Painting equipment safety and management

Painting a product is one of the final stages before shipping it to the customer. It is clear that the coating of the product plays an important role, since it primarily affects the attractiveness of the appearance. It is also necessary because of its protective functions. Powder coating has an anti-corrosion effect, without which it is almost impossible to ensure long-term use of the product without scratches, paint chipping and rust. In addition, the application process must be well controlled, from the quality of the paint particles to the correct and above all safe use of the equipment.

How is powder paint applied?

Powder paint is applied with a special spray gun in a spray booth using an electrostatic charge. Usually, paint particles are charged from an external source or by friction. This is the main difference between spray guns. Then the particles settle on the product and polymerize in the oven.

That is why, in order to paint the surface, sandblasting is necessary, thanks to which the surface is cleaned, a special spray gun, a spray chamber and a polymerization oven. It has been proven that powder paint does not contain harmful substances in its composition. But it can be harmful if the particles enter the lungs or settle on the skin. Therefore, it is important to have a uniform and protective masks. Since workers are working with electrical charges, the quality of the spray gun insulation should also be checked.

However, in order to complete all the processes, it is also necessary to somehow transport the product from one place to another – for which the conveyor is used. It is impossible to imagine mass production without a conveyor, because this is the only way to quickly transport and process products. An automated process usually does not tend to react quickly to damage or emergencies. Therefore, it is all controlled by the operator.

How do conveyor systems work?

The main function is transportation. This is usually a continuous line from cleaning the surface before painting to cooling the product after the paint has cured in the oven. Therefore, the length and bends of the conveyor depend on the production requirements. Usually, conveyor systems are suspended strollers on sticks, to which certain products are already attached.

What is important to pay attention to when working with conveyors?

• Each conveyor must be equipped with an instant emergency stop; this applies to any area, because in the event of an emergency it will be much more difficult to prevent a disaster when the mechanism is operating. To do this, before starting full-fledged work, check the equipment, whether everything complies with the standards. In addition, the ability to stop the entire conveyor should not be tied to a single place. It should be possible to do this at each node along with the ability to turn off the power supply.
• All dangerous places must be fenced off and additionally marked with marks on the floor, plates, etc., so that in case of anything, no parts of the mechanism could pose a threat to personnel.
• The use of sound signals, for example, when starting a conveyor, will help a person quickly navigate.
• When working with mechanisms that raise or lower products, there must be special locks to secure materials and carts, reliably holding and fixing them in the required position.
• Systematic movement speed. Usually, mass production requires fast and continuous dyeing. Most are equipped with drive speed control systems and indicators. Most conveyors have automatic controllers that monitor the progress of work and in the event of a violation of the norms, they immediately signal this to the operator, who controls the entire conveyor. For this, the operator of the conveyor system has indicator lamps on the control panel, thanks to which he can monitor the entire process.

There are also digital displays and graphic display terminals providing a wider range of information. The latter tend to reflect well critical or emergency situations in the operation of the conveyor, for example, its overload.

Contractors should pay attention to the presence of auxiliary mechanisms and instructions that will help protect them from possible damage or injury. Therefore, employees must be well oriented and know how to proceed in order for the process to be safe and fast. The safety of workers is one of the main requirements in production. Therefore, a full briefing must be carried out and each employee must be thoroughly familiar with the principles of the entire system.