Gratnells Engineering in the fast lane with new Powder Coating line
Gratnells Engineering, The Harlow based company, has recently invested in a new state-of-the-art Powder Coating line that allows for shorter runs than ever before, without impacting on a best-quality finish.
The new machine, which includes equipment built by Surface Finishing Group, has a lengthy 85-meter conveyorised production line and a spray booth complete with electrostatic/Corona guns produced by Gema. The Spray booth contains sensors upon entry that ensures no wastage occurs, as the machine only sprays if metal is present in the booth.
The customer workpiece goes through a phosphate wash, rinse and then is dried in the oven. It will undergo a heating process to cure the item, where the powder will melt into a smooth uniform film, and finally will be cooled to ensure a hard-resilient coating and high-quality finish.
The result is a process that allows for urgent demands to be met thanks to shorter production runs, shorter lead times and higher resistance to chemicals, high temperatures and UV light.
Whilst this increase in speed has obvious advantages to customers, the versatility of the line is also noteworthy. Demands on modern manufacturers mean an adaptable process that can handle various product outputs is often a necessity. Since it’s implementation the line has already successfully produced a large variety of items, including railings, doors, windows, automotive parts, industrial machinery, furniture and garden furniture.
The efficiency of the new line means metal can be coated in any RAL or British Standard colour, meaning customer choice is wider than ever. The process is also now more environmentally friendly, especially when compared with standard painting processes.
Loic Jones, Operations Director, says “Gratnells Engineering decided to invest in a state of the art powder coating line and utilise the latest powder coating technology to enables us to offer short production runs with the best quality finish, to our customer base. This substantial investment will allow Gratnells Engineering to continually support the ever-demanding needs of modern manufacturing clients”.
Gratnells Engineering has also recently launched www.gratnellspowdercoating.com, a new website that outlines some of the key benefits of the line and streamlines the decision-making process for customers even further.
