In today’s Information Age, the most valuable commodity in the world is no longer silver, gold, or oil—it’s data. What makes data so precious is its ability to help businesses optimize processes, marketing, products, services, and of course, revenues. So, you may ask, “What does this have to do with finishing systems?” Well, if you’re using a traditional automated finishing system with very limited control and no data logging, then you’re not optimizing your operations and potentially losing tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of dollars each year to inefficiencies. Switching to an IntelliFinishing System that includes smart controls enables a better workflow and better finish quality, saving both time and money.

Actionable Insights

Famed management consultant Peter Drucker had a saying, “you can’t manage what you can’t measure.” In other words, a business can’t improve its processes and achieve greater successes without clearly defined and quantifiable metrics. Or if you prefer Sherlock Holmes, the legendary detective had a famous line: “Data! Data! Data! I cannot make bricks without clay.” The idea is the same—you can’t achieve the desired outcome without first capturing and understanding the proper inputs. If you want to increase the consistency, quality, and throughput of your finishing process, then you need a flexible finishing system that also includes smart controls – delivering valuable data and actionable insights that can be used to enhance operations.

Smart Controls Drive Improvements

While many of today’s industrial machines now feature smart controls, the same can’t be said of traditional conveyorized finishing systems—most are commonly equipped with limited controls that offer no data logging or measurable analytics. But an IntelliFinishing system with smart controls allows operators to track parts as they move through the system. The system can log all production data of interest including pre-finish process settings and times per loadbar, part, or order; coating times and paint or powder usage and settings; carrier dwell times, speed per section, or status; dry off or cure oven timing, temperature, and trends; and more. The data is all stored in a database that can be customized into easy-to-read reports, tables, and graphs so that improvements to quality, productivity, and performance can be made.

Smart Features of IntelliFinishing

IntelliFinishing takes your finishing system to the next level. With IntelliFinishing, parts are processed according to each carrier’s selected recipe. Recipe’s can be fixed or customizable per your finishing needs. For example, the smart system uses recipe information to determine which cure oven lane the carrier of parts will enter to achieve optimal cure time but avoid slower curing items that can bottleneck the system. And while traditional monorail systems convey parts at the same feet per minute speed for the entire system and with limited abilities to adjust speed without negative consequences, an IntelliFinishing system can change blast, wash, cure, and non-process area conveyor speeds, settings, and times per carrier. An IntelliFinishing system also enables the adjustment of component variables, like wash sequence or pressure, oven temperatures, air turns, and timing—depending on the recipe. The system can run very dissimilar products back-to-back for a “Lean” product flow that can greatly reduce system WIP.

Of course, one of the key features of the smart system is the ability to track and record part data for product validation and analysis. The IntelliFinishing industrial software provides a view of your entire finish facility, part processes, and productivity from any HMI station or networked computer, with insights that enhance quality and increase throughput while facilitating production scaling as needed.

A Cost-Effective Finishing Solution

IntelliFinishing is a cost-effective, revenue-boosting finishing solution. It uses a friction-driven tube conveyor with extremely high uptime ratings, low maintenance requirements, and which eliminates chain-based part finish contaminations. The system also greatly reduces utility and overall costs to operate since there’s no need to heat up a chain conveyor continuously as it flows through ovens and our systems feature the most energy-efficient washers and ovens in the business.

Further, due to modular construction and recipe control, an IntelliFinishing system more easily adapts to future changes in processes, finishes, throughput requirements, or part profiles, ensuring facilities are ready for whatever comes next! To learn more, check out our video on smart controls.

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Manufacturing Resources International, Inc. (MRI) designs, engineers and fabricates BoldVu® high-performance LCD displays for outdoor environments. Bill Dunn, CEO, and Michael LeCave, VP Optics Technology, discuss the challenges of outsourcing powder coating and the advantages and benefits of choosing an IntelliFinishing Automated Finishing System and bringing the process in house.

Interested in an exceedingly flexible, less costly to operate automated finishing system with proven technology? Contact IntelliFinishing at 785-309-0356 or info@intellifinishing.com.

Automated shuttle finishing systems using IntelliFinishing’s unique friction tube conveyor can deliver considerable benefits to manufacturers with very specific needs that standard finishing systems can’t handle. 

