Technical Sessions

2025 Technical Sessions

Immerse yourself in the latest advancements and innovations shaping the surface finishing industry! 

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just entering the field, these sessions promise to equip you with invaluable knowledge and skills essential for success in today’s workforce. Prepare to be inspired by cutting-edge technologies, industry trends, and expert insights that will elevate your understanding and proficiency in surface finishing.

Spanning two dynamic days, our conference boasts over 60 enlightening sessions, each meticulously curated to deliver insights into crucial topics that you can preview below.

Please note, you must be registered for the Full Conference to attend.

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Tuesday Morning, June 3

Session 1: New Techniques in Surface Engineering
Session Co-Chairs: Bill Nebiolo and Dan Hooks
8:30 AM
Visualization Of CO2 Emission in Zinc Plating Process Steps And Introduction Of A New Cleaner That Supports Carbon Neutrality
Sukenobu 
9:00 AM
Hand Polishing Practices on Hardened Steel Prior to Chemically Accelerated Vibratory Processing and Nickel/Chrome Plating
Nebiolo
9:30 AM
RIFHySTO Project : Coatings in RTILs Environments
Bertrand
10:00 AM
Thick, Crack-Free Rhenium Coatings Informed By Chromium Plating Mechanisms
Hooks
10:30 AM
Application Of Water In Salt Electrolyte For The Electrodeposition Of Refractory Metals
Madu
11:00 AM
RIFHySTO Project: Use of Single-Vessel Deposition and Selective Dissolution Chain
Bertrand
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
Session 2: Corrosion Control in Automotive
Session Co-Chairs: Ling Hao and Adam Blakeley
8:30 AM
Transformative High-Speed Zinc Plating: Dual-Particle Superior Corrosion Resistance
Tay Tay
9:00 AM
Insoluble MMO Coated, Titanium Based Anodes For Sustainable Decorative Chrome Plating
Pijper
9:30 AM
Beyond the Shine: The Science and Sustainability of Chrome Plating
Barriager
10:00 AM
Trichrome Transition in the Automotive Market
Gula
10:30 AM
Beyond Chemistry: Electrical and Reverse Etch Factors in Hard Chrome Quality Problems on Piston Rings
Nye
11:00 AM
Navigating the Chromium Transition: Leveraging CAE for Trivalent Chrome Adoption in Automotive Decorative Finishing
Baudson
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
Session 3: Innovations in Process ControlResistance
Session Co-Chairs: DEd Dulzer and Chris Eveland
8:30 AM
The Future of Finishing: AI-Powered Efficiency with PHTPlus
Haggard
9:00 AM
Sustainable Aqueous Cleaning
Pundt
9:30 AM
Best Practices in Preparing Process Control Samples for Plating
Williams
10:00 AM
The Critical Role of Representative Sampling and Smart Integration for Online Bath Analysis
Yam
10:30 AM
IIoT, Industry 4.0, and AI: What Process Parameters Should I be Watching and Which Should I be Controlling?
Bonner
11:00 AM
From Manual to Automation within the Surface Finishing Industry
Shappell
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing

Tuesday Afternoon, June 3

Session 4: New Techniques in Nickel
Session Co-Chairs: Caleb Morrison and Dan Hooks
1:30 PM
How to Achieve Unvarying Deposit Properties from an Electroless Nickel Bath
Flesch
2:00 PM
Sustainability and Profitability in Electroless Nickel Systems
Hughes
2:30 PM
Advancing Nickel MMC Coatings: Electroplating Models and Tooling Innovations for Hard Chrome Alternatives
Baudson
3:00 PM
Optimizing Microhardness Testing of Functional Coatings Part: 3 of 4
Johnson
3:30 PM
State-of-the-art Dye Free Acid Copper Brighteners and Eco-Friendly Electroless Nickel Chrome (III) Technologies
Jain
4:00 PM
New Improvements for Electroless Nickel Plating
Feldstein
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
Session 5: Corrosion Control in Automotive II
Session Co-Chairs: Adam Blakeley and Ling Hao
1:30 PM
Sustainable Approaches To Zinc Nickel On Electrical Vehicles
Oriti
2:00 PM
Degradation Effects and Corrosion Management in Lithium-Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles
Patel
2:30 PM
Low Phosphorous Electroless Nickel- Requirements, Properties, and Applications
Staples
3:00 PM
Applications for Electroless Nickel in Electric Vehicles
Schaffer
3:30 PM
Towards Understanding Torque Tension Modifiers and Their Critical Variables
Kissig
1:00 PM
The Elusive White Haze: What is it and How Can We Prevent It?
Mitchell
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
Session 6: Surface Engineering and the Military
Session Co-Chairs: Waynie Schuette and Steve Gaydos
1:30 PM
A Novel High Corrosion, Harder High Phosphorus Electroless Nickel Process
Zabielski
2:00 PM
New Technique for Pre-Penetrant Etchant Application in Spot Checks
Westbrook 
2:30 PM
Advanced Surface Engineering Technologies for a Sustainable Defense (ASETSDefense)
LaScala
3:00 PM
Chrome Deposition from a REACH Compliant Trivalent Chromium Chemistry
Moran
3:30 PM
Zinc-Nickel Protection, Alkaline Zinc Price: The Power of Nanoparticles
Batchler
4:00 PM
Non-Destructive Measurement of Thickness & Composition of Electroless Nickel using X-Ray Flourescence
Scheck
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing

