Custom Powder Coating HDLV Technology

Progressive Powder Coating was founded in 1996. The company’s current general manager, John D. Sikora came on board in 1997. Their original powder coating system was a Nordson 518 system – the predecessor to Nordson’s Excel® 2002 system. Both the 500 and 2000 series systems are side draft collector systems, capable of one or more colors with the ability to accommodate additional reclaim and non-reclaim color modules. Shortly after opening, Progressive added a Nordson 524 system in 1998 to keep up with growing customer demand. The Nordson 524 system eventually replaced the Nordson 518 system, which was sold at a later date.

In 2005, Progressive bought a previously owned powder coating line, making it their second complete line. It was purchased from IPE (Industrial Process Equipment), located in southern California. This system was purchased complete with two Nordson Excel 2002 roll-on/roll-off systems, eight stage washer, and 188 ft. long gas convection oven with 80 ft. dry-off section. The Nordson 524 and Nordson Excel 2002 systems make up “Line 2”, a 90,000 sq. ft. facility, and also include a 40 ft. IR oven, and Nordson Econo Coat® batch booth. Ninety percent of the parts that are coated in the “Line 2” facility are coated first with a primer coat in the Nordson 524 system, followed by a “gel cure” in the 40 ft. IR oven. Parts are then conveyed onward into one of the two Excel 2002 systems for their top coat, and then move into final cure in the 188 ft. convection oven.

With roughly 40-45 employees, Progressive currently runs two shifts, five days per week. They powder coat many different parts for their parent company, Buyers Products, located just up the road. Buyers Products, a world class manufacturer established in 1946, specializes in the fabrication of truck and trailer components such as trailer hitches, snow plows and tool boxes. These parts are coated with a base primer coat and a decorative cover coat to withstand the abuse that heavy construction equipment receives on a daily basis, as well as outdoor corrosive elements that include road salt, wind, rain and UV light. Progressive’s other large and recognizable customers include companies such as Caterpillar, Emerson Electric, Lincoln Electric and Hitachi. Progressive is a Star Coater certified job shop – a certification similar to ISO but targeted specifically toward powder coating finishers.

When it comes to the custom powder coating industry, custom coaters need to have equipment that not only performs well, but is both robust and reliable. Progressive has roughly 300 to 400 colors in stock at any given time.

With two shifts, five days per week, the guns and pumps see a lot of powder and the systems undergo numerous color changes. Products, technology, service and support are critical to keeping the powder coating lines up and running and helping Progressive Powder Coating to stay true to their name – by continuing to progress and grow.

Progressive’s main facility houses Line 1, in close proximity to Buyer’s Products, where Line 2 is located. The current Line 1 powder coating line was purchased in 2010 and includes a Nordson ColorMax® fast color change system with Spectrum® Powder Feed Center, fourteen Sure Coat® automatic guns, two Encore® LT manual guns, and two Encore HD manual guns.

The ColorMax system replaced the Nordson 524 system, which was moved to the Line 2 facility where it replaced the company’s original Nordson 518 system. Line 1 also includes a 5-stage washer and 130 ft. gas convection oven with 40 ft. dry-off section.

Other equipment in the Line 1 facility includes a Nordson Versa Coat® batch booth with two Encore LT manual systems for both top coat and clear coat applications. The operators for the ColorMax system typically perform about fifteen color changes per shift, changing colors in about eleven minutes with three people. When asked why his company continues to buy Nordson, Sikora commented, “We stay with Nordson because of the products and technology, the people, the service, and the support”.

Ninety percent of the parts coated in the “Line 2” facility are coated twice, with primer coat and cover coat. An operator manually reinforces parts in an Excel® 2000 series booth in the “Line 2” facility.