Managing the mixing and dispense of different fluids needed for a manufacturing process can be expensive, time-consuming, and dangerous for operators. Air Power offers solutions that eliminate the many pain points of the mix and dispense process.

Carlisle Fluid Technologies – Winning with Airless

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Problem

Flooring Manufacturer was looking to increase pass yield coverage while spraying their Waterborne Topcoat on their flooring.  Their old process was using two Automatic Anesta Iwata air spray guns.

Air Power Solution

Through Air Power’s partnership with Carlisle Fluid Technologies we were able to offer the customer a solution by providing two Binks Automatic AG-364 Airless Spray guns fed by a Binks MX Series Pump.  The results were tremendous.

Effect

The Customer Experienced the following benefits:

  • Increased Pass Yield Coverage by around 40% on average.
  • Reduced coating use by around 50%.
  • Reduced clean up with the reduced amount of over spray
  • Improved coverage on edges and profiles, eliminating the shadow effect.
  • Elimination of CFM air usage.

The above benefits save the customer TIME and MONEY!

 

ProDispense – Always accurate and Always Correct

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Problem

An axle manufacturer has had ongoing issues with accurate filling of gear oils in axle hubs and center differentials due to the operator having to manually select the oil dispensed along with the quantity of oil being dispensed into a given axle. There would be issues with the operator selecting the incorrect oil or volume of oil which often resulted in quality issues of an axle or batch of axles. There was no way to confirm which oil and volume of oil was dispensed into a given axle, which operator did the dispensing on a given axle. All data was on the build sheet for the axle and it was the responsibility of multiple operators and quality technicians to ensure it was filled correctly. All build sheets would have to be read by operators on both sides of the line, then they would have to select the correct oil and volume of oil based on what they read or thought they had read. Quality tracing was extremely difficult using this method. Oil spills and drips were also extremely common, leading to waste and safety concerns

Air Power Solution

Multiple Graco ProDispense systems have been introduced to the facility to eliminate these issues by utilizing advanced technology and programming to ensure error free selecting and filling of fluids. The facilities engineering team will be integrating the ProDispense into their existing PLC’s with new HMI’s which will contain each axles information and location in real time on the line. This will allow each axle’s build sheet to be loaded into the system. By using the axle’s build sheets in the system each operator will touch each axle’s hub or center diff on the HMI which will automatically select the correct oil and oil fill volume for that particular component which will have been preloaded into the PLC and ProDispense by the engineering team. Once the location on the axle has been touched on the HMI the ProDispense will have the appropriate recipe selected via the PLC and the system will illuminate an LED light next to the correct hose reel which contains the appropriate oil. The operator will then unwind the hose reel and dispense valve and insert it into the appropriate oil fill port. Once that is done they will touch the start button on the HMI which will trigger the ProDispense to fill the appropriate volume into the axle. This information will be recorded in their network and will be easily traced back to the axle, oil used and operator performing the fill for traceability. The ProDispense will accurately dispense the correct oil every time within +/- 1%. This will reduce rework, defects and axle failures for the end user. We are utilizing no drip valves to ensure drip free operation to reduce waste and spills to improve safety at the line sides.

Prodispense

Effect

The ProDispense allows for accurate selecting, fill tracking, capturing data associated with each fill to prevent defects, failures, waste and improves safety and accuracy of the entire filling process. Repeatability of the process with operators both new to the line and veterans is much improved as each selection is now automated by the system.

Prodispense

 

From Obsolete to Upgrade

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Many manufacturers struggle with finding new parts to maintain old equipment that is integral to their manufacturing process. In this case study, Air Power finds a solution to replace obsolete equipment and get this customer back in production.

Customer

A Manufacturer of foam-filled plastic parts

Challenge

The customer was having trouble with their old, worn-out mix valve on their dispense system. The old equipment needed repairs that required parts that had been discontinued by the manufacturer.  Every 45 minutes of runtime the customer would have to swap heads and do a cleaning on the used head. The customer was informed that a newer version of their system would become available, but they simply could not wait any longer and needed a solution today.

 

Air Power Solution

Air Power Account Manager Matt Graham proposed a Graco HFR with a Paradyne  Two-Component Dynamic Mix Valve to replace the existing equipment. The Graco Paradyne Dynamic Mix Valve is a rotary static valve that consistently mixes and dispenses materials requiring exceptional mixing energy. Engineered with rugged components and precision controls that eliminate dispensing inconsistencies, reduce maintenance downtime, and optimize material usage.

The Paradyne Valve Reliably mixes and dispenses difficult foaming polyurethanes, low viscosity silicones, and other hard to blend two component chemistries.

  • Easily integrates with Graco meter, mix, and dispense systems like the EFR, PR70, or HFR for a complete dispensing solution.
  • Control system delivers precision RPM control, and real time monitoring for dispensing process stability.
  • Built with durable check valves and disposable mixers that reduce maintenance and downtime.

This solution allowed the customer to be back in production quickly and allow them to continue to use their current process. With the help of our Dispense Specialist team; Jeff Pittman, Adam Kearns, and Neal Cutler, we were able to find a solution that integrated into their current system to minimize downtime and the cost of the upgrade.

 

Install_Graco Voltex Mix Valve

 

Results

 

This customer was extremely happy with the results. They are back in production with no hiccups. The Graco HFR and Paradyne mix valve integrated seamlessly with their current process.  Air Power’s solution saved them money in downtime and integrated with their current process to minimize costs.  The new system allowed the customer to run for four hours without any maintenance and at the end of four hours they just have to change the static mixer. They are happy to be back in production and planning to upgrade a few more systems with the help of Air Power Manufacturing Solutions! If you are interested in upgrading equipment in your manufacturing facility, Call Air Power today!

