As the finishing sector evolves, end-user companies appear to have an increasing list of priorities, often expressed with familiar concepts of flexibility, ease of use, cost reduction, process control, compact design, sustainability, productivity, consistency… Indeed, the list is long. Manufacturers are feeling the pressure of so many equally important demands, so we decided to put the pressure on our roller coater solutions, making it possible to process raised panels on Smartcoater PRO.

Thanks to the equipment’s ability to exert significant pressure on the application system, Smartcoater PRO applies the base coat to raised panels prior to sanding. Panels are then spray coated to complete the surface finish. Reaching the grooves with a roller coater in the past was unheard of, but now brings the benefits of extra flexibility and reduces the application costs.  Moreover, Smartcoater PRO implements innovative systems able to closely monitor the process and thereby minimise operating costs. Process control also enables operators to make immediate corrective actions to optimise quality and improve production efficiency.

The solutions we provide today combine enhanced performance with simpler finishing line concepts and a smaller overall footprint. Their impact on the environment is substantially reduced thanks to a drop in emissions by virtue of the roller coating process as opposed to spraying, plus it saves money! By combining different processes, for example with the addition of edge coating solutions, the entire production cycle acquires greater stability and delivers more consistent results in an easier, automatic way. Automation also plays a role in reducing production costs by monitoring lacquer weight, temperature, etc.

Future development will further limit production costs and add benefits in terms of environmental sustainability, as well as broadening the scope of potential applications. Today it will be interesting to see how Smartcoater PRO handles the base coat application and sanding tasks on raised panels prior to surface finishing on a spray coater.