Paint Efficiency Audit Shows Huge Savings for Woodshop

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 color changes per shift. Production continued to increase, and their current ProMix 2KS system was maxed out.

Paint and solvent waste was extremely high, color 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 color change took over two minutes, equaling over three hours each day on color 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 color changes by batching production by color
  • reducing material waste by shortening lines and reducing 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 by Graco
Return on investment (ROI) assumptions | Based off of mixed material lines: ProMix 2KS (25 to 35 feet) vs. ProMix PD2K (8 feet) | 24 color changes per shift in primer and enamel, 12 color changes per shift in accessories | Solvent cost: $7.42 | Paint cost: average $33 per gallon | Disposal cost: $2 per gallon
Per yearProMix 2KSProMix 2KSProMix PD2KProMix PD2K
Solvent waste64,486 gallons$478,78611,161 gallons$82,814
Paint waste9,116 gallons$300,8283,619 gallons$119, 427
Total waste73,602 gallons$779,31414,780 gallons$202,241
Disposal cost $147,204 $19,560
Total cost $926,518 $231,801
Savings   $694,717

When their material supplier’s paint audit reported higher waste numbers, they pitched the case to the CEO.    

ROI calculations by material supplier
Return on investment (ROI) assumptions | Based off waste calculations by the material supplier | 3,500 gallons of waste every two weeks | Average flush volume: 64 ounces for 2KS vs. 18 ounces for PD2K | Solvent cost: $7.42 | Paint cost average: $33 per gallon | Disposal cost: $2 per gallon
Per yearProMix 2KSProMix 2KSProMix PD2KProMix PD2K
Solvent waste77,350 gallons$573,93717,035 gallons$126,399
Paint waste13,650 gallons$450,4506,624 gallons$218,592
Total waste91,000 gallons$1,024,38723,660 gallons$344,991
Disposal cost $182,00 $47,320
Total cost $1,206,387 $392,311
Savings   $814,076

RESULTS: After installing three ProMix PD2K Dual Panel Acid Catalyst systems, they saved over $600,000 per year by wasting less paint and solvent. They reduced color 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 $20,000 in revenue per day in finished product coming through the line.
 

Assumptions | 6 parts per minute through the booth | 2 painters per unit | 24 color changes | 48 minutes per shift saved
 ProMix 2KSProMix PD2K
Mixed material hose25 to 35 feet8 feet
Color change waste64 ounces18 ounces
Color change time2 minutes45 seconds
Increased throughputstatus quo+ 288 parts per shift

FREE WEBINAR

Plural Component Mixing: How to Calculate ROI

Plural Component Mixing: How to Calculate ROI

This 30-minute, on-demand webinar covers how to calculate the return on investment (ROI) for plural component mixing equipment.

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