DuPont CoatingSolutions Expert Meetings: Innovations in Powder

With four expert seminars, each covering a different topic, DuPont CoatingSolutions trade fair appearance at the third PaintExpo in Karlsruhe is offering valuable know-how for more environmentally friendly and cost effective coatings.
By: DuPont CoatingSolutions
 
May 11, 2010 - PRLog -- DuPont CoatingSolutions Expert Meeting on April 15, 2010
Topic: Innovations in Powder
Rippert Anlagentechnik, Elau GmbH

Elau GmbH – Who are they and what products does the company make?
Elau GmbH in Marktheidenfeld is a pioneer in the automation technology industry with 30 years of experience. In 1994, the generalist became a specialist as the company began to concentrate exclusively on machine automation in the consumer goods industry. Packaging machines are its primary focal point along with production machines and robots. Since then, Elau has become the technology leader and is the fastest growing automation specialist in the packaging automation sector. The company, which belongs to Schneider Electric, employs about 400 people globally and has a service network stretching across 190 countries through its parent company.
Elau set the global standard with the introduction of the Motion/Logic Control System PacDrive™ in 1998. Now PacDrive™ controls over 40,000 machines around the world – and thousands are added to that number each year. The high-end servo motors are an essential component of the products with 40,000 produced each year in 2,500 variations.

What kind of demands are made for the products’ surfaces?
The aluminium and zinc die cast electric motors have to show a high level of corrosion protection and chemical resistance along with a high-quality appearance and transport protection. These characteristics are provided by the components’ coating.

What painting methods were used in the past at Elau?
Up until 2008, painting was performed using a wet paint system. The individual components were first painted and then assembled as part of this process.

Why was an alternative to this surface treatment thought about?
On the one hand, it was about maintaining VOC limits. On the other, we were trying to cut down on our throughput times. Another goal was to integrate painting into the production process, so that the drives could be painted after having been fully assembled.

What were the requirements then for the new paint system?
It needed to be applicable at 50 to 70 µm and couldn’t require a curing temperature over 120 °C. It had to offer GT0 adhesion while the values for humidity and corrosion resistance needed to achieve at least 240 hours. Furthermore, the paint had to be able to accept additional coats.

What alternatives were found that fulfilled this set of objectives?
Previously such tasks could only be handled by a wet paint system with non-critical curing temperatures. Systems with conventional powder technology were eliminated due to the required curing temperatures of up to 180 °C. An acrylic-based powder that DuPont CoatingSolutions in Landshut developed for the new paint line it supplies to Elau overcame this obstacle by hardening at 115 °C.

What was the decisive factor in choosing the selected solution?
The new powder coat not only fulfils the requirements for temperature sensitive electronic components but also helps reduce energy consumption as the powder oven installed in Marktheidenfeld only needs to be heated to 120 °C. That is 60 degrees less than what traditional powder paints require. A 50 minute temperature corridor between 115 and 120 °C is sufficient to perfectly cure the servo motors being painted at Elau.

What advantages did this provide from an environmental or financial aspect?
First there are the usual advantages provided by powder coatings: solvent-free, easy recycling, simple application, optimal processing parameters and an increased degree of material utilisation. Considering the current discussion on climate and the resulting increasingly stricter environmental requirements, this kind of innovation helps to bring about the often mentioned synthesis of financial efficiency and environmental effectiveness. An additional plus are the enormously reduced throughput times that now require only 5 to 6 hours compared to the previous 36 hours.

What investments were needed to convert to this type of surface treatment?
A new powder coating system needed to be integrated. The investment for this amounted to about €400,000. This also includes the costs for adapting the production process.

How was DuPont CoatingSolutions involved in the process?
The powder innovation, which was formulated in just a few months and thoroughly scrutinised, is one of the few acrylic systems that combines a silky lustre with good adhesion and cures at low temperatures. DuPont CoatingSolutions modified the new powder paint system so that the painted products could also take additional coats. Elau’s long-standing customers benefit from this, too. The old servo motors that they regularly send to Marktheidenfeld for reprocessing receive a perfect finish thanks to this innovation.
DuPont CoatingSolutions sees a wide range of applications for this new product. It is generally suited for coating temperature sensitive components such as servo motors, piston compressors or cooling units which usually are painted with the electronics already integrated. At the same time, the new paint system expands the application spectrum of powder-based technology into areas that were previously limited to wet paints.

What requirements do these low temperature paints present in terms of system technology?
On the one hand, it requires a high level of temperature accuracy in the oven, since the powder needs to be heated to at least 115 °C to cure, but the motors cannot be heated to more than 120 °C due to the already integrated digital servo regulators and other electronic modules. Higher temperatures would possibly damage the electronics. On the other hand, the operating temperature for painting needs to stay below 25 °C at all times and the powder has to be stored at temperatures no higher than 20 °C.

How are these requirements fulfilled?
The curing oven has an extremely sensitive temperature gauge as well as very balanced air distribution. Staying below the required operating temperature in the coating chamber is ensured by using air conditioning during the summer. The coating material is stored in cooled chambers.

Were additional energy saving measures implemented along with the new painting system?
The actively cooled air from the cold zone is directed into the coating chamber. The powder cabins use air recirculation.

Did the change-over of the painting process have any effects on production?
The servo motors are now painted fully assembled. Production now takes place on an order-related basis with considerably shorter throughput times. This shortened our turnaround times for new orders as well as for replacement deliveries.

Do you see any further optimisation potential in terms of environmental responsibility or financial efficiency in painting?
When it comes to these particular components and requirements the optimum has for the most part been achieved with the newly installed technology. Profitability would be increased if the manual cleaning process with CO2 could be automated.

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DuPont CoatingSolutions offers industrial coatings and automotive paint for all application areas, surfaces and substrates.

For more information, visit the website http://www.coatingsolutions.dupont.com.
End
Source:DuPont CoatingSolutions
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Tags:Powder Coating, Paintexpo, Industrial Coating, Voc, Wet Paint Finishing, Corrosion Protection, Chemical Resistance
Industry:Industrial, Event, Environment
Location:Germany
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