By Paul Mills
Purchasing a new powder coating line can cost from tens of thousands to
millions of dollars. Making a mistake and buying a line that will not work
properly can cost even more in rework, product returns and lost business.
The design of a powder coating line can directly affect the quality, production
efficiency, reliability and overall profitability of an entire powder coating
operation. However, while nearly everyone agrees that it is not a decision to be
made casually, few manufacturers have a clear roadmap to help them make a
sound decision when it comes to choosing a good system supplier.
Having spent a good portion of my time in the paint industry
working for a systems house that sold many liquid
and powder coating paint lines, I have enormous respect
for the companies that design and build high-quality
turnkey powder finishing lines. Selling a powder system is
different than selling related products such as the powder,
pretreatment chemicals, or even spray booths and guns
because nearly every system is highly customized, starting
with a “white sheet of paper.” There are substantial risks
in misjudging the current and future requirements. There
are hundreds of little decisions to be made, and each choice
has an associated tradeoff and price tag.
Therefore, it would be impossible in a single article to
review every one of these decisions to provide any kind of
sweeping recommendation. Instead, the goal of this article
is to provide some advice about how to choose a good
finishing system partner. It may help you decide which
company offers more value, and which offers the lowest
risk of failure. The following 10 suggestions can help when
selecting a good system supplier.
1. Know the Company They Keep
The better system houses tend to be actively involved in
the paint and coatings community. Belonging to a network
of competitors and complementary suppliers allows them to
stay current on industry trends and emerging technological
developments. These associations allow members to build
strong partnerships and share valuable cross-functional
knowledge. Membership in organizations like the Powder
Coating Institute (PCI) and Chemical Coaters Association
Intl. (CCAI) signals a system supplier’s commitment and
support to their industry
“I am (a past president and) a member of the PCI board
of directors, and I start off my sales presentations with a
slide that shows that we are active members of important
industry associations,” says John Sudges, business development
manager for Midwest Finishing Systems. “PCI helps
to educate and promote sound engineering practices with
resources like Powder Coated Tough magazine, the Complete
Powder Coater’s Finishing Handbook, regular hands-on
workshops, and the custom coater certification program.
These programs rely on input from the best and brightest
suppliers to help make customers more knowledgeable, so
that they can better tell the good ones from the bad ones.”
Therefore, one starting point is to check the membership
lists of coating societies like PCI to see who is an
active member. You can even look more deeply at a company’s
involvement in industry technical conferences and
trade shows.
2. Work with Thought Leaders
Designing turnkey powder finishing systems requires
specialized expertise in metal pretreatment, powder application,
material handling and curing techniques. One way
to find systems houses with this expertise is to subscribe
to, and read, trade publications like the one you are reading
right now as well as other industry magazines for articles
they author, or case studies on projects relevant to your
own. You can also search online web sites for educational
articles, blogs, and advice written by and about companies
with this kind of experience. This includes looking at which
companies regularly present papers in the technical program
of conferences, workshops and symposia dedicated
to powder coating. Companies that are actively involved in
education often feel that educating manufacturers will help
them be more discriminating and appreciate the benefit they
bring to their system design.
“We want to help customers to educate themselves,”
says Marty Sawyer, CEO of Trimac Industrial Systems.
“We want them to question what suppliers say about their
own products by understanding the physics behind the
product. That way they are really equipped to evaluate
and compare the technology being offered,” says Sawyer,
“We want them to do research on our company and on
the technology we deliver.”
Ken Schaer, business development manager for engineered
solutions at Global Finishing Solutions, says that sometimes
there are technology differences from systems house to
systems house. “They say there’s no secret sauce, but that’s
not true; there can be important technology differences that
set apart one system house from another,” he says. “For
example, we find that many competitors don’t really understand
many of the subtle differences involved in operating
a zirconium pretreatment system compared with a zinc
phosphate system, and the effect that they have on the rest
of the process.”
3. Look Behind the Curtain
One of the most helpful and important screening tools
is a visit to the offices of each systems house you are
considering. When you do visit, be vigilant and aware of
signals about how they do their work. For example, you
might look to see what kind of CAD software and what
version they have. How modern are their workstations?
Are the project managers’ desktops buried under a haphazard
pile of papers, prints and invoices? Alternatively,
are projects neatly organized into files and binders so
they can look up information quickly when a question
arises? Pay attention to what kind of equipment is used
to manufacture their products. Is it modern and well
maintained?
