Cart
A paint efficiency audit shows huge savings
A cabinet manufacturer meets production goals with ProMix PD2K dual panel acid catalyst.
CUSTOMER: Wood cabinet manufacturer
GRACO EQUIPMENT: ProMix PD2K dual panel acid catalyst
CHALLENGE: A wood cabinet manufacturer operated three shifts per day, five to six days per week with 24 colour changes per shift. Production continued to increase, and their current ProMix 2KS system was maxed out.
Paint and solvent waste was extremely high, colour changes were slow, and throughput was falling behind.
Three separate booths, feeding two guns, each with over 25 foot lines created high solvent and paint waste.
- Each colour change took over two minutes, equalling more than three hours each day spent on colour changes alone.
- As more orders kept coming in, there was not enough time in the day to push them through.
The production engineer worked with a Graco account representative to try to improve efficiency with their current equipment by:
- reducing colour changes by batching production by colour
- reducing material waste by shortening lines and reducing the hose diameter
But at the end of the day, they still required overtime to meet production demands.
SOLUTION: The production engineer was challenged directly by his CEO to solve this problem.
A paint efficiency audit by his Graco account representative found high waste numbers that could be resolved with the ProMix PD2K dual panel acid catalyst proportioning system.
ROI calculations made by Graco
| Per year | ProMix 2KS | ProMix 2KS | ProMix PD2K | ProMix PD2K |
| Solvent waste | 64,486 gallons | £342,406 | 11,161 gallons | £59,225 |
| Paint waste | 9,116 gallons | £215,138 | 3,619 gallons | £85,409 |
| Total waste | 73,602 gallons | £557,330 | 14,780 gallons | £144,633 |
| Disposal cost | £15,273 | £13,988 | ||
| Total Cost (£): | £662,603 | £165,773 | ||
| Savings | £496,830 |
When their material supplier’s paint audit reported higher waste numbers, they pitched the case to the CEO.
ROI calculations made by the material supplier
| Per year | ProMix 2KS | ProMix 2KS | ProMix PD2K | ProMix PD2K |
| Solvent waste | 98 l (26 gallons) | £410,453 | 17,035 gallons | £90,395 |
| Paint waste | 13,650 gallons | £322,141 | 6,624 gallons | £156,327 |
| Total waste | 91,000 gallons | £732,595 | 23,660 gallons | £246,722 |
| Disposal cost | £130,158 | £33,841 | ||
| Total Cost (£): | £862,753 | £280,563 | ||
| Savings | £582,190 |
RESULT: After installing three ProMix PD2K dual panel acid catalyst systems, they saved over £429,092 per year by wasting less paint and solvent. They reduced colour change time from more than 2 minutes to 45 seconds.
The time saved allowed them to produce an additional 288 parts per shift. This brought in an extra £14,303 in revenue per day in finished products coming through the line.
| ProMix 2KS | ProMix PD2K | |
| Mixed material hose | 25 to 35 feet | 8 feet |
| Colour change waste | 64 ounces | 18 ounces |
| Colour change time | 2 minutes | 45 seconds |
| Increased throughput | status quo | + 288 parts per shift |
Related articles
Automotive Tier 1 Supplier Accomplishes More with Less Equipment
ProMix PD enables a paint line to do the work of eight robots with only four.
Graco’s IPK Easily Beats the Competition
Every 7 to 10 years, manufacturers replace their paint kitchen equipment due to normal wear and tear.
Transfer efficiency increases 30 percent with a ProBell atomiser
The paint line improves aluminium extrusion finishing, sending a lot less back to a touch-up booth.
