How do you paint metal effectively and consistently? It’s an important question that engineers at Asgard have known for many years. However, Asgard is a company that embraces continuous improvement, and when an opportunity comes along to take a step forward in the world of manufacturing, Asgard grasp the opportunity with both hands, so Asgard got a brand-new paint plant.
The previous paint plant had served the business for the past 17 years, and although the two-man operated machine produced a quality finish, there are a number of benefits that can be achieved from the switch to the newly installed Gema paint plant.
Simon Hoskins, Asgard’s Operations Manager, Bob Jolley, Quality Representative, and Sales and Marketing Director Nick Saunders were recently on-hand to answer questions regarding the new plant.
What does the new paint plant mean for Asgard?
“The project has been a significant Financial Investment and in return, it will deliver a step change in Flexiform’s Paint line Health and Safety, Efficiency and Powder Paint Usage”. - Simon Hoskins, Operations Manager.
“It is indeed a major step forward and will deliver huge benefits to the company” - Nick Saunders, Sales & Marketing Director.
Is the new paint plant cheaper than previous one?
“Certainly not it has cost over £300K” - Bob Jolley – Qualitative Representative.
Is the new paint plant better for the environment?
“Yes it certainly is, it recycles more powder than the old plant, therefore, less powder waste. It also has more efficient electrical motors etc, therefore, using less electricity” Bob Jolley – Qualitative Representative.
How is the paint plant important for our Green Credentials?
“The new Gema booth has only one powder delivery station and modern efficient electrical motors so consequently will use less electricity.
The amount of waste powder will be reduced, due to the new efficient reclaim system which will reduce the amount of waste to landfill.
The booth has an improved extraction system preventing excess powder contaminating the atmosphere.” Bob Jolley – Qualitative Representative.
Does it use less water?
“This will be phase 2 of the project” Bob Jolley – Quality Representative.
Does is use less paint?
“Yes it will use less paint due to a more even application of powder, the control of applied powder is extremely variable and can be controlled down to 1% with the use of the new dense phase technology powder application pumps the old system used Venturi valves, these would soon wear and become unreliable applying more powder than required” Bob Jolley – Quality Representative.
How will the new paint plant reduce waste?
“The new booth will reduce powder waste and reduce the number of respray parts.
This system allows a more consistent application of powder, therefore, reducing the total amount of powder required.” Bob Jolley – Quality Representative.
How will it improve efficiency?
“Yes, allows painting of monocot cabinets with only one paint sprayer by having an extra set of spray guns to coat the inside of the unit carcass. We can automatically program separate products where the program can be loaded at the touch of a button which allows us to paint different products in a continual line.
We will be able to double or triple hang parts due to the improved constancy of paint coverage. This will increase efficiency by shortening paint run times”.
The clean down times are quicker than the old system, therefore, shortening run times.” Bob Jolley – Quality Representative.
Will less man-power be required?
“This should reduce man powder by the fact that due to the consistency of spraying the powder we will be able to double or triple hang products which will reduce the amount of track travel required” Bob Jolley – Quality Representative.
Will we see a quicker turnaround of products?
“By double or triple hanging we should reduce the product turnaround, we previously always had the process bottleneck before the paint track but only after two weeks of operation we now seem to have moved this bottleneck to the after paint process.
These are early days of running this equipment and until the process fully settles down we will not be able to fully calculate all the beneficial saving that will be achieved, but we will have savings and a far better-improved quality of painted product” Bob Jolley – Quality Representative.
