Powder Coating Speed, Material Savings and Efficiency

When it comes to metal fabrication, L&W Engineering (Middlebury, IN) is one of the best in the business. With humble beginnings in 1975, L&W has experienced significant growth in the past 40 years, now building quality parts for a multitude of unique customers and earning annual sales in the $40 million range.

The company is able to assist customers in every stage of the process – from research and development all the way to packaging and delivery. “The level of flexibility we have in our capabilities at this facility allows us to work with thousands of unique parts,” says Jamie Peck, director of engineering. “We really pride ourselves on building a quality product. You know what you are getting is going to be built with quality and integrity, and we can provide service for that product if need be.”

One of the largest industries that L&W serves is recreational vehicles (RVs). Here, among other products, they design functional and secure TV brackets of all types.The L&W team works with OEMs on a daily basis – with each OEM in search of different bracket styles based on their particular needs. The typical production process begins with a schematic of what the part will look like, after which it is checked by the research and development team to ensure that it will meet the required performance characteristics.

The L&W team then creates a part profile that is bent and welded by machine or by hand. Once the part is fabricated, it is powder coated, packaged and shipped – all done in-house at the L&W facility. The company powder coats more than 90 percent of the parts it manufactures – some of which are coated for aesthetics and some for durability. “We like to think of our TV brackets as ‘earthquake proof,’” says L&W President Roger Huffman. “Our engineering team produces product that locks into place, so the customer is confident that when they head down the road, it is secure and will perform as expected.”

Powder coating is an integral part of the fabrication process at L&W. For years, the company went outside to have its powder coating needs met. In 2014, they began looking at ways to improve their overall process and the benefits of outfitting their facility with in-house powder coating capability.

“We were in search of better control of our lead time and response time moving products through.” Peck says. “Our industry is a very quick one – we don’t always have a lot of time to turn things around. Sometimes, our customers want their parts in a day. That was one of the key benefits we considered in-house powder coating – faster turnaround.”

No two days are the same at L&W’s 250,000-square-foot facility. L&W had several objectives in mind for its investment: reclaim powder, increase line speed, and achieve faster color change and repeatable coverage. For this, they turned to Nordson Corporation (Amherst, OH), one of the world’s leading manufacturers of powder coating equipment.

Since the installation of the ColorMax 2 system and Encore automatic and manual spray guns, L&W Engineering has seen substantial improvements in overall line flow. Prior to installation, Nordson worked with L&W to determine the cost based on their unique requirements and production line.

Before the ColorMax 2 system was installed, L&W sent drivers back and forth to outside powder coaters two to three times a week to deliver and collect parts. Having capabilities in-house allows the company to achieve 40-50 percent higher productivity. It has also resulted in better customer service and a quicker response time.

“The overall flow from powder coating to packaging and assembly has greatly improved. It’s less cumbersome for our workers,” says Peck. “We have seen about 20-30 percent time savings in comparison to outsourcing.” Quick color change has been one of the biggest benefits of the Nordson system, with the process of switching from black to white powder taking just 10 minutes.

L&W is also impressed with the amount of material reclaim being achieved, which Huffman and Peck estimate to be about 95 percent. Peck says that the great benefits provided by the Nordson system are far worth the cost. “When you buy a Nordson system, you are getting a whole lot more than what you think you’re getting,” he says, referencing Nordson’s 24/7 customer service. “When expert advice is needed, Nordson is always on-hand to help with any questions and concerns.”

For more information on the ColorMax 2 system, contact Nordson at 800.433.9319. For aluminum and steel fabrication and other information on L&W Engineering, contact them at 574.825.5351.