Overview
A manufacturer of high-performance powder coatings introduced a new product designed to meet the requirements of a strategic customer application. The company is known for producing premium coatings used in demanding industrial and design environments, where surface finish and consistency are critical.
During product development, the manufacturer identified an unexpected screening issue that threatened both product quality and time-to-market. Immediate corrective action was required to protect a significant new opportunity.
Challenges
The screening process presented several critical challenges:
- Oversized particles contaminating the finished powder coating
- Surface defects and blemishes caused by particle contamination
- Risk of delaying a newly developed product launch
- Limited time to diagnose and resolve the issue
- Elimination of chemistry and upstream processing as root causes
- Wear-related changes in screening equipment allowing particle bypass
The issue had not appeared in previous production runs and required rapid on-site troubleshooting.
Solutions
An experienced service and engineering team conducted an immediate evaluation of the screening equipment and identified component wear that allowed unwanted material to bypass the screening surface.
Key elements of the solution included:
- On-site inspection and rapid diagnosis of equipment fit and sealing issues
- Installation of additional sealing components to immediately prevent particle bypass
- Custom engineering of a design enhancement to improve long-term screening integrity
- Modification of critical sifter components to reduce movement and improve containment
- Implementation of a preventative design improvement applicable to future production
The solution addressed both the immediate contamination issue and the long-term reliability of the screening process.
Results
The corrective actions delivered strong operational and business outcomes:
- Complete elimination of oversized particle contamination
- Restoration of surface finish quality in the powder coating
- Confidence to proceed with full-scale production of the new product
- Protection of a key customer commitment and market opportunity
- Improved reliability and performance of the screening equipment
- Creation of a repeatable design improvement for future applications
The manufacturer was able to move forward with new product development while strengthening its screening process.
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