Contract Coater Carves Lucrative Niche - Premier Coatings' Autophoretic line - Statistical Data Included

Automotive Finishing, Fall, 2001 by Beverly A. Graves

Using its new Autophoretic line, Premier Coatings opened up a new market for itself...

Premier Coating (Grand Rapids, MI) is a contract coater serving primarily automotive Tier I suppliers and the office furniture industry. The company, which offers Autophoretic coating, was founded in early 2001, which, by widespread consensus, has been the lowest, slowest business year in a decade for Tier I automotive suppliers and their suppliers.

The idea, according to owner John Hill, was to ramp-up slowly, gradually qualify and build a customer base. This would allow the company to get in position for the next up-cycle, when, hopefully, a second shift could be added. However, it didn't work out exactly as he had envisioned.

On "start-up" day, Premier ran-and shipped-actual product. The second shift, which was planned for the second year, was added in the second month. Ninety days after start-up, the company employed 16 full-time, turned product around in 3 days, and comfortably accommodated customer JIT demands. The company is on-schedule to achieve QS9000 certification before its first anniversary in March 2002.

Owning and operating a contract coating company had long been a goal of Mr. Hill's. In 2000, Andy Ribbens, a friend and customer who owned a successful black oxide and vibratory deburring shop, suggested that they, together consider an Autophoretic operation. The technology was in-demand and evolving. The one Autophoretic coater in the region was abandoning the process to focus on electrocoating. A local stamper had said he'd provide steady business if Andy knew a good source. And the building across the parking lot, an 18,000-sq-ft former casting plant with high ceilings, had a "for sale" sign on it.

Autophoretic coatings are supplied exclusively by Henkel Surface Technologies. First developed in 1973, Autophoretic chemistries work by liberating iron from the steel substrate in a process of oxidation-reduction. They are single-coat, functional finishes, applied without pretreatment. Created as an alternative to electrocoat, "A-coat" is most commonly used for underhood and underbody vehicle components, as well as office furniture and appliances. It is currently available in several Class A and B formulas, depending on the gloss, heat resistance, salt spray performance and, topcoat ability required, particularly for aftermarket parts.

Autophoretic chemistries are polyvinylidene chloride based, and very "green" in that they are heavy-metal and VOC-free and have virtually no environmental impact. Mr. Hill contacted Henkel and began conversations with George Derderian, senior design engineer and project manager specializing in Autophoretic technology.

Because it is a patented process, parameters for the application and cure of Autophoretic coatings are well established. The challenge was to identify an equipment supplier that could design and build a system to accommodate the strict demands of the chemistry, the spacial limitations of the facility and the probable needs of the coater and its future customers.

Mr. Hill qualified four potential vendors, narrowing the field to two based on technical issues and "comfort level." Ultimately, Walgren Company was awarded the project. Walgren had engineered and manufactured a flexible (more than 50 different cycles) zinc plating line for another company that had a 95% uptime record during an 8-year period. The company also had more than two decades experience in the design and manufacture of complex electroplating and anodizing lines. Equally important, they offered total system responsibility, including design, fabrication, installation and field support.

System design began with decisions about part sizes and fixturing. Versatility would be key, since configurations would change throughout the day, along with the parts mix. Early discussions regarding the coating of airbag canisters, console components and brackets suggested four planes of work that included a rack package of 2x4x10 ft and highdensity, universal fixturing that could be tailored to the load as needed. Two permanent carriers would attach to work bars.

Because Autophoretic coating does not involve electrical current or lineof-site considerations part density for these systems can be the highest that is mechanically possible. All that's needed is for the part to contact the solution and not another part. The challenge comes when the rack is moved. Smooth hoist movement is critical until parts cure.

The facility couldn't accommodate the lineal square footage required to build the system in the traditional straight line, so an "H" configuration, with a side-entry, off-line oven was specified. Hydraulic indexing was recommended for use in the 12-stage oven to minimize motion. Two dedicated shuttles would move parts while they were inside the oven. Elsewhere on the line, two programmable 1,500 lb hoists would do the work. Specifying the oven off-line saved the cost of a third hoist.

Production was established at 15 loads per hour, with a maximum of 800 parts per rack. At this rate, Premier could run more than 4,500 brackets (or other parts up to 8 inches) every hour.