From race car engines to petrochemical compressors and agriculture equipment parts, Carl Benton said he never knows what projects will come through his shop.
He developed Polymer Dynamics performance coatings and opened the business in 1979. PolyDyn develops and installs ultrathin coatings that increase durability and efficiency in motor sport engines and the industrial field.
At the time Benton got involved in the industry, he was painting custom cars as a hobby. An engineer invited him to Cape Canaveral, Florida, to help NASA’s Gemini program spray coatings on parts.
“I was hoping to get a free trip to Daytona Beach to see the Speedway, but I worked on the project for a week and ended up with all the materials to do what they did,” he said.
On that trip, Benton said he learned about the basics of the cleaning and preparation process to make the polymer coating stay on parts correctly.
PolyDyn still produces work for NASA today. Recently, the business coated parts for a lunar utility vehicle, which caused the vehicle to go 17 percent further on a battery charge, Benton said.
Engine specialist Howard Gilbert helped race car driver A.J. Foyt reach the Indy 500 winner’s circle in the 1970s and became Benton’s mentor in coatings and applications. Soon, the International Race of Champions competition picked up PolyDyn products.
“An additive that we make was in the engines for 17 straight years,” he said. “We had coatings on bearings and pistons, and they never blew up an engine. In racing, that’s very hard to say.”
Performance coatings are applied at a thickness of 0.0002 to 0.0007-inch layers.[/caption]
When working on the IROC, Benton realized the increased efficiency could translate to industrial applications. PolyDyn has been involved with projects for oil and gas companies for years.
“If they can make a piece last longer, they’ve got an advantage over the competitors,” Benton said.
Shipping and Receiving Manager Ryan Amox said each piece goes through several processes in the shop.
“Other coating shops out there are more automated,” he said. “Some people want the newer technology because it’s quicker, but if you want quality, someone’s got to sit there and take the time to do it the proper way.”
11211 Neeshaw Drive, Houston
281-894-6382
www.polydyn.com
Performance coatings are applied at a thickness of 0.0002 to 0.0007-inch layers.[/caption]
When working on the IROC, Benton realized the increased efficiency could translate to industrial applications. PolyDyn has been involved with projects for oil and gas companies for years.
“If they can make a piece last longer, they’ve got an advantage over the competitors,” Benton said.
Shipping and Receiving Manager Ryan Amox said each piece goes through several processes in the shop.
“Other coating shops out there are more automated,” he said. “Some people want the newer technology because it’s quicker, but if you want quality, someone’s got to sit there and take the time to do it the proper way.”
