester Section Committee member, to his more recent roles on council as Honorary Secretary and President.
In Addition, Isla Taylor, HMG’s Research and Development Colour Technologist, is a key member of the R&D Lab at HMG, was also mentioned within the contents of OCCA’s “Meet the Council” section of the release. Isla joined OCCA as a student member and took part in the industry insights days webinar series, which lead her to complete her MSc through OCCA, leading her to join the team at HMG in 2021. Whilst working within the company, Isla continued her membership of OCCA and took part in company activities that were hosted by educational partners at the University of Salford, which helped her continue down her career path and to her new role, joining the Academic Links Committee as a Student Liaison Officer.
Secondly, HMG’s Paul Sheppard continued his spotlight within the press release, with the release of an editorial created by his artificial intelligence alter-ego known as “SH3P-O.” This editorial, as well as a supporting image, were created through the use of artificial intelligence, focusing on how artificial intelligence is revisioning colour science, and how the programs allow for the use of harnessing powerful paint formulations.
“One of the key advantages of incorporating AI into paint formulations is the ability to predict and optimise colour outcomes. AI algorithms can learn from historical data on various pigments and their combinations, allowing researchers to anticipate how different chemicals will interact and affect the final colour.” commented SH3P-O “This predictive capability not only expedites the formulation process but also reduces the need for exhaustive trial and-error experiments, ultimately saving time and resources.”
Continuing his editorial in the Surface Coatings International Report, SH3P-O continued “Moreover, AI enables the discovery of novel colour combinations that might be overlooked through traditional methods. By identifying subtle patterns and correlations within vast datasets, machine learning algorithms can suggest unconventional pigment combinations that result in unique and aesthetically pleasing colours. This creative aspect of AI contributes to the diversification of colour options available to industries ranging from automotive to interior design, fostering a culture of innovation and uniqueness.”
Through the use of a simple prompt, with minor grammatical changes, the Paul and his cyborg alter-ego achieved a great feat in creating an interesting and entertaining editorial that was artificially designed and formatted, with a fraction of the time it would normally take by average means. Within the quick and efficient creation process, Paul was also given time to create his alter-ego through the use of AI-software – Dall-E and MidJourney, giving the editorial a visual appeal that extends beyond the theme of coatings. The endless possibilities of AI within the world of coatings were highly praised by by fellow members and showcases how many businesses within the sector will look to follow suite in using different types of software within the workplace to become much more efficient.
To round up the list of mentions within the Surface Coatings International Report, HMG’s marketing team were featured in a press release, focusing on emerging technologies within the coatings industry, mainly the focus on artificial intelligence
and how AI will impact the industry moving forward. With a small team of two, the department had been looking into the idea of using ai to assist their team for multiple months. By looking for creative ways to utilise the range of programs within the workplace, HMG delved into and found a great opportunity ahead of World Earth Day. This helped the team to create the award winning campaign known as “Nature’s Embrace.”
Traditionally, the creation of paint colours and the assets to support them were noted to be “meticulous and time-consuming” for HMG, as tasks needed to be backed up by a large budget. However, by embracing the use of AI within the workplace, HMG Paints were able to streamline the process of paint creation, and enhance the process with time efficiency. By utilising the team previously existing datasets within different AI models, such as colour preferences, trends and customer feedback, HMG were able to generate a unique and on-trend colour palette that satisfied consumer demand, which as previously mentioned won the team awards such as the British Coatings Federation Marketing Campaign of the Year in 2023.
Looking into the future of artificial intelligence and technologies within the industry, HMG’s Creative Marketer Rebecca Jennings explained “At HMG paints Ltd, we are committed to innovation. AI has the potential to revolutionise the way we approach creating marketing assets. By leveraging the power of machine learning, we can generate new and innovative ideas for visual and written content, and combine that with the skillset in the department to create new innovative marketing campaigns for HMG.”
Finishing up on HMG’s stance on the pivotal role that Ai will have within the coatings industry, Marketing Manager Paddy Dyson concluded “With Ai’s ability to analyse large amounts of data and provide insights into a number of areas, our staff can use it daily to assist in tasks. One area within marketing we’ll explore is consumer behaviour, allowing us to create more effective and targeted products and marketing campaigns. It’s an exciting time to be in marketing, and Ai is at the forefront of this revolution, and is a great tool to support marketers.”
If you require further information, please contact:
Josh Hibbert
HMG Paints Communications
marketing@hmgpaint.com
0161 205 7631
HMG Paints Ltd is the UK’s leading independent Paint Manufacturer and a proud, family-owned business situated in Manchester. Working alongside new and long-term customers, HMG strive to create the best tailored coatings solutions to meet their customer’s needs. With over 90 years’ experience in developing innovative coatings, HMG’s portfolio of wet paint and aerosols cover virtually every type of surface imaginable across a whole host of industries including industrial, commercial vehicle, decorative, automotive, defence, toll manufacturing, wood finish and arts & craft. HMG have a drive to set the standards for the industry not just meet them. www.hmgpaint.com
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