Industrial Hardware Distributors Now Offers Custom Powder Coating

Mid-America Commerce & Industry, Sep 01, 2004

Industrial Hardware Distributors (IHD), Inc., North Kansas City, Missouri, now offers custom powder coating.

The company, a full-service distributor of industrial component parts, started powder coating at the beginning of the year.

The powder coating operation was set up to handle the finishing of material handling conveyors for a sister company Uniflo Technologies, Inc.

With the system up and running, IHD began to offer custom coating to its customers.

Now, coming up on a full year of providing powder coating (and specialty coatings) and preparing to add another shift, IHD is offering custom coating throughout a four-state area (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa).

The conveyorized coating line includes: a 3-stage automatic washing system; phosphatizing; dryoff/preheat oven; a paint booth that can handle parts up to 60" x 32" x 18' and infrared curing ovens. A combination infrared and convection batch oven is also in the coating area.

"Our versatile and advanced equipment enables us to provide a high-quality finish," stated Arell Wasson, a 37-year manufacturing industry veteran and IHD' Executive VP and Operation Manager. "The infrared oven cure coatings up to four times faster than convection ovens, and with less air circulating, airborne contaminants are greatly reduced. Therefore we can offer a higher quality product in less time."

Rick Simon, IHD's Founder and President, pointed out that IHD's order tracking process is being applied to the powder coating division, so that parts are tracked from receipt all the way through finishing and shipping. "Our primary business is VMI services (Vendor Managed Inventory). Our customers trust us to deliver their stock orders with no mistakes, so we double-check every order that leaves our warehouse for accuracy. We incorporated the same process into our powder operation, which helps us eliminate any lost parts."

"We typically offer 3-5 day turnaround, which we plan to maintain as we add a second shift," Simon commented. "We can handle small runs as well as large runs and can accommodate custom colors."

Simon noted that IHD's paint crew has over a decade of combined painting experience. Nathan Finney is the paint shop manager.

IHD packs parts for shipping and can also deliver directly to the end user.

The company operates in a 55,000-sq.-ft. facility with 16 employees.

The powder coating division has already finished parts for numerous industries including: material handling; truck equipment; recreation; automotive; office furniture; restaurant; retail fixtures and general industry.

IHD can be contacted at: (816) 221-9700; Fax (816) 221-9701; 1201 Burlington, North Kansas City, Missouri 64116; Direct initial email to awasson@ihdkc.com.