“If you look around at the type of equipment a system
house has it will tell you about how seriously they take
their work, and the investment they are willing to make
in providing you with a good product at a reasonable
price,” says Ron Cudzilo, Midwest regional manager for
George Koch Sons LLCww and current president of PCI.
“For instance, if you are coming to see me, is my shop
maintained? Is it haphazard?”
If you approach a systems house plant visit as a bit of
detective work, you will find good clues about their approach
to customer service, quality and safety. Is there
an organized stockroom with spare parts for systems
they have recently shipped, for instance? Or, how well
do they pay attention to their own workers’ safety on the
shop floor? If they do not take steps to keep their own
workers safe they might not be vigilant about safety on
your system.
4. Trust, but Verify
Good system design engineers are skeptical of fast, backof-
the-envelope assumptions. This is because bad assumptions
often come back to bite them. Many systems houses
avoid surprises by investing in test equipment to verify a
process before it goes into the field. This equipment might
include conveyor or batch spray booths, some kind of
flexible pretreatment system such as a wand-spray system
or even a small power washer, and various curing alternatives
such as a batch convection oven or portable infrared
panels. “Our lab ovens have variable frequency drives so
we can test curing processes with different rates of air
turnovers to simulate a production oven,” says Sudges. “If
you test every process with a one-size-fits-all approach, you
are likely to miss something that might be a problem in
production.”
Along with this process equipment, systems houses should
also own a good set of test and measurement tools, including
film thickness gauges, a cross hatch kit, perhaps an
impact tester or some way to measure color or gloss levels.
They may have field diagnostic tools such as a temperature
profiling system and a way to measure airflow. If you are
making a site visit as suggested above, ask to see
what kinds of process development capabilities they have
and what test equipment and troubleshooting instruments
they own.
5. Avoid Cutting Corners
“If it’s not specified in their quotation, there’s no telling
what you will end up getting,” says Cudzilo. A specification
that skimps on specificity leaves the door wide open
for less reputable suppliers to cut corners in order to save
a buck. This could mean a cheaper pump, less capable
controls, lighter weight materials. Down the road, you
may find rusted metal pieces in places you assumed they
would be using stainless steel. Better system houses are
usually accustomed to sharing a full description of what
they plan to deliver and are happy to talk about their materials
in detail. “Don’t buy a million-dollar paint system
from a four-page quote,” cautions Cudzilo, whose company
provides extensive information about the parts and
practices they use.
One solution is to specify what you want in painstaking
detail. However, this is often not possible because it requires
expertise that many customers just do not have. One
safeguard is to work with system designers who offer this
level of detail with their quotation.
“There are two basic strategies system houses seem
to follow,” says Kevin Coursin, president of Engineered
Finishing Systems. “They can bid the way a system should
be designed, or they can just try to be the most cost competitive.
We design a robust system made to last a 25-year
cycle, built the way we would want it built if we were the
operator. That means designing for reliability and service
and providing things like proper cleanouts, a way to pull
a pump for easy maintenance or an access door. We don’t
want to cut corners when it comes to longevity and serviceability.”
Jerry Trostle, vice president of sales and marketing for
Pneu-Mech Systems, adds, “Rather than send out a spec
and say ‘quote this,’ we suggest customers do some research,
interview several systems houses and ask about
what they have done. Then they can narrow the field to
one or two who they have trust in to help them to develop
the specification.”
6. Get Tough on Referrals
Nearly all systems houses offer to let prospective customers
talk to one of their satisfied customers. However, it
is also likely they will offer up the name of a more recent
customer who is still enjoying their honeymoon with their
shiny new powder system. “I would ask to see a system
that’s 10 years old,” says Coursin. “Sure, it might look a
little dirtier, but you can find out how well it is still operating.
You can see for yourself if it is rusting, and ask the
operators how much maintenance they need to put in.”
Find referrals that are willing to sit down and share their
experience candidly with you one-on-one without the systems
house breathing over their shoulder. “They should be
your best salesman,” says Coursin, “I have the confidence
enough to leave them alone.”
7. Know the Depth of the Bench
Before picking your supplier, you will want to meet the
key team members who will work on your project. This
includes the lead mechanical and electrical engineers, the
project managers, the fabrication crew, and assembly
and startup supervisors. Ask about who will install the
system. Who will supervise that process? Some systems
houses have dedicated installation crews, and others hire
local tradesmen and provide supervision. Who will start
up your system and work with you to debug any problems?