IntelliFinishing helped several companies recently solve their unique challenges in finishing by using friction tube shuttles within their total system to accommodate large heavy parts and to fit within small building footprints. 

Here are three examples that demonstrate the flexibility of the IntelliFinishing system using shuttles instead of large radius turns. 

Powder Coating of Outdoor LCDs Gets an Assist with a Shuttle System

IntelliFinishing recently installed a powder coating system featuring two shuttles for Manufacturing Resources International LG-MRI, manufacturers of outdoor liquid crystal display screens (LCDs) in Alpharetta, GA. They use their IntelliFinishing system to powder coat the frames, back panels, stands and other parts for their outdoor, high resolution, high tech, extremely weather-resistant, LCD advertising displays. Typically, components for these items are between eight and ten feet long, but some may extend to twenty feet in length for their largest options. While the parts are usually lightweight sheet steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, the system can support weights up to 1,000 lbs. per carrier – useful for the way MRI maximizes part density on their system.

The MRI system features a 20-foot carrier and shuttle on the left-hand side of the system for transporting products from the load area, through an automatic and integrated sliding door into their unheated and uncooled added manufacturing space where automatic washing, dry-off and curing processes occur.

Parts on the carriers move through a multi-stage wash with recipe options that define the timing and pressure settings, then into a dry-off oven – also with variable timing options. 

Once dry, the parts move back into the main building and to their reciprocator equipped automatic powder spray booth. After coating, the parts are transported via a middle lane shuttle back out through another set of automated building doors to the added building and into one of their two final cure ovens on either side of the shuttle. Once cured, items then move from the ovens, via the same middle shuttle back through the automated doors to a buffer area where they can cool and finally again back to the shuttle to the load/unload lane. The load section of track also includes an integrated lift to make part handling easy and safe.

Not all of MRI’s parts require finishing. They also use the system to just wash and dry metal parts that will be unfinished in the final assembled monitors. This greatly improves the overall quality of their sets by removing unwanted dust and oils – a process they used to do by hand.

Interestingly, MRI also uses their cure ovens, on occasion, to harden some of their aluminum parts – a process called precipitation. They simply load these parts, wash and dry them and then store them at desired temperature overnight in their cure ovens. Truly, a unique application demonstrating just how flexible their IntelliFinishing system is for them!

Helping a Forklift Company Manage Heavy Loads in Tight Space

Located in Springfield OH, this OEM manufactures forklift accessory equipment. The majority of their forklift accessories are twelve feet long or less but a few can be as long as 23 feet and weigh up to 5,000 lbs. With the complexity of the product dimensions and weight requirements along with a very small, under 10,000 square foot of space available (66’ x 149’) to work with, they needed a custom shuttle system to fit the space. They use their system to apply a liquid finish to their parts. Their system also features two shuttles to fit all sizes of parts they manufacture but with a twist.

Depending on the size of the part, there are different flow paths through the system. This is caused because one of the two shuttles allows part only up to about half the size of the other shuttle. Since the majority of their parts are at or below 12-ft. in length, after being loaded in the loading lane, carriers proceed to the left onto a shuttle sized for up to 12-foot parts. This shuttle moves laterally from the loading lane to line up with the wash booth lane. From there the carrier can back up off the shuttle moving from left to right and go through a multi-stage automated wash booth lane. After wash, carriers flow onto a larger right side of the system shuttle and into one of their two liquid spray booths. After being coated, items back out of their respective booths and onto the larger shuttle again. The shuttle transports the parts laterally again up to the cure oven lane where they leave the shuttle and flow into the final cure oven. At this step, each carrier can have its own oven timing setting to maximize force cure quality, while eliminating chances of under or over curing products. Cure time is controlled by the system recipe selected at load per carrier. After curing, the carriers move once again to the first shuttle and laterally again up to the unload lane for final unload and the consequential return of the carrier via the large secondary shuttle back to the load area lane on the other side of the system.

