Process equipment manufacturers leverage technology to succeed.

Growing global competition, increasing environmental regulations, and rising raw material and energy costs have driven the paint and coatings industry to find new ways to improve efficiency and enhance productivity. Process equipment suppliers have responded with new, multifunctional equipment that can raise throughput without impacting the quality of the final product. At the same time, they face their own set of challenges, including a decreasing customer base, excess product availability, and increased price sensitivity on the part of customers.

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The paint and coatings industry utilizes a wide variety of process equipment, including reactors, mixers, dispersers, media mills, vacuum driers, color dispensing systems, cleaning systems, and water and solvent treatment/recovery equipment. Equipment manufacturers tend to focus on one or two specific types of equipment and develop an expertise in that area.

As paint and coatings manufacturers have responded to the myriad pressures facing them, the actions they have taken have, in turn, impacted their suppliers, including equipment makers. Increasing efficiency and productivity is a key goal of paint producers today. "Paint and coatings manufacturers are looking for smarter ways for product processing and ways to get more production out without compromising product quality--and at a reduced cost," says George J. Murphy, national sales manager with Hockmeyer Equipment Corporation.

Increasing the functionality of the equipment has been of interest to coatings manufacturers. "The trend we see is customers wanting to do more with the equipment they have," notes Stewart Rissley, national sales manager--Premier Mill Operation for SPX Process Equipment. According to Bill Barker, marketing manager for Littleford Day, customers want to perform more than one function in a unit so they do not have to handle the materials as much. "Reduced handling of product helps minimize environmental concerns, engineering issues, and labor costs."

Purchasing of equipment by paint and coatings manufacturers has also become more selective, with cost continuing to become a very important factor. "With the pressure of lower prices from products from the Far East, paint and coatings producers have to make their processes here in the U.S. as cost-effective as possible to compete," comments Kerstin Grosse, sales manager and industry specialist with Buhler Inc., USA. "Loss of manufacturing jobs to the Far East and the subsequent reduction of capacity in the U.S. have resulted in less equipment being needed," adds Michael J. Schmutzer, president of Disti Kleen, Inc. Importation of equipment from other countries is yet another issue, according to Bob Schilling, national sales manager for Union Process.

To compound the situation for equipment suppliers, paint and coatings producers are holding on to older equipment longer as well. This choice, however, conflicts with their desire to improve productivity. "In many cases, on-hand or used equipment that is not the right equipment for the job can result in inefficiencies and quality issues," notes Mr. Rissley.

Many equipment manufacturers have been sold or merged with other companies or other equipment manufacturers. Some have chosen to downsize, or shut down operations in the U.S. and have moved production to overseas locations where they can be more competitive. Consolidation in the paint and coatings industry has also decreased the customer base, and a surplus of used equipment, much of which is still considered to be "the latest technology." "Considering all of the challenges facing them, I would say survival is one of the major issues facing process equipment manufacturers in the U.S. today," states Mr. Murphy.

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To survive, American companies must continue to make improvements in their equipment and still keep the costs competitive, according to Mr. Schilling. "The challenge is to manage the cost/complexity balance of multifunctional units so that the equipment best meets the needs of the customer in the most economical way," says Mr. Barker. Developing close relationships with customers is the secret to success. "It is important to know the application and the expectations of the customer. The only way to do that and be certain of creating equipment that will most effectively meet their needs is to work closely with them," Mr. Barker continues.

One way companies work closely with customers is by providing test facilities. Littleford has the capability to do pilot testing at its facilities. "Customers bring in their raw materials and evaluate their performance on different styles of equipment. Once they decide which equipment is most appropriate, we help them scale up the process to the level of throughput desired," explains Mr. Barker. Buhler also has a test facility that is supported by its technical staff, according to Ms. Grosse. "Depending on availability, we also offer rental equipment that is placed on site with the customer," she notes. Premier Mill, too, has a full service lab to test the behavior of paint and coatings products and determine the best equipment and technology for the customer.

"In a lean economy, it is the research and development budgets that get cut," says Mr. Schilling. "Union Process partners with customers who look for assistance with their research and development," he continues. Enabling customers to differentiate themselves from the competition is the key. "At Hockmeyer, we spend a great deal of time and money developing new technology and partnerships, plus providing support and education, to keep our customers ahead of the competition," says Mr. Murphy.

These process equipment suppliers have introduced several new products designed for the paint and coatings industry. Buhler completed its line of machines with the addition of its Drais machines, which it acquired through the purchase of Draiswerke Gmbh. The company's laboratories in Switzerland, Germany, Japan, and in Minneapolis, MN, were partially rebuilt, enlarged, and updated with products of the Drais machine line following the acquisition. Buhler is also in the process of improving its existing machines to meet the needs of the specialty chemical and coatings industry, according to Ms. Grosse.

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Littleford Day has recently upgraded two of its product offerings. The M/DVT-22 is a 22-liter laboratory mixer with a modular, cast stainless steel construction allowing for easy service and cleaning. It can be operated in a vacuum or under 100 PSIG to up to 450[degrees]F, and can be used with LDI's patented Filtorr system for liquid-solid separation. "With its convenient size and internal pressure capability, the M/DVT-22 is well suited to a broad range of lab processes as well as small production runs," notes Mr. Barker. The M-5 Laboratory Mixer is a new and improved 5-liter laboratory mixer to satisfy a variety of applications and processes. The mixer can be used under vacuum and up to 150 PSIG at 450[degrees]F. It, too, can be used with the Filtorr system for liquid-solid separation. In addition to launching these new products, Littleford Day also opened a wholly owned subsidiary--Littleford Plastic International--in Milan, Italy, to enhance the company's global positioning.

Premier Mill has designed its mills so that they can be configured with varying technologies to meet the specific needs of its customers. Its Basket Mill enables quick cleaning and is suitable for multiple change-over applications. Immersion Mills, another name for basket mills, according to Hockmeyer's Mr. Murphy, can provide a 30 to 50% decrease in production times and allow customers to realize maximum color strength and performance from their pigments. "When used in conjunction with our HPAS particle size analyzer, paint and coatings manufacturers can achieve more consistent and repeatable product processing," he says. Hockmeyer has included the immersion milling technology in its Multi Tasking System (MTS) machine, which allows for completion of dispersion, milling, and de-aeration processes in a single piece of equipment, which is available for testing at the company's testing laboratory. Hockmeyer has also entered into partnerships with Vac-U-Max and Gamajet, making it possible to offer sub-surface powder feed systems and Clean-In-Place systems with its mixer line of both single and multi-shaft mixers.

Energy savings can be achieved with Disti Kleen's new solvent recovery system, which will operate using 30% less energy as compared to existing systems, says Mr. Schmutzer. He adds that recycling solvents can provide a huge advantage in raw material cost savings. Disti Kleen also offers a color dispensing agent that provides labor cost savings, which is critical for survival in today's climate, according to Mr. Schmutzer. For fine particle handling, Union Process recently introduced its DMQ Small Media Mill, which can be used in continuous as well as circulation modes and will accommodate media as small as 0.3 mm. The mill utilizes Union Process' proprietary Delta discs that eliminate shaft whip and mill vibration. The discs are indexed to provide directed and uniform media distribution throughout the mill chamber. The DMQ Media Mill can be constructed with materials that are compatible with metal-free applications.

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by Cynthia Challener

JCT COATINGSTECH

Contributing Writer