The Manufacturing Outlook

Chemical Dynamics LLC has been recognized by The Manufacturing Outlook Magazine as the exclusive recipient of “Top Industrial Paint and Coatings Consulting Services 2026,” based on our proprietary methodology, reflecting its position in the industry, and is also named among “Top Manufacturing Consulting Firms,” reflecting its broader leadership. This profile has been developed by the The Manufacturing Outlook research and editorial team based on insights from an interview with Ron Lewarchik, President and CEO and Vishakha Makode, R&D Project Leader, Polymer/ Coatings Specialist.

Chemical Dynamics LLC
Putting Coating Formulations to the Real-World Test

Ron Lewarchik, President and CEO and Vishakha Makode, R&D Project Leader, Polymer/ Coatings Specialist

A coating can look right in the laboratory and still disappoint in production. The difference often comes down to details: a raw material lot, moisture, curing conditions, surface preparation, application thickness, or the environment where the coating must perform.

Chemical Dynamics LLC has built its consulting and product development work around understanding those details before they become expensive problems.

At Chemical Dynamics, the conversation starts with the customer’s problem. The team works with manufacturers, suppliers, and end users to understand specifications, performance expectations, competing products, production conditions, and why a new coating is being developed.

“Our team brings more than 60 years of industry experience across a wide range of coating technologies,” says Ron Lewarchik, President and CEO.

From Lab Bench to Production

Chemical Dynamics pays close attention to what happens after laboratory development. A formulation that performs well in small-scale testing may behave differently when it is produced at pilot or commercial scale. Even a minor change in a raw material can affect the final system.

“We wanted to make sure our focus is to transfer that laboratory scale formulation to pilot scale and commercialize it,” says Vishakha Makode, Leader and polymer/coatings specialist.

Instead of changing several variables at once, the team uses controlled samples and testing to determine whether an issue comes from the formulation, a raw material, or manufacturing. The goal is to give customers a clear basis for the next decision.

Finding the Real Cause

Testing is central to that process. Chemical Dynamics works with liquid paints, powder coatings, aerosols, and specialty coatings, examining properties such as hardness, adhesion, chemical resistance, humidity resistance, and salt-spray performance. For exterior systems, it evaluates gloss and color retention, blistering, cracking, and peeling.

Our team brings more than 60 years of industry experience across a wide range of coating technologies.

Its analytical work is intended to explain a problem, not merely label a sample pass or failure. Karl Fischer titration can identify moisture in pigments or paint, while FTIR analysis can help detect contamination or other chemical differences. In one customer case discussed during the interview, testing helped establish that inconsistent performance was linked to a raw-material issue rather than the formulation itself.

Application conditions receive the same attention. A coating may meet its intended specification yet fail when used outside the conditions for which it was designed. Chemical Dynamics therefore considers surface preparation, curing, coating thickness, climate, UV exposure, and the intended substrate when investigating failures.

Building Solutions for Changing Requirements

Chemical Dynamics also works with customers facing tighter environmental and regulatory requirements. Low- and zero-VOC systems, PFAS-free technologies, corrosion resistance, self-cleaning surfaces, superhydrophobic coatings, light-cure systems, and powder coatings form part of its development experience. Chemical Dynamics also works closely with raw-material suppliers and, when necessary, develops materials of its own.

That work has produced patented technologies and commercial products across architectural, building products, aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing applications. Its size is another practical advantage. Technical knowledge can move between projects rather than staying in organizational silos.

A Partnership Built on Communication

For Chemical Dynamics, the technical work is only part of the job. Clear communication determines whether a project stays aligned as testing reveals new information. The company breaks projects into stages so customers can refine objectives as the work progresses.

“The most important thing for a successful project is communications,” says Lewarchik.

Looking ahead, Chemical Dynamics plans to strengthen supplier and technical relationships while expanding proprietary corrosion and superhydrophobic technologies. The company has been named Top Industrial Paint And Coatings Consulting Services for 2026, reflecting its role in helping customers move coating ideas from the laboratory into products that can withstand real production and application demands.

When Coating Formulas Meet Production Reality

Industrial coating programs often look sound in laboratory trials and still break down when moved into production. A small raw-material shift, a change in application conditions, a different cure profile or altered production speed can upset adhesion or stability enough to change the original balance. Buyers therefore need consulting support that treats laboratory performance as an early checkpoint rather than the finish line. The more useful providers connect formulation work to pilot and commercial scale, where raw materials, equipment settings, application methods and environmental conditions begin to interact. The starting point is problem definition. Existing products may need improvement against a specification or benchmark, while new applications demand clear performance priorities. Controlled comparisons can isolate whether a defect originates in the formulation or in production inputs. Good evaluation work should also examine whether the coating is actually fit for the intended substrate and use environment. A formulation designed around one exposure profile can perform poorly when its surface preparation, film thickness, cure mechanism or service conditions change. Testing carries more value when it explains cause instead of issuing a pass-or-fail result. Moisture analysis and infrared techniques can help distinguish a formulation problem from contamination or raw-material variation. Longer-term testing should also connect short-term properties to expected exposure. Hardness and adhesion matter differently from humidity and salt spray performance, while exterior coatings add weathering concerns such as gloss retention, color retention, blistering and cracking. Buyers should look for a provider that uses these results to narrow decisions and priorities rather than generating a larger stack of data. “Chemical Dynamics begins by defining the application, specifications, performance priorities and production constraints with clients before development work advances.” Commercialization adds another layer. VOC and PFAS limits can influence formulation choices, yet meeting a target on paper does not settle manufacturability. Changes intended to improve one property can compromise another, and a material that performs at bench scale may behave differently once production speed or curing conditions change. Cost also deserves technical scrutiny. Lower-priced inputs are useful only when they preserve the required performance, while higher-priced materials should not escape challenge simply because they are familiar. The consultant’s role is to help translate the customer’s priorities into a production-ready specification and then test whether those priorities survive scale-up. Project control matters just as much as chemistry. A clear technical blueprint should establish the application, target performance, relevant specifications and production constraints before experimental work begins. Frequent communication then gives both sides room to adjust objectives as test results change what is known about the formulation. Breaking development into stages also limits the cost of pursuing a weak direction too far. For executives comparing consultants, this combination of technical depth and disciplined project control is more useful than a lab service that hands back data without a path to production. Chemical Dynamics combines formulation development with testing, scale-up support and practical production analysis across coating technologies. Chemical Dynamics begins by defining the application, specifications, performance priorities and production constraints with clients before development work advances. Its laboratory process uses controlled comparisons, Karl Fischer titration and FTIR to trace moisture and contamination while separating raw-material variation from formulation problems. Its team also evaluates how properties change during scale-up and adjusts projects in stages as results emerge. For buyers that need technical guidance tied to commercial manufacturing rather than isolated laboratory results, Chemical Dynamics is a practical choice for industrial paint and coatings consulting. ...Read more

Specials

The Manufacturing Outlook

Chemical Dynamics LLC
Putting Coating Formulations to the Real-World Test

Our team brings more than 60 years of industry experience across a wide range of coating technologies.

Deep Dive

When Coating Formulas Meet Production Reality

Specials

The Manufacturing Outlook

Chemical Dynamics LLC Putting Coating Formulations to the Real-World Test

Our team brings more than 60 years of industry experience across a wide range of coating technologies.

Deep Dive

When Coating Formulas Meet Production Reality

Chemical Dynamics LLC
Putting Coating Formulations to the Real-World Test