 

Dispense_Graco_VOltex

Spray Finishing Made Mobile

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In this case study, Air Power Account Manager Austin Lambright helped this customer eliminate pain points in their finishing process, allowing them to save time and money in production costs.

 

CHALLENGE

The customer has a 90ft DOD aircraft that is coated with a very short pot life, a very expensive material. Because of the short pot life, several painters would have to mix an individual pressure pot and all spray the plane at the same time. This caused a lot of waste in material and was time-consuming.

 

AIR POWER SOLUTION

By using a mobile cart with a large Graco EnduraFlo 4:1 diaphragm pump, we are able to feed 4 painters with one central paint vessel. This not only cuts down on a lot of waste, but also simplifies the prep and clean up process, ultimately saving money both in material cost, maintenance, and production time. An all-around process improvement.

 

Graco Endura Flo Cart Solution

 

RESULTS

The customer drastically improved production process time, labor hours, and material savings in their paint process.

 

Graco Endura Flo Cart2

 

Graco Endura Flo Cart

Ergonomics Meets Dispense

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Assembly solutions often require an array of different equipment to get the desired result. In this case study, Air Power was able to design a fully ergonomic dispense solution for this customer.

 

Customer

 

Manufacturer of HVAC Equipment

 

Challenge

 

This customer was planning an expansion that included adding 2 additional assembly lines for panel foaming. They wanted to have a more robust Gantry System, contrary to solutions discussed previously with other distributors. Air Power’s ability to integrate the Material Handling portion of this project along with the Dispense/Fluid Management system allowed us to be the sole solution provider the customer was able to find through the initial quoting phase. After digging into the project, the customer realized our potential and requested the Mix, Meter, and Dispense System to supply two separate assembly lines, thus adding more complexity to both portions of the MOVE project. Factors like pressure loss, high-pressure piping, distance, ergonomics were key when bringing this project from theory to paper to real life.

 

Air Power Solution

Our team was able to design a custom solution that utilizes a Unified Dual Cantilever Overhead Rail System, paired with a Hennecke High-Pressure Metering Machine designed to dispense the full range of rigid foams and flexible foams. This dispense system controls 2 mix heads to fill panels with a Polyurethane Foam on 2 assembly lines. This system pumps the foam through high-pressure hoses mounted overhead with an Ingersoll Rand Suspension Balancer and Z-Servo Balance Control.

 

Ergonomics Meet Dispense

Results

This system has the ability to have cross-lateral movement spanning the entire workstation, pump foam throughout the 1000+ feet of piping/hoses, ergonomically sufficient enough to navigate the 100lbs mix heads North, South, East, West with minimal effort, and produce foam with the touch of a button. We were able to deliver all of the key factors with a combination of our vendor support, customer communication/guidance, and our internal resources to deliver a unique one-of-a-kind turnkey solution!

 

Ergonomics

 

Ergonomics_HVAC_ASSEMBLY

Ergonmics Dispense Assembly Solution

 

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Ergonomics Meets Dispense

Get the Perfect Ratio with GEMS 2K

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When it comes to mixing paint, accuracy is the key to achieving a high-quality finish. In this case study, we discuss a 2K solution that helped this customer perfect their process and save tons in production costs.

Customer

 

Manufacturer of roadside transformers.

 

Challenge

 

This company has a small parts booth for primer and topcoats. The operator had to manually mix two types of epoxy and one urethane. Each day he had to spray all three colors from the same hot pot system. The color change process was a major problem as the different parts to be sprayed were not batched. This caused a lot of waste of paint and solvent. The other concern was being off ratio and parts not curing properly. This was a major cost to the company. They also had a large booth that sprayed the finished transformer. They had to utilize the same paints and this process had the same problems. If the large transformer was off ratio, they had to sand the paint off and repeat the entire process. This proved to be a very expensive problem.

 

Air Power Solution

 

Air Power proposed to install a Carlisle GEMS 2K mix system for each color. We also put in a pump system to pump and circulate all paints to the mix machines. The catalyst was dispensed to the machines from 5-gallon pressure tanks. The 55-gallon drums of paint each had an agitator in them to keep paint in suspension to maintain viscosity. By having a machine for each color there was no color change or off ratio problems.

 

Results

 

The Air Power Solution eliminated the need to hot pot in tanks. Since each color is mixed on demand; this system provided a major labor savings. There is no paint waste and the newly established process saves about 2 to 3 hours per shift as compared to manually formulating and mixing paint. The solvent usage was greatly reduced as there was not a tank to clean each color change. This solution has been able to speed up production on all three shifts. Our technical group and installers were able to put the system in place without impeding the customer’s production runs.

 

GEMS 2K Mix System

 

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Get the Perfect Ratio with GEMS 2K

 

CFT Maple Smart Pump

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Carlisle Fluid Technologies Maple Smart Pump

 

The Maple Smart Pump is Carlisle Fluid Technologies’ advanced, air-operated, horizontal piston pump for automotive and general industrial applications. This range of precision-engineered pumps is designed to handle modern shear sensitive solvent and waterborne paints as well as pure solvents and other paint shop materials. The Maple Pump design combines an energy-efficient air motor with CFT’s low shear fluid section technology providing a smooth consistent flow of materials for both automatic and manual spray gun systems.

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Pumps – Cost of Ownership

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Choosing the right pump for your process can be difficult. There are a lot of measures that need to be taken into consideration. One of the most important deciding factors is cost of operation.

 

Pumps Total Cost of Ownership