Surface World March 2020 Surface World March 2020 | Page 48

PRETREATMENT, SURFACE PREPARATION, DEGREASING & CLEANING Kluthe chemical technology helps deliver performance and environmental gains at leading vehicle manufacturing plant The performance capability – particularly in terms of reduced, volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) and CO – that can be realised with specialist chemicals from Kluthe UK Ltd., is now clearly demonstrated at one of the country’s major vehicle production facilities. led to a substantial reduction in chemical usage compared to the previous product.” The Kluthe concentrated product is mixed with demineralised water in a 1200 litre stainless steel mixing tank. This material then supplies an additional 1000 litre stainless steel tank from which the solution is pumped to a series of robotic heads that are purged after a set number of vehicles and also between paint colour changes. After purging the material is sent to the paint coagulation system, which then treats the solution to remove any paint solids, while the demineralised water contained in the solution also reduces the need to top-up the system with fresh water which can arise from evaporation loss. Kluthe’s NIKUTEX 4589 VOC-free Aqua Purge concentrate is now being utilised during paint purge operations at the BMW The VOC-free solution can be safely MINI plant in Oxford, which produces body disposed of with significantly less offsite road shell components and undertakes final tankerage removal required – it is estimated vehicle assembly. The Kluthe chemical a saving in the transport and disposal of is producing results that not only help to approximately one million litres of waste optimise paint line cleaning operations, The production facility at the but which are also BMW MINI plant in Oxford in supporting the which chemical products from Kluthe UK Ltd. play a key role manufacturer’s in paint purging operations. commitment towards maintaining the highest level of environmentally- aware production performance. per year can be achieved. Simplified measurement of the concentration, using a refractometer, also results in faster process control. “The chemical usage has reduced from 120,000 litres a year to just 30,000 litres on the line in question which is dedicated to the application of waterborne base coats,” adds Clive Gray, Kluthe’s UK Managing Director. “We are delighted to have been able to work on a facility that represents a good demonstration of the capability and environmental credentials of our NIKUTEX Aqua Purge range,” continues Clive Gray. “We believe it highlights the leading research and development carried out by our chemists in developing innovative products and also, of course, points towards other applications where similar benefits can be achieved.” Telephone: 01908 698990 Visit: www.kluthe.com/en Mike Nelson, Technical Sales Representative at Kluthe’s UK offices in Milton Keynes, explains the process – “NIKUTEX 4589 is one of a range of aqua purge products that we have developed to assist our customers in achieving their targets in reducing the amount of VOC’s and CO,” he says, “which has 46 MARCH 2020 twitter: @surfaceworldmag