Something like this may happen once or twice. Park your car, walk away and when you suddenly start to doubt, you are so far away there’s nothing you can do about it. Of course, it is common to be away from the factory and have no information regarding your production line. Most of us will accept this as a matter of fact, but what if you could keep an eye on both output and production line status, any time of day, anywhere in the world? A complicated interface, costly software designed especially for your smartphone, giving you limited machine data. And whoever designed the software unfortunately has no idea how to interpret the data. And if you change smartphone? Not a great scenario.

We may not ring the doorbell 9 minutes and 37 seconds after you call us, but UBIQUO software solutions are a powerful selection of software tools designed to solve a cluster of issues many customers encounter at different stages of their production. And once you begin using them, you won’t need to call for extra help, but we will always be by your side when you need us.

Digital technologies open the doors to countless opportunities

You may want to evaluate the ROI before defining your purchase of production equipment. We make that possible with cCloner, by simulating your production, configuring your line correctly and evaluating lacquer, thermal and electrical energy consumption. This is much more than a static layout of your production line. cCloner will assess processing times, calculate the overall coated surface area of a single line, enabling you to invest with fewer risks than ever before.

Avoiding bottlenecks, downtime and minimising all factors that will generate inefficiency is an issue our customers are faced with regularly. One tool to track and control production from one single point, gathering all data and feeding them to and from the company’s management software is what our cTracker and cLink solutions take care of. cTracker also allows you to adapt production parameters to handle new thicknesses and colours on the fly, and enables tracking of a single production batch on the line or even single pieces.

When you want to keep an eye on both output and production line status, any time of day, anywhere in the world, our cMaster web-based tool allows you to do so as long as you have an internet connection, a smartphone or a tablet. cMaster opens your eyes onto one or more plants or production lines, giving you real-time data or selected information and statistics for period-focused research and preventive maintenance. Our service teams will also be able to monitor the state of the equipment and proactively support you only when you need assistance. The difference between cMaster and similar software solutions is that cMaster is developed around Cefla Finishing equipment and technologies. It is not a commercial software based on a shared platform, excluding potential for targeted data analysis and for actions aimed at improving quality and efficiency in the future.

Learn more about our digital tools and software solutions.

3 reasons to move from a manual to an automated spray coating process

This is a question most often asked by smaller companies employing no more than a dozen staff. As the market becomes more demanding in terms of lead times and quality standards, manual spray coating techniques have a number of drawbacks.
You may not realise, but transfer efficiency is no higher than 25% and often the pieces need to be re-sprayed when the quality achieved is not in line with the customer’s expectations. Such issues are putting pressure on small outfits using manual labour and the pressure is felt not only by the owners, but also by the operators themselves.
Reworking products also takes time, not to mention the cost of extra lacquer and labour, and it leads to inevitably longer delivery times, something your customers will not appreciate. Reworks can be avoided.
Switching from manual to automated spray coating may seem like a step into the unknown for some companies, but the return on investment will soon be felt. An initial investment with some reorganisation of floorspace will be necessary. One or two operators will need to learn a few basics before being able to program the equipment, but once this is done, they will only need to oversee the process, load and unload workpieces and keep to schedule. What you will notice is that coating quality consistency will no longer depend on which operator is spraying, how much coffee he had or whether he is spraying well at 9 a.m. or spraying as best he can at 5 p.m. – it makes a difference!

How will an automatic spray coating machine improve all this?

• Firstly, you will obtain the same quality without any variations, so once it is satisfactory, you just need to push a button and let the machine accomplish the rest.
• Secondly, you will save on lacquer because transfer efficiency will increase significantly, in some instances reaching more than twice as much compared to manual spray coating.
• Thirdly, your production efficiency will increase and consequently delivery times will be reduced, so you can accept more business and maybe extend your customer base.
• Fourthly, labour costs can be cut because you only need one operator to manage the programming and supervision of the equipment, as well as loading and unloading the pieces.

So what are the 3 reasons?

Simple, we have created several spray coating solutions, but many of these are sophisticated machines handling complex geometries, processing on flatbed or overhead lines and using special anthropomorphic robots.
But there are 3 solutions which represent a perfect first step into the world of automated spray coating:

• Prima
• Mito
• Easy

Before you make a choice, there are a few things to consider. Base your decision on the goals you aim to achieve, not on your current capacity. Consider your need to make frequent colour changes; in this case you should opt for Prima, an excellent solution when dealing with frequent colour changes or several small batches. Mito can be fitted with one central or two lateral arms, and is good for small to medium outputs. Easy will be suitable for handling medium to large volumes and can be fitted with a number of optional features.

If you are keen to learn more about moving from manual to automated spray coating, our experts will be happy to personalise the solution according to your real needs.
So if you are ready to explore the new potential awaiting you and your business, contact us for more details.

What’s so special about profile wrapping?

Profile wrapping is not only a relatively economic process, it also allows for high output and enables you to offer products with a large range of surfaces including veneer and high-gloss decorations. Running your own profile wrapping line instead of buying ready-made bars offers you a lot of flexibility.

What do you need to start profile wrapping?

Obviously you need a profile wrapping line, but also skilled staff and consumable products like adhesive, foil and maybe primer. The length and width of the line – and thus the space it will occupy - depend on the dimensions and shapes of the work pieces you would like to wrap. Also, the machine will need electric energy and compressed air.

What does a profile wrapping line look like?

Usually, a profile wrapping line consists of an entry zone, a glue application and a wrapping zone. Then, there are additional components like in- and outfeed systems, premelters and separating systems.

Where do I find further information?

We recommend reading the White Paper which gives a comprehensive overview of technical terms and the composition of a profile wrapping line. Any questions left? Contact us. Our Sales Engineers will be happy to help you.

Who knows a company that won’t want to cut costs wherever possible, saving money directly from lower consumption and indirectly by saving time on repetitive procedures?

A patented paint recovery system which cleans your equipment reduces the amount of paint wasted and also the quantity of detergent needed to clean. It also saves time when changing from one production run to the next when colour changeovers are involved.

A wider belt under the painting surface collects excess paint during spraying, thereby protecting the machine's filters. A counter-rotating roller also recovers paint while the machine is working, so no downtime is necessary. Better belt condition leads to longer belt life and fewer stoppages to replace them.

The amount of detergent needed is reduced to a minimum. Less than 50 litres of detergent per shift are required on average to perform cleaning operations.

Take a look at this short video to see how the system works and contact us if you desire more detailed information. Our spray coating machines can be equipped with this device.

This is a question that comes and goes, usually getting a negative response because saving money inevitably means a compromise which reduces quality. But if your business profits rely on cutting overheads, especially in the form of electricity, or if you can obtain incentives by implementing sustainable technologies, you cannot stand still, you need to make a choice. When you’ve already opted for quality, you will be using a spraying robot such as iBotic. Thinking of saving money would probably lead you to consider reverting to an oscillating spray coater or even hand-coating the pieces in a spraying booth. Neither options will conserve the finished quality of the spraying robot, so where do you look?