For the products over 12 feet in length, the carrier path/flow is different. Larger items are loaded within a manual wash enclosure at the bottom right-hand side of the system. This wash area is to the right of the right-side, large-shuttle rather than in the usual middle lane loading area. The manual wash was installed to offer a wash option for their significantly larger but rarer big parts while keeping the size of the automated wash within the desired footprint. After the manual wash, the long parts are shuttled to the left onto the large shuttle and laterally into each piece of process equipment including transport to the longer of the two spray booth options they have available. After finish, long items still proceed by the large shuttle to the system centered force cure oven, except they don’t flow all the way through the oven like the smaller parts do. They “park” just inside the oven for the required recipe time for these larger and thicker/heavier items – and then are sent backward to the large shuttle again before transport up to the unload lane for their final unloading. In other words, the large parts can still be processed but they never use the small left side shuttle and hence we were able to keep the system within the tight footprint available.

Load Trail’s Dual Shuttle System

Load Trail had a significant challenge finishing its agricultural trailers. The trailers range in size from 24 to 53 feet in length and weigh up to 10,000 lbs. To help them solve the problem of powder coating these trailers and to streamline their finishing, we installed a dual shuttle system at their Sulphur Springs, Texas facility.

Their conveyorized system features nine load lanes that run above their nine weld cells, enabling trailers to load directly onto the system just above their final weld process. Trailers, from 24 to 53 feet in length are then transported directly onto a large primary shuttle to move them laterally to as well as in and back out of each process. 

As carriers transport trailers from the shuttle into each piece of process equipment and then backward back to the shuttle, it allows for a massive system, but one that still saves space because it does not require any bulb turns or return sections of chain track. 

Processes on Load Trail’s shuttle system include automatic and manual shot blast booths, automatic multi-stage cabinet wash booth, a dry-off oven, several final prep and quality control stations, prime and topcoat powder booths, multiple final cure ovens, dual unload stations on either side of the main shuttle, and a carrier return shuttle for the empties back to and above the original nine weld and loading cells.

IntelliFinishing: Creating One-of-a-Kind Solutions to Unique Problems

At IntelliFinishing, we take pride in providing the most flexible, modular, and trustworthy, custom automatic finishing systems that can address the unique finish, parts, and footprint needs of our customers.

If you’re interested in seeing any of these shuttle systems to get an idea of how our solutions may benefit your operation, contact IntelliFinishing today to discuss a site tour (when conditions allow) or simply to learn more. Our number is 785-309-0356.

Old vs. New Automated Finishing System Paradigms

Are you still operating under the old automated finishing system paradigm?

Ever since Henry Ford developed the assembly line and its paradigm was applied to automatically finishing parts, the basic thought process has been the same…

Segment all parts that need the exact same finish recipe and create an automatic finishing system to do that single recipe.

For this type of automated finishing system, a monorail continuous chain system or equivalent is great!

But many manufacturers and custom coaters need to paint many different type parts that all require different part recipes. This is easy to do with any manual or batch system, but volume per day is limited, and it has been difficult with automated, chain-based systems.

With the advent of power and free (P&F) chain-based systems, recipe flexibility was enhanced, and parts could be routed to different processes, stopped, sped up or slowed down per drive and chain.

Still, these systems lacked some level of needed flexibility. For example, let’s suppose you have a power and free system that routes some parts through an inline shot blast. In general, that part of the chain will be configured to run at a certain feet per minute. It should be possible to speed up or slow down that loop of chain, but it would not be likely that a company would load something that requires 5 fpm in the blast right after another item that can speed through at 20 fpm – the manufacturer would still need to segment the parts that require more time in the blast from those that require less time. Similar examples could be made for other pretreatment processes when parts are in the wash, in the booth, and in dry or cure ovens, etc.

But what if you had a Recipe Based Finishing System?

With a recipe-based system, carriers of parts moving through a system loaded with dissimilar parts per carrier can run back-to-back. Each carrier can be treated differently based on the process data entered into the system as its “recipe.”

There would no longer be a need for batching your whole line or long segments of your line with like parts to get quality. Work in progress would be reduced, and scheduling of work on the finishing system would be greatly simplified.

With an IntelliFinishing system, users enter commands or process instructions for each part family or group of similar parts, creating a “recipe.” The recipe is selected manually or automatically using scanners or other technology at the loading point for that carrier. All of those like parts on that carrier will then receive the same process. If you next have a different carrier of parts requiring a different recipe, all the operator needs to do is select that recipe at the load-area HMI screen or use their integrated scanner. When that carrier gets to a process area, the system will automatically run the selected process for that part family.

