Product category:
Washing and pretreatment
News Release from: Stowlin Croftshaw | Subject: Cool-Phos combined treatment system
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 17 July 2001
A fine finish at the point of sale
The installation of the largest UK Cool-Phos combined degreasing, phosphating and drying system is critical to finishing process at Jack Sayers Products.
The installation of the largest UK Cool-Phos combined degreasing, phosphating and drying system is critical to finishing process at Jack Sayers Products The reason for a company diversifying can be varied and the road taken can be often hazardous, seldom paved with gold
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 7 Mar 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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At Britax, all wipers are processed with a Cool-Phos pretreatment process that allows the manufactured product to retain its finish whilst clearing unwanted obstacles from a windscreen.
Ensuring a saleable finish
Fundamental to the growth of Jack Sayers products is the largest UK Cool-Phos combined degreasing, phosphating and drying system, which is critical to the quality of the finishing process.
In Marsham, on the edge of the Norfolk Broads, Jack Sayers Products is proof that belief in seizing market opportunities can pay dividends.
For over twenty years the company has been renowned for manufacturing janitorial cleaning equipment, both to major supply houses in the UK, and direct to bulk users, and today this aspect of business continues to grow.
However, with consumer buying habits being more sophisticated in recent years, Jack Sayers Products has seen huge growth in supplying retail point-of-sale and fine art graphic display systems.
Further reading
Surface preparation 'key' to a good finish
To provide a good, reliable and consistent 'key' for powder coating, communications OEM, RW Data, installed a Cool-Phos open surface combined degreasing, phosphating and drying system.
Finishing the job - a recipe for growth
Sheet Metal Products carried out a thorough process and market investigation before installing new preparation and coating equipment.
Cleans, phosphates and dries in one process
A pre-treatment process that combines the benefits of vapour degreasing and aqueous phosphating produces a better key for paint or powder coating and also protects the parts against corrosion.
Fundamental to the growth of manufactured product has been the installation of the largest UK Cool-Phos combined degreasing, phosphating and drying system, designed by pretreatment specialists Croftshaw Solvents - and critical to the finishing process.
'Point-of-sale display systems today are modular in design.' explained, Site Manager, Charles Williams.
'The car mat, greetings card, pop/film star poster producers, are typical of our clients in this area of business, although it is not unusual for us to deal with 'blue chip' companies direct.
We will either produce a design from a display mock-up, drawings, or adapt from standard product.
We specialise in batch production, manufacturing items made primarily from tubular steel - square or round section - sheet and heavy gauge wirework.
Our customers are nationwide and in addition to our extensive range of internal and external display equipment we provide other specialist equipment such as the Weider exercise bike, all of which need excellent finishing.
A typical job for us was manufacturing a bespoke display stand for Qualcast.
We produced a prototype, and fabricated a tubular construction in mild steel, cut to length, notched, bent, drilled and MIG welded.
Batch quantities, depending on the promotion, can be in 10s or 100s.
The bulk of our finish is powder coating but before any finish can be applied we have to ensure that the metal is absolutely clean.' Jack Sayers original cleaning process was vapour degreasing using tricloroethane.
'The decision to change was not a difficult one.' stated, Charles Williams.
'Our customers were experiencing problems with marking at the edge of posters which reduced their value.
This we ascertained was due to rusting in slots and welds, especially in sheet displays.
Also, having to hand-wipe every part was labour intensive, and with energy costs and the level of product increasing, it was also a high-cost operation.' 'On evaluating the market thoroughly for a replacement system we had to ensure that the surfaces even in welded slots were cleaned and protected against rusting to eliminate our problem.' added Charles Williams.
'Cool-Phos presents a physical barrier against moisture, thus inhibiting rust in the event of a damaged surface.
Additionally, the phosphate coating increases the surface areas available and provides an excellent 'key' for powder coating.
From experience we were also well aware that the cleaning operation could be a potential bottleneck.
Hence we installed a tank to cope with the then present and future increase in business.' The Cool-Phos system - a 3 x 5 metre, open surface tank with a load capacity of 250kg - is sunk into the floor of the finishing and packaging unit.
As a result the projection of the tank is only 1.5 metres and makes for ease of safe access.
'The Qualcast job, as with all products, on production would be sent to the Cool-Phos tank, loaded into baskets and by means of a motorised hoist, raised and lowered into the tank.
Once in the tank, the components are lowered into the vapour zone above the boiling Cool-Phos solution.
Vapour condenses on the components degreasing the surfaces and removes loose dirt as it is flushed off by the condensed Cool-Phos.
As a one-dip, one tank, pretreatment process that cleans, degreases, phosphates and dries within five minutes it is an important cost-effective process.' stated Charles Williams.
The clean, dry, phosphated components are removed from the baskets and jigged up on a bespoke conveyor system that feeds the parts through a powder coating spray booth with a reclaim extraction system.
Coated with an epoxy polyester finish, the display parts are passed through a Maywick propane gas fired high temperature oven and packed to customer specification.
'When leafing through the post card rack, selecting a poster, or buying the overdue Qualcast mower this summer, take a look at the display stand - the product probably originated here.
We are only as good as our finish, especially critical in exporting product worldwide.
To that end both the Cool-Phos solution and the technical back up we receive from Croftshaw aid us in that objective.' concluded Charles Williams. Request a free brochure from Stowlin Croftshaw ...
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