PAINT & POWDER
The Solution
After careful examination of the market , the most suitable suppliers were finally commissioned . In January 2019 , a wide range of specialists jointly installed the new complete powder coating system . The powder coating system was designed to accommodate the parts , which are up to 7m long in length . The parts had to first undergo a chemical pre-treatment . One tank is available for each the multi-metallic alkali and the alkaline treatments of aluminum , which comprises of seven stages .
The prepared parts are then fed through a state-of-the-art Nordson powder coating system consisting of a ColorMax3 coating booth , 12 Encore ® HD automatic powder guns , complemented by the Spectrum ® HD powder feed center with PowderPilot™ HD advanced control system , Nordson twin cyclone and after filter .
The Encore HD spraying system uses HDLV ( High-Density powder , Low-Velocity air ) dense-phase technology to pump more powder through the spray gun with a minimum amount of air , and maximum process control . This results in superior efficiency , unmatched coverage , and reliable self-clean colour change , boosting productivity and reducing operating costs . The extremely robust and durable Encore HD pumps have zero wear parts affecting the powder output . The soft powder cloud , created by the Encore HD pumps , delivers unmatched uniformity and efficient coverage even at high output .
The ColorMax ® fast colour change booth , the Encore HD powder guns and the Spectrum HD powder feed center makes production at Giménez Ganga more flexible and even makes the coating of small batches more economical . The booth is designed for colour changes within minutes . The intelligent airflow management , regular compressed air blasts and a central duct extraction system ensure that the overspray is conveyed for cleaning and recycling even during operation .
Although the modern powder coating system is complex , operation via Nordson ‘ s PowderPilot HD requires little training and can be set up for multiple languages . The touch screen shows the operator the relevant status information of the individual plant modules at any time and , if necessary , requests step-by-step instructions for operation . The entire powder coating system is operated by only one person . When it comes to the colour change it only takes a few minutes to clean the full system . For part identification , a communication between the Nordson system and the ERP system occurs to load the programmed settings for the family products . The parts are coated in groups of three . Colour changes are indicated by a light that receives its information from the ERP system . The colour that will be used next is displayed on the ERP monitor . There can be up to 8 colour changes per shift . This is a significant contribution to a flexible and economical production .
Particularly in powder coating of aluminum profiles , the high powder penetration ensures excellent coating quality . The high application transfer efficiency is the key to our economical powder coating .
The result : The investment has paid off
“ This coating line is definitely one of the best coating systems for aluminum profiles in Europe ,” José Luis Higueras is certain . “ To achieve this , those responsible at Giménez Ganga have worked closely together from the very beginning . The company started in single-shift operation at the beginning of 2019 , and a second shift is currently being added . Starting in 2020 , powder coating is carried out around the clock . The speed of the line is currently 3.5 m / min , but still has capacity to cope with 5m . The 12 automatic and two manual guns are designed for further growth and even higher speeds .
Film thickness is applied between 80 and 100 µ, where high uniformity of the coatings and the exact repeatability are astonishing – a true result of the HDLV technology .
“ For normal applications , one coating pass is sufficient ,” explains Juan Pedro Giménez . “ But we also offer products that are exposed to the rough sea air in Marine Sea Quality . We coat them twice so that we end up with a particularly corrosion-resistant film thickness of 160 µ.”
To make the already very efficient system even more efficient , a powder weight scale has been integrated . The collected weight data is analyzed , and the exact powder consumption is documented to optimize it for an even better efficiency . This also plays an important role for the materials management .
Giménez Ganga develops solutions for enclosure , solar protection and decoration to guarantee well-being in all types of constructions and spaces .
Colour changes are indicated by a light .
For Juan Pedro Gimenez , the expectations he had for in-house coating have been more than fulfilled . “ Now we have the production process completely in our own hands . This makes it easier to meet the high quality standards of our products , which our customers always expect from us ,” explains Juan Pedro Giménez in conclusion and continues : “ Particularly in the case of aluminum profiles , the high powder penetration depth ensures excellent coating quality and the very high transfer efficiency which is the key to our economical powder coating . With the Nordson HDLV technology we are highly resource-efficient and very cost-effective .”
Visit : www . nordson . com / ics twitter : @ surfaceworldmag MARCH 2021
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