Lighting Fixtures: Commerical and Residential
Modean Industries, in cooperation with its supplier, ITW Gema as well as its other affiliates, has played a major role in the design and installation of powder coating systems in the lighting fixtures market for both commercial and residential applications.
Case Studies
- Creative Solutions for Complex Coating Challenges
- Lightolier/CFI Increases Productivity by more than 72%
- Sternberg Lighting Achieves Over 70% Transfer Efficiency
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Creative Solutions for Complex Coating Challenges
The Client
A major US manufacturer of commercial and residential lighting fixtures.
The Challenge
This was an especially complex project. Working with the client, the engineering department came up with several design innovations to tackle the following specific challenges:
- Cost Management – Justify the cost to transition from an existing liquid paint system to a powder coating system not just in one plant but in two separate plants, in two different states, while insuring full regulatory compliance for both states’ strict solid waste and pollution control requirements.
- Space Limitations – Space conservation was a major consideration and not a simple one at that. The new powder coating system consisting of powder booths and recovery system had to be squeezed into the space occupied by the existing liquid system.
- Downtime Constraints – The finishing line could not be down for more than two weeks. This was the time allotted for tearing out the old liquid system and installing the new powder application system.
The Solution
Initially the client considered installing an entirely new finishing system, including a new washer and oven as well as the powder application system that would be erected in a new building add-on. Instead, the existing liquid paint line was converted utilizing their existing washer and ovens. For the powder coating system the client selected the twin-air-belt system which would not only accommodate their multi-color system and conserve space but the new quick-change belt design would make color change relatively easy.
Next was confronting the space limitations. The new powder system would be placed in the same space occupied by the old liquid system. Since there was no space for the complete system on the same floor, the engineers decided to look up and designed a plan so that the exhausters for the system’s two automatic spray booths would be located on the roof of the building. This innovative idea accomplished two things: noise levels inside the plant were greatly reduced and it eliminated the need for subfloor cabling which would have been required if they had to tear up the floor slab to route electrical cables and powder supply hoses.
Although this approach saved money, it was not without its problems. The finishing line could not be down for more than two weeks and that was the time allocated for tearing out the old liquid system and installing the new powder application section. Careful planning and preassembling as much of the equipment as possible, the client, assisted by the supplier’s service personnel, met his deadline. The system was fully operational at the end of two weeks.
Benefit to Client
With two new powder coating systems in both plants, the client estimates that the overall cost savings will exceed his original projections. The advantages of the powder system installed were:
- First and foremost, a product that looks great with a more durable finish
- Lower material and labor costs
- Reduced air make-up and consumption of compressed air
- Elimination of sludge and hazardous waste disposal and pump repair costs
- And finally full compliance with both states’ strict solid waste and environmental pollution regulations.
Conclusion
The results of the new powder coating system speak for themselves. We were able not just to achieve the client’s requirements, but exceed them: coating products with a superior finish applied at a lower cost; improving utilization of the coating material by 50+%, complete compliance with environmental regulations; and eliminating VOC emissions. The added bonus was a clean paint line that made housekeeping a cinch!
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Lightolier/CFI Increases Productivity by more than 72%
Please note: The following Case Study has been prepared by ITW Gema, a supplier of Modean Industries, and is being reproduced with ITW Gema’s permission. Hani Azzam of Modean Industries supervised the design and engineering of several of the original Gema systems in the United States.
The Client
Lightolier/CFI, a member of the Genlyte Thomas Group LLC family of companies, is a leading manufacturer of lighting fixtures and controls for commercial, industrial and residential markets.
The Challenge
When Lightolier’s equipment began to age, they knew it was time for an upgrade. Christian Rheault, Manufacturing Manager, relied on Lightolier’s long-standing relationship with ITW Gema to build a new system that was right for their operation.
The Solution
Lightolier upgraded to a complete OptiSystem from ITW Gema. The upgrade also included an 8,000 cfm Vortech™ powder booth and an AutoTracker™ Programmable Logic Control (PLC) that was integrated with their computer network.
The Savings
Lightolier has been able to increase both line speed and product density, easily meeting their expanded production requirements. Due to better transfer efficiency, they also achieved powder savings of 28%. They expected a return on their investment in eighteen months, but achieved it in less than 6!
“Prior to our upgrade to the OptiSystem™ we were producing 2,500 parts per day running ten shifts per week. Now we can produce 4,300 parts per day with only eight shifts — and we’re still improving!”
— Christian Rheault, Lightolier/CFI
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Sternberg Lighting Achieves Over 70% Transfer Efficiency
Please note: The following Case Study has been prepared by ITW Gema, a supplier of Modean Industries, and is being reproduced with ITW Gema’s permission. Hani Azzam of Modean Industries supervised the design and engineering of several of the original Gema systems in the United States.
The Client
Sternberg Lighting has been creating lighting fixtures and ornamental poles since 1923. Today, their product has expanded to include custom projects and site amenities, such as clocks, street signs, mail boxes, benches and trash receptacles.
The Challenge
Previously a liquid operation, Sternberg made the transition to powder in 2005. As a custom shop, they will apply any color the customer wants. Making quick color change an important consideration. More importantly, the reliability and application efficiency of the powder guns was a primary concern.
The Solution
Finishing Department Supervisor, George Howe, has worked with numerous application equipment vendors over his career and concluded that ITW Gema would make the best fit for Sternberg. “Some of the other equipment guys make a pretty good booth,” George admitted, “but ITW Gema definitely makes the best guns! Sternberg installed a Diamond™ 10,000 cfm powder booth with automatic gun triggering. The booth was fitted with OptiGun™ automatic powder guns, OptiTronic™ control units, and OptiFlow™ high-performance powder pumps. EasySystem™ touch-up units were attached to the booth to accommodate areas where manual work is required.
The Savings
“The system has been awesome!” George remarked. “Our pump inserts last so long that our spare parts expense has been drastically reduced. Filters seem to last forever because the overspray is virtually nothing.” Rejects are almost non-existent at Sternberg, and are never due to the powder application. According to George, “These guns are so incredibly efficient, we get over 70% transfer efficiency and save a ton of money on powder.”
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