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If
your business includes production line painting processes,
NAPA encourages you to perform an economic
impact study of throughput using the guidelines below. We can not
only assist you at any level in this, but can provide an
expert perspective of all opportunities in your paint
shop, and speedily implement any improvements. |
MAXIMIZING
THROUGHPUT
Throughput
refers to the quantity of parts processed by a paint system in a
given time. By consistently and reliably maximizing
throughput, the cost per part decreases while the quantity of
finished goods increases. Such a combination allows
businesses to be managed with more flexibility and profit. Many aspects of a paint application system
affect the level of throughput that is obtainable. Operator
and maintenance personnel alike may find the discussion below
useful for increasing throughput and management may deem these
discussions an aid in the decision making process.
North
American Paint Applications is the world leader in the implementation
of methods for increasing throughput for every type of paint application.
Pre-Treatment
Most
parts require some sort of processing prior to painting.
Cleaning, phosphating, rinsing, electo-coating, and conductivity
are a few of the common pre-treatments. These systems ought
to be designed to perform efficiently, repeatably, and with
sufficient flexibility required by the business. Problems
such as inadequate cleaning, poor phosphating, spotty
electro-coating, or water marks should never occur when suitable
equipment is functioning as designed.
North
American Paint Applications can provide an expert perspective for
making your pre-treatment system most efficient.
Paint
Supply
An
adequate and reliable paint supply is essential to maximizing
throughput. A paint shop may boast of a conveyor with the
most accurate speed control; it may boast of extremely repeatable
robot mounted applicators; but if, while moving from point A to
point B, the rate of dispensed paint varies, then the high
performance of the conveyor and robot applicators, dearly bought,
may equate to money spent without return.
It
is counterproductive to stop conveyors to change totes or to
maintain the suspension of solids.
North
American Paint Applications offers a full range of services to
ensure the repeatable, reliable, and continuous dispense of paint,
including the most efficient and economical designs of every type
of paint supply and delivery system to the most accurate and
economical flow control systems.
Applicators
Many
types and sizes of applicators are available for applying your
material including rotary atomizers, conventional air spray, high
volume low pressure (HVLP), air assisted and airless, both in
electrostatic and non-electrostatic types. Utilizing the
right applicator for your process ensures that production and
quality levels can be met.
North
American Paint Applications will not only assist you to determine
the best applicator for your process, but will fully explain the
advantages, together with support system requirements, so that you
may utilize it in the most efficient way.
Equipment
Limitations
The
proper specification and application of equipment is essential to
obtain maximum throughput. Often, exchanging one or two
restrictive components with properly specified replacements can
have a tremendous impact on throughput. NAPA can provide an
experts perspective to identify all such opportunities in your
paint shop.
We
have a separate page discussing robot
path economizing.
Conveyor
Speed and Utilization
The
speed of the conveyor can be limited by any phase of the paint
application process, pre-treatment, applying paint, curing, or for
quality reasons. It most facilities, it ought to be limited
by the existing curing and oven infrastructure. If it is
limited for any other reason, North American Paint Applications
can probably help you speed it up to increase throughput.
Conveyor
utilization refers to the percent of the conveyor, in a given time, that produces product. This includes
conveyor stoppage. Product gaps on the conveyor are often
purposely left for changing colors and for other reasons.
Sometimes, entire conveyors are stripped of product at the end of
each day. Often, regular manual tasks require the conveyor
to be stopped. Whatever the reason, any time the conveyor is
empty or stopped, nothing is produced.
North American Paint Applications
can provide a thorough analysis of your
entire process to outline methods for improving conveyor
utilization.
Curing
The
existing curing and oven infrastructure, and controls, are often
the determining factor for limiting throughput through the paint
process. NAPA can analyze your curing process and quickly
determine whether or not it is achieving the highest levels of
throughput.
Quality
Maintaining
high quality standards of the finished product can significantly
affect throughput. For example, a speed up in conveyor may
result in uneven film distribution across the part. Reducing
gaps in the conveyor may result in overspray contamination.
An increase in flow rate from the applicator may result in solvent
pop or blistering during curing. Paint processes have an
endless list of cause and affect.
Our
understanding of painting processes is such that, not only can we
help you increase throughput through your paint shop, but also
expect that a consistently higher level of quality and
significantly lower numbers of rejected parts will accompany it!
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