So, what does this mean per typical finishing process?

In a shot blast:

Shot blast recipes typically vary by the speed of the product though the blast and/or the intensity of the shot blast system itself. Either or both can be integrated into a recipe set of options. For example, one customer of IntelliFinishing typically runs his blast at 5 fpm. A 10 ft carrier full of parts or loaded with a single large part can then be shot blasted in about two minutes, plus travel time to the shot blast and travel time out of the shot blast area. But, with his IntelliFinishing system, he can change the speed of the carrier through his blast as needed, and he has recipes that include 8fpm, 10fpm, 15fpm and even 20fpm, etc. Even relatively lightweight gauge items can now be run through his blast at the 20fpm speed without damaging the metal. This customer even includes a recipe for some extremely dirty/rusty parts that routes the carrier to back up after the first pass in the blast and re-blast a second time.

In the wash:

Wash recipes allow for different types of metals or parts with different pretreatment requirements to each have their own unique wash process. For example, it is possible to remain longer in a section, skip a section, increase or decrease the wash spray pressure, or even bypass the whole wash based on the recipe. If you have changes in your wash process due to extra-dirty parts or changes in chemicals requiring your system timing to be different, all you need to do is update your recipe. Since chemical companies are constantly improving their products, the ability to use a recipe means you can take advantage of these new products and no longer be locked into the chemical recipe of the day when the system was created.

In the coating application:

In the coating application area, displays show the process for each part coming through, where to apply the coating, which color, and any special instructions unique to those parts. For applications with masking options, the work instructions show pictures of where to apply masking, caulking, or any other special procedures. And, of course, part of the recipe is simply which booth or set of booths the parts should flow to so that efficiencies are maintained. For example, on IntelliFinishing Systems, it’s common to have dedicated booths for the most common colors that rarely get changed, but other booths with quick-change capabilities. Items are thereby always routed to the most appropriate booth and the need to segment and schedule parts by color is eliminated.

In the dry off and cure ovens:

Thick parts and thin parts do not typically require the same amount of time for drying off or curing. Even color variation or different paints and powders may create the need to vary gel and final cure timing and/or temperature. With a recipe-based system, parts that have 20-minute cure time and parts that have a 40-minute cure time can be run on the same system at the same time without affecting any other upstream or downstream process. In fact, it’s common with an IntelliFinishing system to run multiple lane ovens, so flexibility and throughput are each enhanced. Faster curing items can pass the slower curing items in the cure process, just like having a multiple-lane highway increases the speed of traffic through a city compared to single-lane options. And, you will no longer over-bake your thin parts just to make sure that your thicker, longer curing parts get cured as desired. Ovens can adjust temperature, air turns and cure time depending on the parts loaded per carrier and system design options.

So, is it time for you to consider a different automated finishing paradigm?

Maybe something leaner, with less transportation, system, and manpower waste?

Something that can operate with just-in-time efficiency?

Give IntelliFinishing a call and discuss your finishing needs with our representatives. We’ll honestly let you know if what you need requires our type of system flexibility or if a more traditional approach would be adequate.

By the way, if you found this article intriguing, watch this video of one of our customers explaining why they like their recipe-driven IntelliFinishing system.

There’s no better way to investigate this proven technology than by visiting one of our many systems. Make arrangements for a system tour by calling us at 785-309-0356 or emailing info@intellifinishing.com to learn more.

When does it make “cents” to stop outsourcing and build an in-house automated finishing system?

Good question. It starts with knowing how much you currently spend and how much throughput volume you may need in the future. How much do you spend now on outsourcing your part finishing?

Many manufacturers outsource some to all of their finishing, be it powder coating or liquid finishing,  because they want to leave it up to “experts,” don’t have space for a system, and desire to concentrate on what they do best, like fabricating and assembling final products. They could also have unusual or rarely needed parts that simply cannot be done on their in-house systems.

Let’s just assume you are outsourcing your finishing because your need for it started out small but has grown over time. At this point, you mainly do it because, “It’s what we’ve always done.” Maybe it’s time to start working on a business case that would let you know if you’re ready for your own system!

Let’s also throw some hypothetical numbers at this issue.

