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Hutchinson improves efficiency of paint line in Poland
Graco ProBell automatic rotary atomizers improve quality, transfer efficiency and cleanliness on a paint line for automotive sealing products.
Hutchinson is a global leader in vibration control, fluid management and sealing technologies, with 40,000 employees in 25 countries. It aims to provide smart solutions for a world on the move, with a focus on increasing safety, comfort and energy efficiency. Its innovative products are found in various industries such as automotive, aerospace, defense, energy, and rail.
Hutchinson Polska
In Poland, Hutchinson has production facilities in Łódź, Dębica, Bielsko-Biała and Żywiec. These sites manufacture a wide range of products, including automotive anti-vibration solutions, precise sealing systems, belt drives, fluid management components, and aerospace products and systems.
New paint line in Łódź
In Łódź, it was time to invest in a new paint line to apply special primer and top coats on Hutchinson’s automotive sealing products. The company had certain stringent requirements. The paint line had to ensure a very high final surface quality, with uniform application and minimal droplets. At the same time, they were looking for a system with quick and easy flushing.
They soon realised that the only technology capable of meeting these requirements was electrostatic rotary bell atomisation. This is a high-energy process that creates an optimal spectrum of droplet sizes for paint application. But which manufacturer made the best electrostatic rotary bell atomiser?
An analysis of manufacturers
Hutchinson’s team of experts responsible for this project evaluated a number of manufacturers of rotary bell atomisers for paint lines and either conducted or evaluated product tests. One of the manufacturers was Graco. A test of the Graco ProBell electrostatic bell atomiser was held in Graco’s headquarters in Maasmechelen, Belgium.
One of the features that make ProBell stand out from the competition is its blended shaping air feature. Inner shaping air and outer shaping air work together to drive paint to the part and adjust the spray pattern. This optimises paint atomisation, pattern shape and transfer efficiency (coverage, wrap) to ensure an excellent overall finish quality. This combination works especially well for finishing many different parts and complex shapes.
ProBell also offers an aluminium bell cup with a serrated edge and equally spaced axial grooves. These grooves act as channels for paint flow, producing uniform particles. This makes it ideal for atomising difficult material like clear coats.
Hutchinson also realised that ProBell would be easy to integrate with existing robots and PLCs or a new installation, while its user-friendly controller interface lets operators easily manage spray parameters. Graco showed a lot of actual applications of ProBell in Tier 1 automotive paint shops.
Easy washing and purging
ProBell also excels when it comes to bell cup washing and purging – one of Hutchinson’s key requirements.
For a cup wash, the paint valve is shut off, and an air signal goes to the solvent valve. Once the solvent valve is triggered, solvent is sent to both the inside and the outside of the bell cup. The bell cup is still rotating to assist the wash.
For the paint line purge, the paint and solvent valves will be shut off and an air signal will trigger the dump valve to go active. Solvent from a feed source, such as a colour change valve or a proportioner’s purge sequence, flushes the ProBell’s fluid line.
Once the fluid line is clean, the paint valve can be triggered to flush the bell cup. Air from an outside source, such as a colour change valve, can be introduced to remove the solvent from the gun in preparation for service. If service is not required, solvent can be left in the system.
Graco gets the green light
Based on the tests and evaluation, Hutchinson Polska decided to purchase the Graco ProBell rotary atomiser. The new paint line was designed by Techniki Lakiernicze Sołtysiak Sp. J. from Bieruń, Poland. It was equipped with three ABB painting robots, two Graco ProBell rotary atomisers for top coat application, one standard automatic spray gun for primer application, plus an isolated supply system based on gear pumps and pressure tanks.
The new installation completely fulfilled the customer’s expectations. “Thanks to electrostatic application with ProBell, our process is now three times faster than before, while quality has also improved,” said Maciej Banaszkiewicz, Coordinator of Special Processes at Hutchinson. “The key to success was easy cleaning of bell cups. Compared to other products that we tested, Graco’s ProBell allows the breaks for bell cup cleaning to be extended 2.5 times, which increases our overall efficiency and productivity.”
Based on these excellent results from the first paint line, Hutchison’s management team has decided to equip a second paint line with Graco’s ProBell.
More information
If you are interested in learning more about Graco’s ProBell rotary atomisers, fill out the contact form below.
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