Coatings World - December 2014

Sherwin Williams
December 2014 www.coatingsworld.com Coatings World | 31

proper installation, maintenance and appropriate product specification.

Sherwin-Williams worked with Beacon to complete the AAMA certifications, beginning with training and a line audit to ensure each stage of the process met or exceeded AAMA standards. Powder coating booths, grounding methods, spray guns and testing procedures were adjusted to ensure even coating and finish thickness. This was followed by line trials and finished parts submission for final testing.

“Customers have purchased products because we are certified,” Romano said. “If
a project specifier puts in the spec that the lighting has to be AAMA certified, that
gives us an edge.”
And when Beacon – a pioneer in LED lighting – announced that 100 per-
cent of its lighting products would utilize LED technology, AAMA certifica-
tion became even more important. LED lighting is known for its ability to last
for years, even when operated 24/7. The finishes on commercial outdoor LED
lighting products must match that long life in terms of gloss and resistance
against fading.

“We’re located in a coastal environment, so we understand that the finish can be a big issue for specifiers,” Romano said. “We wanted to be able to protect the outside and inside surfaces of our products because we know what salt air can do to finishes. But our products are used worldwide – for example, they may be specified for a project in Abu Dhabi, where a finish might be subjected to blowing sand. UV exposure may be an issue elsewhere. Our AAMA certifications help with that type of customer.”

Continuous improvement

The road to finishing line improvements never ends. Sherwin-Williams and Beacon meet on a regular basis to discuss any issues that may arise and work together to resolve them.

“If we have a situation with a powder coating process, Sherwin-Williams works through it to determine root cases,” Romano
said. “For example, we had some outgassing issues on a particular casting; they helped us work on our preheating to eliminate most
of the outgassing before powder coating.”
Beacon estimates that even though its business has increased, the efficiencies gained in the finishing line have allowed the com-
pany to complete its work with just one shift per day.

“We have been able to increase the number of parts that we move through the finishing line while maintaining quality, Romano said. “Sherwin-Williams has helped us increase our throughput.” CW

1. Pretreatment system – five-stage dipping tank system removes all contaminants from metals before they go into drying oven. Parts spend seconds to several minutes in each tank, by the time they come out, contaminants such as lubricants from machining, loose debris is removed; parts are perfectly clean, then go into a drying oven – anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes.

2. Poles going into one of the pretreatment tanks.

Coming out of fourth stage, going into rinsing tank. Each tank up until the last one contains chemicals – the first tank has highest concentration of chemicals, it is heated, and helps to break up any lubricants. Second tank, chemical content is reduced, By the time parts reach 4th tank, they’re clean, and tank #5 is pure (treated – not distilled) water.