Magazine

Overhead lines, anthropomorphic robots and automation software: how to save money and increase productivity

Written by Cefla Finishing Team | May 11, 2023 2:17:30 PM

Door and window manufacturers or third party outfits painting such items will be working principally with wood or PVC products. Not all will be familiar with coating techniques and our job is to leverage the broad experience we have acquired in order to assemble the best solution according to each customer’s needs and goals.

Simplifying the process is one target, so we define the details of an overhead line, considering the customer’s objectives such as:

  • production volumes
  • demands for flexibility
  • type of substrate
  • specific requirements

and enabling the following key aspects:

  • control over the coating process
  • control over how much lacquer is consumed
  • control over the coating quality and consistency
  • awareness of production efficiency, potential and how to manage them

Line automation: reduces costs and increases productivity

Minimising manual operations is the quickest way to achieve consistent quality regardless of the shift, the operator or the time of day. The greater the degree of automation, the easier it is to keep control over the entire process. A customer is able to monitor consumption, gauge production efficiency and implement activities to adjust to market demands.

The benefits of a vertical line with a spraying robot

Easy to program with our proprietary software, easy to use and with little maintenance requirements, our anthropomorphic robots reach farther than any others on the market, making it possible to coat large and geometrically challenging pieces.

iGiotto

iGiotto is a complete coating system, for water or solvent-based lacquers, which can be integrated with appropriate software to manage every aspect of the spraying process. An anthropomorphic spraying robot works at constant speeds and at a constant distance between gun and work piece, thereby optimising lacquer consumption and consistency.

Fitted with our software, the customer can program all parameters and launch production, limiting operator intervention to a bare minimum, such as just loading the pieces onto the vertical line. When iGiotto is integrated into a complete line, the pieces will transit through a drying tunnel and then be collected and unloaded in batches or one by one. iGiotto sprays pieces on the move, increasing overall line efficiency. It is also sustainable thanks to lower lacquer consumption leading to less flushing water, less waste, fewer filters and less maintenance.

iFlow

iFlow is an impregnator machine with a flow coating system for wood featuring intelligent design principles which facilitate cleaning procedures and general maintenance.

Expandable to include a second unit for other coatings/colours, it increases production efficiency.

Overhead lines

To minimise manual intervention, so that operators can focus on line supervision, iLoad provides a solution for automatic loading/unloading of overhead conveyors.

The benefits of being glocal

Our global presence and experience with localised issues enables us to provide a customised solution which addresses unique circumstances. Coating processes also vary from wood to wood; coniferous, broadleaved, deciduous, mahogany etc.

Environmental conditions also affect the process. For example, the type and number of coating layers applied to wood in cold countries, such as Scandinavian nations, will be different to the quality and number of layers used in countries with a hot, sunny climate, like those around the Mediterranean.

The more we know about a customer’s specific situation, the easier it is to personalise our solution.

Contact us and discuss your needs with a finishing expert!