Imagine your outsourcing of finishing has grown over the years to about $1 million per year with local (or maybe distant) custom-coaters. How much money could an automated, in-house system save you per year that would justify the relatively large capital expenditure?

As a starting place, would it make sense that you would at least save the gross profit margin your custom-coaters are currently collecting from you? (For this article, we’ll ignore the fact that bringing finishing in-house is also likely to decrease total WIP, greatly decrease re-work, improve turn times, and save on transportation costs, too.)

Obviously, that gross margin varies depending on product, unique challenges, etc., but let’s sling a guess at it.

IntelliFinishing’s parent company (Kasa) operated a relatively large fabrication and coating company called KasaFab for many years before selling it to a local manufacturer.

Our former VP of that company still works for Kasa, and he said, “On small-quantity powder work, we would charge a pretty high margin of 60 to 65%. On large-quantity work, we would shoot for 50 to 55%.”

Now, maybe your custom coater doesn’t get as much margin as our former KasaFab operation. This might be because there are more competitors in your market. After all, KasaFab (now Vortex Fab) is the only large fabricator for at least 50 miles or more in any direction. It is in the middle of Kansas!

Meanwhile, I’ve also heard it said by longtime experts in the field that you should be able to save at least 20 to 40% by bringing coating in-house.

So, let’s start conservatively and imagine a savings of only 25% to represent the gross margin your custom coater is charging. This means a new automated system should save you at least $250,000 per year, assuming the previous assumption of $1 million per year being outsourced.

Depending on the types of product you need coated, even a relatively traditional monorail could be paid for in about two to four years for this amount of savings. After that, it would be savings that go to your bottom-line profits. Most simple monorail systems likely cost between $500,000 and $2,000,000, but this is entirely dependent on process requirements for pre-finish steps such as shot-blasting, washing, and dry-off ovens, as well as for the type of booths and cure ovens and specific conveyor requirements for the part dimensions and weight considerations.

However, for an IntelliFinishing System, it’s a little more complicated. Our systems are much more flexible than monorail systems in that we can accommodate processes for a much wider variation of parts. IntelliFinishing systems use a friction tube conveyor that allows for control of every section of track, so every carrier can, in effect, be given a different process recipe (video: www.intellifinishing.com/part-recipes).

We also have a sophisticated software control system to integrate each independently operated section of track to keep items moving as per the recipe, yet also keep carriers from bumping into each other. Consequently, the conveyor and controls are somewhat more expensive than monorail systems, but often highly competitive with power & free chain-based systems.

Therefore, most IntelliFinishing systems installed have cost between $1,500,000 and $10,000,000, with an average of about $3,000,000.

But, here’s the kicker! An IntelliFinishing System is usually way less expensive to operate. Here’s a link to an article we recently published that explains why this is the case.

Since any custom-coater you are likely to use is unlikely to have an IntelliFinishing System, any manufacturer who installs an IntelliFinishing system is very likely to save much more than just the gross margin.

If the IntelliFinishing technology makes sense for your company based on the parts needing finished or your volume, then the “$1 million outsourcer” example we have suggested could save up to 60% compared to outsourcing. Thus, $600,000 per year saved could finance a much more economical IntelliFinishing system very quickly!

Of course, there may be other considerations. Do you have space for a system? If so, great! If you’re unsure, talk to us. Our system often saves 25 to 40% in footprint depending on the nature of your parts and processes.  If you need to build or lease a new space, you will obviously need to include those costs in your calculations, too.

Ultimately, this is just a first-cut calculation to begin the process of considering a new finishing system. If your calculus indicates you might benefit from a system, the next step is to start finding a vendor to draft up a layout and determine a budgetary or formal quote.

But, before you decide to go with any one system, I’d also like to suggest you figure out your likely actual costs of having and running a new finishing system. You should do this from the ground up. The costs would include system and building utilities, building lease or purchase costs, depreciation considerations, manpower to operate the system, possible restructuring of existing processes and flow, and, of course, paint or powder costs, maintenance, etc.

If you are ready to consider bringing finishing in-house and are wondering if an IntelliFinishing system might be a good fit for you, check out our website and watch a few of our videos, then contact us. We will be happy to help you not only figure out a potential system, but also to help you with your cost justifications.