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RASCO modernizes coating line
Graco’s paint shop products contribute to process efficiencies and top-quality finishes.
How can outdoor machinery be optimally finished to ensure adequate protection in severe environmental conditions such as beyond the Arctic Circle? This was a question facing Croatian equipment manufacturer RASCO.
Based in Kalinovac, near Đurđevac in Croatia, RASCO is a leading manufacturer of machines for the maintenance of traffic infrastructure. Employing 480 people, RASCO sells its products in over 40 countries on five continents.
The company was founded in 1990 by two friends who still own the company. They started by servicing agricultural machinery for local farmers before expanding to service local road maintenance equipment. Four years later, they went into manufacturing and launched their own road maintenance machine. The following year they established their first production hall. RASCO machines began to sell well, firstly throughout Croatia and then in the markets of south-east Europe before becoming well accepted across the EU. In 2017, RASCO started exporting to Canada.
Wide product range
RASCO machines are intended for winter and summer maintenance of all kinds of traffic infrastructure: from motorways, express roads in both urban and rural areas, to airports, parking areas, pedestrian walkways and bicycle tracks, unclassified forest paths, river banks and canals. The portfolio includes road sweepers, snow ploughs, snow brushes, salt spreaders and crane mowers. They are all renowned for their robustness and durability. Many of them operate within the Arctic Circle. It’s therefore essential that their machines are optimally finished to resist extremes of weather. The company is also working on the development of electric vehicles, as well as new technologies such as 5G, IoT, remote control and autonomous driving.
New investments
Recently the company completed the largest investment cycle in its 30-year history. Beginning in 2017, this almost EUR 6 million investment has resulted in three new buildings. A new 1500-square-meter management building brought together the departments of sales, marketing, finance, accounting, product development and management, to allow better internal collaboration.
The extended plant facility has led to an increase in capacity, efficiency and productivity. RASCO’s new surface protection line consists of three parts:
- The first part is an automatic shotblasting chamber that removes impurities from the material.
- The second part consists of seven lacquer chambers in which anti-corrosive protection is applied.
- The third part is a 180-meter-long completely automated finishing line, installed at the end of 2020.
Incorporating some of the most advanced surface protection technologies, it has led to a significant increase in coating capacity while maintaining quality at the highest levels. These in turn impact production speed and the number of new products coming off the conveyor belt.
Top-quality finishing in the paint booth
Graco equipment plays a key role in ensuring the speed and quality of the coating process, as well as contributing to material and cost saving. Graco products are used both for the prime and top coats.
“We chose to work with Graco products because of the renowned quality and durability of their products,” says Silvio Rogoz, paint shop manager at RASCO. “In addition, we receive excellent support from Graco’s local distributor and service partner, Gracotech doo.”
The coatings are mixed with Graco’s ProMix 2KS for the primers and 2KE plural-component proportioners for the top coatings. They offer predefined tolerance limits to stay on ratio within 2%, less maintenance time thanks to easily accessible components, and an intuitive, icon-driven LCD display. They provide accurate ratio assurance for superior finish quality, along with the ability to use up to 30 colors and four catalysts.
Simple programming enables fast setup and efficient process control, while their advanced web interface consolidates system management and reporting.
Painting takes place in two well-equipped spray booths: one for the prime coats and the other for the top coats.
Other key products in the RASCO paint booths are Merkur paint supply piston pumps which are designed to improve productivity, reduce costs, lower emissions and provide consistent, high-quality finishes. Features include low air consumption for increased efficiency, and external valve access for easy servicing and online replacement to minimize downtime. The final component is the Graco air-assist spray gun. It is designed for exceptional spray quality and ease of use, while improving transfer efficiency and reducing material usage.
“Thanks to our recent investments in our new coating line and the high performance and reliability of Graco equipment in our paint booths, we have realized significant benefits,” adds Silvio Rogoz. “These include faster throughput, less maintenance downtime and costs, and reduced mixing material consumption which translates into cost savings of around twenty per cent.”
More information
If you are interested in learning more about Graco’s extensive range of products for paint shops, fill out the contact form below.
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