A new powder coating line at family-run sheet metal company Stratford Tools will give more capacity and improved quality.
The new equipment was supplied by TD Finishing.
The previous, 25-year-old pre-treatment and paint booth were becoming outdated so the decision was taken to replace the booth and ovens a modern, more efficient solution.
The system includes a stainless-steel constructed 3.5 stage spray pre-treatment zone, as well as a two-pass drying and two-pass curing oven. The original monorail conveyor was replaced with a heavier duty, side-track conveyor system with continuous flight bar arrangement to give more capacity and throughput. To improve quality, TD installed a brand-new reverse osmosis Demin plant to ensure that product receives a pure final water rinse prior to the powder application.
Stephen Cooke of Stratford Tools said: "We had operated an aged plant for many years and it became apparent that we had reached point where it needed investment and updating. TD Finishing on several occasions visited our facility to review the plant and discuss our requirements in depth. After receiving and discussing their proposal, we visited several of their existing customers facilities, which convinced us they were the suppliers for us.
“Installation began in May 2020 after a brief delay as we had to ensure our facility was Covid secure for the installation teams. TD arrived onsite and began in earnest, delivering and installing to the re-schedule timetable. Once the plant had been commissioned, and after a batch test panels were processed through the plant we were up and running with production parts within the hour. We are extremely pleased with the performance and look of the new facility, as well as the service and expertise TD Finishing provide. "