Please excuse the trite reference to Stephen Covey! But in this case, there really are seven traits that we see that signify that we are working with a world-class coater. Truly world class coil coaters are identified by their ability to:

1. Provide a high quality surface finish batch-after-batch
2. Deliver on time, every time

Furthermore, they focus on protecting the environment and their community by:

3. Minimizing scrap
4. Minimizing paint waste
5. Minimizing solvent usage

And, naturally, they endeavor to protect their team members by:

6. Minimizing paint handling and exposure
7. Minimizing solvent handling and exposure

So, How Can the PCM Help?

In our post, “Add PCM to Reduce Setups, Quality Checks in Coil Coating," we noted:

“…the PCM provides a consistent, repeatable film to the pickup roller. It is always of consistent viscosity from edge-to-edge, and it is 'pre-sheared' as it is supplied to the applicator nip thus eliminating any pan based variation.”

We go on to explain how this film control reduces setup time and helps to develop known “recipes” that enable a coater to get the same high-quality surface batch after batch.

This pretty much takes care of the first two traits!

So What About Protecting the Environment?

Trials are “test strips” – lengths of coil painted for the sole purpose of checking the setup to assure that they can run the order with high integrity. All of the materials used in the trail is waste. But the film and setup control provided by the PCM allow a coater to reduce the number of trials that they run, while helping them to assure that they are running good product later in the coating system. Therefore, they actually generate less scrap.

That’s good for the environment and clearly covers trait No. 3!

But there’s more…

One of our West Coast clients implemented the PCM specifically to drive down their pan fill volume, which reduced system fill volume dramatically. This provides multiple benefits for them, such as:

• Reducing the volume of paint they have to buy for each order
• Reducing the volume of paint left over at the end of each order

In fact, they have been able to paint all the way down to less than two gallons left over at the end of an order – a feat virtually impossible with a pan feed system. From an environmental standpoint, this means less waste paint to dispose of.

And that has a definite impact on trait No. 4!

By reducing the volume of paint in the system, it is possible to reduce the amount of surface to be cleaned. Some of our more advanced users have been able to reduce the solvent they consume by changing their cleaning methods.

And that directly addresses trait No. 5!

So, How Does This Protect Their Team Members?

Can these gains really help protect a coater’s team members? Most certainly.

Let’s start with the reduction of paint volume in the system. This reduces the volume of paint that associates are exposed to, as well as the number of partial drums that they have to handle and the volume of waste paint to be consolidated and disposed of.

This is a tremendous step forward in reducing exposure to paint, which is in line with trait No. 6!

Using less paint, and its associated solvent, as well as using less solvent in the cleaning process are the best ways – in fact almost the only ways – to reduce the operators’ exposure to solvents.

And that meets the objective of trait No. 7!

That makes the PCM a clean-sweep!

Download our free Coil World Article to learn more about the module and how it can help your business.