The right moment for a retrofit

A Dutch manufacturer of windows and door frames modernized its only ten-year-old plant technology specifically in the area of application and promptly reached a new level in terms of productivity and efficiency.

It is not uncommon for the operating times of many systems in the surface technology sector to reach 20 years and more. As an operator, you actually want to invest as little as possible during this period, apart from the necessary operating costs and maintenance. But it can be worthwhile not to close one's eyes and to critically scrutinize one's own process even before the planned plant runtime has expired.

The example of the overhaul of the painting line at Reuvers Ontwikkeling & Bouw, a renowned manufacturer of windows and door frames in Holland, shows that it can always make sense to review the efficiency of one's own painting technology and not to stick to the original planning for the service life of components here as a matter of principle. Particularly if the possibilities have changed significantly compared to the state of the art when the plant was planned, or if experience shows that not everything works as desired, it can be very beneficial for productivity and a reduction in operating costs to invest at least partially in modernization measures.

It is one thing to realize that something is not running optimally; it is quite another to invest the time and energy to look intensively at possible solutions. If this leads to the unpleasant realization that there is a serious need for improvement, a decision must be made as to whether this potential for improvement is sufficient to justify premature investment in a retrofit. All in all, it is a laborious and time-consuming process. But it can be worthwhile, as in the case of Reuvers. Evaluations after six months of operation of the modernized plant now show that it has succeeded in halving paint consumption while doubling throughput through the paint booth.

Read more about the modernization measures at Reuvers in our exclusive report in issue 5/2021 or alreadyhere online as a premium subscriber at oberflaeche.de.