Ahead of the curve

Epwin’s new powder coating plant is the perfect example of the quality and forward-thinking set-up of the production facilities in which systems are automatically monitored, the company has announced.

The manufacturing facilities for Stellar, the systems company’s aluminium window and door system, offer state-of-the-art production at every level, according to Clare O’Hara, managing director at Epwin.

“Stellar sets a new standard for the aluminium industry and this starts from our in-house UK production facilities,” she said.

“Legislation coming into effect in September 2021 bans the use of hexavalent chrome pre-treatments because of the environmental damage they cause. Having already invested in a chrome-free system, we’re already ahead of the curve and able to maintain our track record of commitment to the environment.”

The fully automated production facilities were designed to ensure consistent quality at every level.

“We worked closely with our machinery manufacturers as quality and consistency is vitally important and we’ve considered it at every stage,” Clare said.

“They have more than delivered, and we are delighted with the results.”

Short cycle times from pre-treatment to powder booth lowers the risk of contamination and handling damage. The plant also features a fully automatic quick change powder booth with advanced product detection and automatic gun adjustment, so it does not use manual spraying processes or suffer from the associated quality variation. The product recipe input delivers consistent and repeatable coating quality for an additional level of reliability.

The facilities incorporate the first fully automated thermal break, gasket and packaging line. In an industry-first, the combined automated line delivers all three functions seamlessly and efficiently.