Wednesday Morning, June 4

Session 7: PFAS and Wastewater
Session Chair: Fernando Carminholi
8:00 AM
Tools in Wastewater
Dailey
8:30 AM
Cost-Effective, Easy-to-Operate PFAS Destruction Solution Utilizing Ozone Foam Fractionation and Electro-Oxidation On Industrial Wastewater
Whitton
9:00 AM
Watermapping and Auditing Process Control
Johnson
9:30 AM
Electrochemical Degradation of Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid ‎‎(PFOS) with Titanium Suboxide Anodes Modified by Sintering
Huang
Session 8: Aluminum Anodizing
Session Chair: Rob Pawson
8:00 AM
Nanotechnology Anodizing And Electrolytic Coloring
Ventura
8:30 AM
Dump, Decant, or Adjust Conditions: Ensuring Lightfastness for Black Dyes
Cook
9:00 AM
Sustainable Aluminum Anodizing Technology
Wegner
9:30 AM
The Treatment And Prevention Of Biological Contamination In Aluminum Anodizing Dye Baths
Braunschneider
Session 9: Brush Operations
Session Chair: Jay Randolph
8:00 AM
Using Non-Drip Selective Brush Plating for the Application of Zinc-Nickel and Sulfuric Anodizing
Medeiros
8:30 AM
Brush-Plating Pretreatment for Field Repair of Coatings on Aircraft Systems with Enhanced Adhesion and Corrosion Resistance
Nelson
9:00 AM
Airworthiness Validation of Brush Zn-Ni & Thin Film Sulfuric Acid Anodize using Legacy and Dripless Systems
Randolph
9:30 AM
Optimization of Plating Process Parameters for New Boric Free Nickel Sulfamate Brush Plating Solution
Thomas

Wednesday Afternoon, June 4

Session 10: Waste Water Treatment
Session Co-Chairs: Patrick Howe and Chris Eveland
2:00 PM
The Industrial Waste Water Treatment Arena
Collins
2:30 PM
PFAS in Wastewater: Current Solutions and Emerging Technologies for Effective Removal
Lynn
3:00 PM
Achieving Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) in Metal Finishing Wastewater: Full-Scale Implementation and Operational Results Using Electro-Ceramic Desalination (ECD)
George
3:30 PM
Lessons Learned from the Testing, Design, and Installation of the First Foam-Fractionation + Electrochemical Oxidation Treatment System for PFAS Destruction in Automotive Metal Finishing Wastewater
LeBrun
4:00 PM
Fine Particle Shortwave Thrombotic Agglomeration Reactor (Fpstar) In Waste Water Recovery To Achieve Zero Liquid Discharge.
Fritz
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
Session 11: Innovations in Process Control II
Session Co-Chairs: Dev Massimi and Caleb Morrison
2:00 PM
Establishing A Solid Foundation For Your Business, Through Lab Instrumentation
McAnespie
2:30 PM
How to Choose the Right Rectifier
Stocker
3:00 PM
Not All Liquid Level Controls are Equal in Application
Schaefer
3:30 PM
NADCAP, MILSPEC, IATF, and EPA: Common auditor mistakes with rectifiers
Schieffer
4:00 PM
Unlocking the Future of Surface Finishing with AI-Powered Adaptive Robotics
Kilpatrick
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
Session 12: Automation and Support
Session Co-Chairs: Bill Nebiolo and Ed Dulzer
2:00 PM
How To Retrofit Existing Lines With State-Of-The-Art Software And AI-Technology
Scholz 
2:30 PM
Efficient, Safe, and Clever Tempering of Process Liquids
Gaugigl
3:00 PM
The Importance of Controlling UV Coating Temperature to Stabilize Viscosity During Application
Bonner
3:30 PM
What Technical Support do Electroless Nickel Platers Really Need?
Feldstein
4:00 PM
Streamlining Success: Automation and Reporting Made Easy with PHTPlus
Haggard
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Aluminum
Finishing