Automated Finishing Systems: What IF? That is the Question…

Successful businesses must deliver quality services or products with reliability. One error in the chain of delivery, including a marred finish, can derail a specific order and the residual fallout could strain customer relationships for a lifetime. This is particularly true for line businesses that rely on automated assembly lines and similar manufacturing processes—one hold-up can set off a chain reaction of logistical issues.

This is why it’s so important to invest in the right finishing system.

What IF? That is the Question…

If you are in the market for a new finishing system, many durable and customizable options are available. However, there are several factors you should consider before deciding on either a chain-based system, one of the first few products you stumble across, or the cheapest option available. Ultimately, shouldn’t you pick the best solution available?

While considering all the available options, you may be contemplating what we call a “what if” scenario! And, perhaps you should be thinking “what IF” (IF = IntelliFinishing) instead.

• What if you could paint ALL your parts from the smallest to the largest on the same system?

ü  What IF an automated system could provide process flexibility to paint all the parts and not just the most common denominator of parts, like most chain systems do? With IF, each load bar of your parts has its own recipe per process (pretreatment, dry, finish, cure, etc.) without affecting any other load bar of parts on the system. 

• What if someday you want to integrate an innovative new paint, powder, or chemistry into your finishing, but it requires different cure or wash times than your existing or traditional system is capable of handling?

ü  What IF a system could truly provide this type of flexibility as innovation occurs? With IF, new paint or powder cure times can be implemented without affecting other process aspects. Ultimately, IntelliFinishing can provide a flexible system and custom end-product, adapting more easily to new chemical processes. 

• What if you need higher salt spray hours or much better finish quality without contamination from chain debris? 

ü  What IF chain debris contamination was eliminated from your operations? With IF, chainless, friction-driven conveyors eliminate chain lubrication and resulting debris, allowing you to increase part finish quality, reduce re-work, reduce operational costs, and improve plant cleanliness. IntelliFinishing systems are also quieter and significantly reduce heat loss from ovens because there is no noisy chain that drags heat throughout the building.

• What if someday you need to add a new product that has a much longer or shorter cure time than your current mix of products? 

ü  What IF differing part finish specifications could be accommodated as needed? With IF, the finishing of parts with longer or shorter cure times is based on each load bar’s recipe. By providing multi-lane ovens, you can keep production on schedule by routing faster-curing items past slower curing items - an extremely difficult accommodation to make when using a chain-based system. 

• What if you need more total throughput, but you’re stuck at a fixed or inflexible line speed? 

ü  What IF consumer demand requires a change in line speed to increase total throughput, but your load, wash, dry, finish or cure processes simply can’t keep up? With IF, not only can line speed be controlled per section of track as needed without affecting other stages, additional processes that typically bottleneck production (often oven cure times, for example) can be added with new loops of track and more oven, indefinitely increasing throughput. And, between processes, load bars can travel 20 to 60 fpm reducing non-productive time on the system. Standard chain-based systems are not designed for these types of changes in capabilities.

ü  What IF saving unnecessary distances traveled by employees puts more money in your business’ pocket? With IF, as project aspects are phased in, extending systems to integral parts of your operations, such as, from fabrication or to assembly/shipping, can save a ton on cart and fork traffic, meaning less disruption to processes, less waste of movement, and fewer hazards for workers. 

• What if you need to conserve on footprint but you have long parts that require wide turns?

ü  What IF your system could handle odd or overly large parts while jettisoning space- monopolizing wide turns? With IF, chainless, friction-driven conveyors eliminate area-consuming turns with lateral shuttles or space-saving deadhead turns, propelling the carrier with a spinning tube which allows for both forward and a backward movement to accommodate various part processing. IntelliFinishing solutions often result in as much as a 30% smaller footprint than regular chain-based systems for longer parts.

• What if your very, very old system collapses in a heap?

ü  What IF you had a top of the line system offering flexibility, modularity, and scalability while requiring very little upkeep and long working life?  With IF your operations will benefit from an up-to-date solution that features innovative modular construction rated for 99% uptime and a long-lasting lifespan, providing for a safer work environment and unparalleled ROI.

Putting the IF in What If

IntelliFinishing is a complete finishing systems provider. IF’s revolutionary modular conveyor solution and smart control technology allows individual sections of the conveyor belt to move independently in both speed and direction throughout the entire system, allowing for each process area to act independently from the others. Simply put, an IF system offers the ultimate in flexibility and scalability to obtain the highest quality and throughput for your operations.

If quality and efficiency are key to your business, IF is the answer to What if! To learn more about optimizing your finishing system with the most flexible, efficient and reliable powder coating systems available today, go to www.whatifsystems.com to view our videos page and see the IF difference!

For more information:
IntelliFinishing
John Claman
785-309-0356