The surface treatment department was established in 2009 as part of a larger investment by Addit. In response to the needs of our customers, we have significantly expanded this department and in April 2021 a new, highly automated painting line was put into operation, with three times more processing capacity than previous one.

Our paint shop enables both powder and wet painting in the newest technology. For the sake of quality, efficiency and ecology, the line for both of these processes commonly uses a washing and drying zone, in which recuperation takes place from the polymerization oven for powder coating. The total area of this department is 6 500 m2.

Our integrated installation is able to paint elements with the maximum dimensions of 3000 x 1700 x 1000 mm (L x W x H) and a maximum weight of 300 kg. The Power and Free transport system by Railtechnik is equipped with 160 traverses, each 3 000 mm long. It allows us to increase the technological efficiency and reliability of the process of automated movement of details in the painting line.

The main function and advantage of this system is a possibility of individual, numerical control of each travers using QR codes. These codes are implemented into the ERP system (SAP) and are a source of information about parameters and the detailed course of the painting process for each detail individually. Such control guarantees full system supervision over the process. It is an ideal solution for a short series of products and for integrated paint shops. Human participation is limited to a supervision of a correctness of the process and a delivery of details to the transport travers as well as unloading of details after the painting process. 

In order to ensure maximum flexibility the line is equipped with:

• 3 loading stations, including 1 with a lift;
• 3 unloading stands, including 1 with a lift.

The paint shop is divided into two areas: the logistic area, i.e. the loading and unloading zone and the working area, where the entire painting installation is located.

Powder Paint Shop

This area is equipped with: 
- Wagner powder cabin using 15 automatic pistols placed on three manipulators (6 + 6 + 3); two manual painting stations at the entrance to the cabin and one at the exit from the cabin;
- paint kitchen with automatic cleaning function and a function of recognizing correctness of the poured paint in relation to the assigned recipe to the assigned QR code;
- polymerization oven. 

Advantages of the automatic powder line:

- numerical control of nozzles;
- short set up time;
- powder recovery (up to 98%);
- high efficiency of the line;
- 100% measurability of each stage of the process;
- 100% repeatability of the process.

We powder paint elements from such materials as:

- mild steel;
- mild galvanized steel;
- stainless steel;
- aluminum. 

Advantages of powder coating: 

- high surface resistance to mechanical damage;
- classic, elegant appearance of the coating;
- shorter drying time of the paint compared to wet painting;
- a large range of colors.

Wet painting

The wet painting area consists of:

- two modern wet painting cabins with full temperature and humidity control, supplied by Indufinish;
- flash off zone for evaporation with full control of air flow parameters;
- oven for drying of paint.

Painting accessories:

Wagner application equipment 4x Cobra pump 40-10.
We also use spray painting with guns operating according to the HVLP and RP technology. These guns meet the VOC standards, which define the level of emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere.

We wet paint elements from such materials as:

- mild steel;
- mild galvanized steel;
- stainless steel;
- aluminum.

Advantages of wet painting: 

- perfect for multi-colored elements;
- high strength with appropriate layer thickness
- classic, elegant appearance of the coating;
- a large range of colors.

As standard, we paint mat, semi-mat and satin; colors according to the RAL, NCS and Pantone palettes.

Surface preparation technology:

In order to prepare the surface for painting, we use Henkel's technology called Nanoceramics, the main active agent of which is Bonderite.

Advantages of nanoceramics:

- high adhesion of varnish to the surface;
- very good anti-corrosion properties;
- green technology - harmless to the environment;
- can be used for any type of material.

More information about Nanoceramics can be found at https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/pl/en/about/our-brands/bonderite.html

Additional grinding area:

We have four grinding stations for the processing of base and filler paints before final painting in a wet paint shop. Transport to these positions takes place automatically, based on the assigned QR codes. The grinding area is equipped with an automatic sanding dust extraction. 

Antimicrobial protection: 

We can also paint the products with a powder that guarantees enhanced antimicrobial protection. This unique paint is effective in preventing the growth and migration of microbes, bacteria, fungi, molds, yeasts, viruses, etc. The antimicrobial coating requires only little cleaning, which reduces costs and has a positive environmental impact. It is ideal for medical and laboratory industries, food processing, air treatment and transport systems.

Quality and control of the painting process 

We have full control of the powder and wet painting process. The control system of our line has been designed individually for us and gives us the opportunity to collect all process data. The installation is fully metered and provides data on times, temperatures and other parameters necessary for quality control at the highest available level.

In addition the software allows us to control washing pressure and duration of stay in a drying oven, individually for each travers, which positively affects the quality of the final product.

The same situation takes place in the oven for polymerization of powder paint, where we can control time and temperature individually for each travers based on guidelines from the technical sheet of the powder paint. This means that each individual order is made in accordance with customer's individual guidelines.

The undoubted advantage of the installation is the fact that we can apply four paint layers without removing elements from travers. This solution allows for a very high quality of painting, because the element between application of individual varnish layers waits in the buffer zone and does not require additional manual unloading. This is possible thanks to a very extensive and personalized Power and Free transport system designed especially for Addit.

We are able to obtain any type and thickness of the coating specified by customer. We provide high-quality coatings up to the anti-corrosion class C5-m. At customer’s request, we commission corrosion resistance tests in a salt chamber according to DIN 50021 (EN ISO 9227) and we make samples according to EN ISO 2409.

Quality control is carried out at every stage of the process. Painted elements are subjected to visual inspection, gloss check, measurement of a thickness of the paint coating, cross-test and colorimeter testing. As a standard we paint with paints according to RAL, NCS and Pantone palletes. We work closely with renowned powder producers, such as Worwag, IGP Pulvertechnik, Akzo Nobel, Mankiewicz, Weilburger, Wefa, KABE Farben, etc. Our paint shop, like the entire company, operates in accordance with the Integrated Management System. More information on this is available here.

Ecology 

Technology itself is not everything, ecology is also important. Both Addit and the painting line supplier, Indufinish, place great emphasis on environmental protection. Therefore, the entire installation has been designed in the most energy-efficient way. We have equipped the paint polymerization oven with a special heat recovery zone, which, with the heat recovered from the details, heats the drying oven, and thus reduces gas consumption. We installed a cascade system in the surface preparation area. It was designed in close collaboration of Addit, the line designer Indufinish and chemical process supplier Henkel.

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