To provide some assurance that they can achieve
your production schedule, ask how many other concurrent
projects these key people already have on their plate.
You might keep track of how many professionally certified
engineers are on their staff, as well as how many mechanical
and electrical engineers. While great people can
wear many hats, a highly automated system with sophisticated
sensors and controls often requires more specialization.
Besides, you need to have some security about
what would happen if their jack-of-all-trades quits. Most
winners have a staff of trained experts with some depth in
each critical position.
“I strongly encourage them to come to our facility for
this kind of meeting,” says Steve Houston, chief marketing
officer for Col-Met Engineered Finishing Solutions. “I
want them to meet everyone who will touch that project.
Not just to show that we have the people, but that we
have enough people—a team of experts—to see that we
have enough of them to handle their system.”
“You want to understand the extent of each supplier’s
local support, and how they will respond to a problem
that might shut down your system in a timely manner,”
says Schaer. “Ask how they are geographically positioned
to support your plant and whether they have a long, proven
record of service performance.”
8. Weight the Benefits and Pitfalls
of Build Vs. Buy
Among system suppliers, there is a broad continuum
ranging from those companies that design and manufacture
a complete turnkey system, and those system integrators
who piece together the major components (like
ovens, washers and booths) that they purchase from other
suppliers. Either approach can produce a successful result,
but each approach also has benefits and potential pitfalls.
Designing the entire system offers more control and ensures
that information is not lost in translation. However,
designing every piece of equipment requires expertise in
the details of each component. Because the overall system
is only as strong as its weakest link, you need to ensure
that they have this broad expertise in-house; otherwise,
integration might be wise.
Integrators who partner with reputable component manufacturers
can provide excellent results, but the integrator
must be capable of coordinating each piece of the puzzle so
that the system comes together seamlessly. When dealing
with an integrator, be sure they are willing to assume overall
responsibility for the process, and not resort to finger-pointing
if things do not come together properly. You are not
buying a collection of components, but a working process,
so it is important to discuss which components they intend
to design and build, and what portions of the system they
are subcontracting from others.
“Be cautious,” warns Sawyer, “there are … salespeople
who use loose language, claiming ‘we are the best.’ Beware
of these blanket statements. We try to pick our lane—not
trying to be one of many, but look for where we can excel,”
says Sawyer.
9. Ask Other Trusted Suppliers
Good system suppliers make the lives of other suppliers
easier. When things go bad, poor systems houses often
blame their own problems on the spray equipment, the powder
or the pretreatment chemistry. These suppliers often end
up spending countless hours trying to help make the system
work properly. As a result, they frequently know the best and
worst system houses they have worked with, and can be an
excellent resource.
“People buy from people,” says Houston.
“We work in a world of ‘nationals,’
but we live in a world of ‘regionals.’ So,
ask the local suppliers about their history
and experience with different system
houses. Talk to the powder manufacturer,
chemical supplier, even the companies
that provide things like hooks
and load bars. There’s a lot they can tell
you about problems they’ve seen with
prospective suppliers.”
10. Start with the Part in Mind
Good system design starts with a
thorough understanding of the parts.
Look for a systems house that takes
the time to look at the full range of
parts that will be powder coated. They
should want to know the size and
shape of each part, from the smallest to
the largest, to properly size the system.
They will want to study each part to
determine how to properly hang or fixture
them. Part handling helps ensure
each part is cleaned properly and can
drain properly. Parts should be fixtured
or hung to achieve optimum line density,
since line density is directly related
to how efficiently (and thus profitably)
your parts can be powder coated. You
should expect questions about exactly
which surfaces must to be painted and
which surfaces cannot be coated at all.
Part inspection reveals problem shadow
areas, Faraday cage effects, or issues
getting a good electrostatic ground. You
should therefore be leery about systems
houses willing to offer a design or
quotation without painstakingly examining
your parts.
“Parts don’t just magically levitate
themselves around the system,” Trostle
says. “We ask a lot of questions at the
beginning about what areas get powder
coated, what doesn’t, where can
we touch the part, and where can’t we
leave marks. Sometimes we find that
this is the first time the customer has
really thought about how to paint the
part in the real world.”
Paul Mills is a marketing and business
development consultant to industry
chemistry and equipment suppliers.
He has been a writer for the powder
coating industry since 1994. Paul can
be reached at 440-570-5228 or via
email at pmillsoh@aol.com.