Going beyond our technologically advanced components and space saving design, a large part of our job at IntelliFinishing is working with our customers to solve their problems and challenges. There are usually a few key hurdles that lead a customer to consider purchasing a system or renovating their existing setup. As part of a four part series, we will look at the specific challenges one of our recent customers faced, and the solutions provided by IntelliFinishing.
Another challenge at the top of our customer’s needs was creating a safe work environment. With their existing manual system, the physical demand on the operators of lifting and loading parts through the various processes was excessive. The existing system was also very loud and difficult to keep clean with the several open-faced paint booths used to coat their parts.
Again, IntelliFinishing was able to incorporate several pieces of equipment into the system that all worked together seamlessly for a safe, quiet, and productive paint line. The first step was adding a lowerator to assist the operators in racking parts. The lowerator takes a carrier from the height of the process equipment down directly to the parts. This makes loading much easier, especially on heavier parts, and prevents stretching or straining when loading or unloading.
To limit chemical exposure to the operators, a multi-stage automated washer was added to improve the efficiency of chemical use and provide controlled containment of the chemicals as well. By reducing the overall usage of the chemicals our customer also reduced their chemical emissions to the environment, which was an added benefit.
Other safety factors that were built into the design included laser area scanners that stopped the conveyor when personnel or fork trucks were present in specified “danger zones” and insulated process equipment and special ducting to keep noise levels significantly below the 75dB required. The noise reduction in the paint line led to over 25 employees being removed from our customer’s hearing conservation program. Like my father always said, “A great paint line should be seen, and not heard.”
Though I suppose he may have been talking about us children.
Contact us today to find out how we can make your paint operations safer, quieter, and more efficient.
