Air drying systems enable perfect bumper finish

Moulded plastics bumpers now pass under a de-ionisation bar to remove any static and an air drying system to remove all moisture after washing to ensure clean surfaces before painting.

The purchase by Decoma International of Magna International's European exterior parts operations in 2000 reinforced the company's position as a premier global supplier of a broad range of technologically-advanced automotive systems, components, and complete modules to the worlds major OEMs.

Today, the company has rationalised and strengthened its European operations, investing in the latest technology to meet the demands of the automotive industry, typified by its Banbury, Oxon, company Decoma Sybex which supplies front and rear moulded bumper systems.

"Our manufacturing process is automated from the time we take virgin stock material from the plastic manufacturers into silos," states Production Engineer, Bryan Staines.

Plastics mouldings - painted products for BMW (the new Mini), Rover, MG, Land Rover and Volvo Light Commercials - are off-loaded from the moulds by robots into cages in the mould shop.

The moulded bumper systems come over to the paint plant where they are manually loaded onto conveyor-mounted, skeletal, bumper frames that support them whilst passing through an enclosed powerwash plant.

From this point on, there is no further manual interface and every effort is made to produce a perfect finish on every bumper.

Prior to being transported through an enclosed powerwash, each bumper passes under an Air Control Industries (ACI) de-ionisation bar to remove any static.

In the powerwash, a caustic solution is sprayed under pressure to remove any grease or mould contaminates.

Each bumper is then transported into the drying room where a turnkey ACI air drying system is used to blow residue water off before the bumpers go through the paint process - a primer coat, a colour coat and a final clear gloss coat.

"The drying process is absolutely vital to the paint finish," continues Staines.

"This is done effectively using ACI's Airknives at the entry and exit points, with side and overhead air drying nozzles on a specially engineered frame.

We are now 100% assured that all water/moisture is removed from the surface of all bumper systems before they reach the robotised paint room, where a primer coat is applied.

The primer is dried in an oven before the base coat is added.

A flash-off oven is then used to dry this coat prior to the application of the final clear gloss coat which is also oven dried.

Painted products are manually inspected for any blemish.

Any product we purchase has to be reliable because we cannot afford downtime in a 24/7 automated plant.

We evaluated the efficiency of the ACI products in other plants before collaborating with their designers for our turnkey drying system.

The drying process is now as efficient as we can possibly get it and scrap through moisture related contamination has been eradicated," concluded Staines.

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