Motorhome manufacturer gained efficiency with new production method

Since a long time the motorhome and caravan manufacturer Hobby in Fockbek, Northern Germany, was using glass fibre to reinforce the spoilers on their motorhomes, but they were on the lookout for a change.

They manufacture all kind of spoilers to give the vehicle a better shape and esthetical added value; spoilers on top of the roof, side skirts, wheel covers.

Spraying with glass fibre is rather difficult for a company, as there are many environmental rules and the production process can become messy. There are always glass fibre particles around and the whole production space is filled with these particles. The Hobby engineers had been looking for another production method for a long time. Their material supplier for adhesives is Kleiberit. Kleiberit also manufactures foams, especially for window frames. It was Kleiberit that finally introduced their foam material to Hobby, but only with one problem; they didn’t know how to test it and what machine exactly to use. 

REDUCED PULSES DURING PUMPING 

There may be more ways to spray Kleiberit’s foam, but the Graco Reactor was found the most efficient way to do this. Together with distributor Fluid Systems, a test was set up. After checking the material datasheet, the Reactor H-XP2 turned out to be the best solution for this test. This is because of the horizontal cylinders with the H-XP2, which is perfect to spray foam such as Kleiberit foam. The horizontal cylinders reduce the pulses during the pumping of the material, which causes the material to pump smoothly, resulting in a pulsation-free spraying pattern and a perfect spray result. The sprayed surface is seemly smooth and ready for further processes. Some materials were tested with different mix chambers and tips until the perfect combination was found with the Fusion Clear Shot gun.

EASY TO USE WITH A NON 1:1 MIXING RATIO

Spraying with polyurethane is the proper solution, as this technology is highly efficient for this application. It covers the whole model including all angles, unevenness’s and joints. The H-XP2 is very easy to use with a non 1:1 mixing ratio. The machine is very accurate, it is important to spray the proper layer on the surface as this defines the use of material and reduction of noise. With the H-XP2 Hobby can spray the layer perfectly to meet the required standards. It isn’t really necessary to clean the Fusion Clear Shot gun, as it clears itself automatically after the gun is trigged. But at the end of the day, it is necessary to do the basic cleaning, on long term this will minimise the use of spare parts. This technology also creates flexibility to spray models after-sales “on the spot” if necessary.

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