In a move designed to further elevate the quality of component finishing and reduce lead times, Martin Engineering has installed a comprehensive new paint line at its global manufacturing headquarters. Long an adherent to principles of lean manufacturing, the company anticipates greater control over preparation, coating and curing, allowing the firm to deliver material handling components faster, with greater surface durability and consistency than ever before. 

Upon completion of the new four-stage coating line, manufacturing personnel are now washing, drying, painting and curing with greater efficiency. “With the new equipment in place, we’re able to eliminate much of the potential variability that can plague a coatings operation,” explained manufacturing supervisor Mark Daum. “Having control of surface preparation and cure times has helped us create a reliable, repeatable process for achieving the paint quality we want on our products.”

Describing the steps, Daum said that components are first solvent-cleaned in accordance with the Society of Protective Coatings standard SSPC-SC-1, with a phosphate conversion coating applied at 180º to remove any impurities and form a good surface for adhesion of the paint coating. After a final clean water rinse, the products go through a dry-off oven, which removes any residual moisture that could adversely affect the paint application. 

Following the drying stage, parts enter a fully enclosed downdraft paint booth, where a solvent-based urethane paint is spray-applied. Lastly, the products go through a cure cycle to force-dry the coating for 20 minutes at approximately 220°F. The baked-on finish helps to ensure longevity and allows secondary operations such as assembly and shipping to be performed immediately after the cool down process, reducing overall lead time. “This durable paint formulation will stand up to customer expectations in form and function, while meeting such test standards as MEK, cross-hatch and impact as defined by ASTM,” Daum added. 

“We decided to implement the new paint line as part of our commitment to continuous improvement, and it fits in well with our JIT manufacturing processes,” Daum concluded. “It’s one of the steps in developing first-class products and solutions for customers. We take pride in delivering the highest quality possible and earning complete customer satisfaction, as evidenced by the magnitude of this process improvement project.”

For more information, visit www.martin-eng.com.