PAINT & POWDER
Out With the Old and in With the New at leading automotive supplier VFS
Significant investment in a new powder coating system from Gema UK delivers multiple benefits to automotive supplier VFS Southampton . With facilities in Wakefield and Southampton , VFS are a leading supplier of tippers , and are the sole supplier to Ford in the UK , are trusted partners and suppliers of OEM bodywork to Ford , Mercedes Benz , Vauxhall , VW , Renault , Nissan and Fiat .
VFS have been powder coating for some 15-20 years on their site in Southampton , following a comprehensive audit the existing equipment was determined to be inefficient and unable to meet current demand . With significant growth plans one of the main objectives for VFS was to reduce colour change time , increase capacity and flexibility . Added benefits from the investment include reduced waste , and significant efficiency gains through modern application technology and automation .
Gary Lawrence , Quality Control Manager , explained ‘ Switching to Gema has proven to be an excellent move and has allowed us the confidence to coat our products to the highest quality . We have addressed the inefficiency concerns , as well as the health and safety issues we had identified on the previous equipment , so we have total peace of mind . It is fair to say that the increased efficiencies and cost savings realised from the Gema system have surpassed our expectations and we would strongly recommend Gema to anyone who is looking to update their equipment ’.
The system installed includes a MagicCompact booth pictured above , which is mostly self-cleaning and designed for fast colour changes . The powder feed system utilises the latest generation All-In- One injector technology from Gema , this is fitted with an Ultrasonic Sieve which ensures contamination free powder conditioning . The latest Gema MonoCyclone and After Filter ensures the most efficient extraction and recovery possible , reducing powder waste and ensuring high utilization of raw materials .
The key benefits include ;
80 % reduction in powder waste to landfill
Colour change time reduced from 2 hours to 12 minutes
Complies with all of the latest ATEX legislation
Cleaner working environment Doubled production capacity
Significant improvements in yield from powder
If you are interested in finding out how Gema can support your continuous improvement initiatives then please do not hesitate to contact us on 01202 763942 or email uk . sales @ gema . eu . com
60 MARCH 2022 read online : www . surfaceworld . com