PFI E-coat Capability
*Three 21,000 gallon E-coat tanks
*Special E-coat Capabilities
*Part window size 36”W x 72”H x 72”L
*Dual pass washer and cure oven
Electrocoating is a coating process that uniformly applies thin-film primers and one-coat finishes to metallic substrates. Electrocoating resembles electroplating in that it utilizes an electric current to deposit a coating onto substrates. The overall process consists of four main process steps: pre-treatment, electrocoating, postrinse, and thermal cure.
Substrate surfaces are pretreated in a 10 stage pretreatment system consisting of the following:
| ZONE | TIME CYCLE | Operating TEMP ºF | SOL. Tank Cap GALS, |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 PRE CLEAN | 30 SEC | 130º - 160º | 2440 |
| #2 CLEAN | 90 SEC | 120º - 160º | 6450 |
| #3 RINSE | 60 SEC | AMB | 4270 |
| #4 CONDITIONER RINSE | 30 SEC | AMB | 1690 |
| #5 ZINC PHOSPHATE | 60 SEC | 120º - 140º | 4600 |
| #6 RINSE | 30 SEC | AMB | 2440 |
| #7 RINSE | 30 SEC | AMB | 2440 |
| #8 SEALER RINSE | 30 SEC | AMB | 1690 |
| #9 R.O. REC. RINSE | 30 SEC | AMB | 2160 |
| #10 VIRGIN R.O. RINSE | 10 SEC | AMB | N/A |
During the electrocoating stage a DC electrical charge is applied to the substrate during immersion in a waterborne paint bath. During this process the part becomes the cathode (in cathodic e-coat baths) and there are a number of anodes spaced evenly throughout the tank. Paint molecules then travel to the substrate and adhere to the surface.
After the part is electrocoated, excess paint is removed from the substrate thru a series of post rinses that spray the part with a mixture of RO water and permeate (separated out during the ultrafiltration of the paint bath) and then an RO water immersion rinse and final RO spray rinse. The part then goes to an oven for cure.
PFI Powder Capability
3 Powder Systems (2 monorail systems and 1 batch system)
- Both automatic and manual gun systems
- Prodigy guns for difficult faraday cage areas
Powder Part Window Size
36” W x 72”H x 84” L
60” W x 60”H x 144”L
240”(20’)W x 120”(10’)H x 240”(20’)L – Batch System
Pretreatment……. 6 stage Zirconium pretreatment system or 5 stage Iron Phosphate pretreatment system
| POWDER LINE 1 | POWDER LINE 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ZIRCONIUM PRETREATMENT | IRON PHOSPHATE PRETREATMENT | ||
| PART WINDOW: 60" W x 60" H x 144" L | PART WINDOW: 36" W x 72" H x 84" L | ||
| STAGE | OPERATING TEMP °F | STAGE | OPERATING TEMP °F |
| #1 CLEAN | 140 | #1 CLEAN | 130 |
| #2 RINSE | AMB | #2 RINSE | AMB |
| #3 RINSE | AMB | #3 IRON PHOSPHATE | 120 |
| #4 ZIRCONIUM | AMB | #4 RINSE | AMB |
| #5 RINSE | AMB | #5 RINSE | AMB |
| #6 DI HALO | AMB | ||
Powder Coating is applied with an electrostatic spray gun. As the part goes through the powder system, the gun electrostatically charges the powder and it wraps around the part. After the parts are electrostatically sprayed, the parts then travel to a curing oven. The parts are cured at an appropriate time and temperature for the type of powder and part requirements. Urethane and TGIC Polyester, Hybrid, Epoxy, and Fusion Bonded Epoxy (FBE) for the pipe industry powders are routinely applied depending on customer requirements. Powder Coating comes in a variety of colors, ranging from high gloss to flat finish, and can also be a smooth or textured finish.
PFI Additional Added Value Capability
Progressive has the ability to:
- Set up a cell for light assembly needs
- Labeling and special packaging
- Direct ship to your customers
- Develop systems for your added value needs