Galvanising and the 'lowest common denominator'

摘要

It is stating the obvious to say the blast/coating industry has suffered a significant downturn over the past 5 years. Increasingly, large Australian resource projects are being fabricated overseas with the only local inputs being site preparation, scaffold, erection and commissioning. A good example is that provided by the two large capacity power stations installed by Bechtel in Qld. Both facilities were essentially fabricated and the painted in China as "completed" sub-assemblies. Oil & gas developments intended for operation in Australia are being constructed in Singapore, Korea, Abu Dabai, or anywhere else except Australia. There is no reason to assume this situation will change, particularly under the "level playing field" regime commonly referred to as "globalisation". The reasons for this situation are many; perhaps only a political solution can change them. I certainly don't claim to have the answers, however, I can see an opportunity for the blast/coating industry to increase its share of the Australian surface treatment business. The galvanising industry has made significant inroads into that share of the surface treatment market traditionally held by the blast/coating industry. Protective coatings are frequently displaced in favour of galvanising as the nominated surface treatment for major resource projects.