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Project Title: Optimizing Powder Coating Usage

• Team Name: Paint System Team• Location Information: Juarez, Mexico• Division: PDO – A Commercial Distribution

Products• Product Overview: Painted steel parts used for

electrical products

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Project BackgroundProducts Impacted:

Fusible Disconnect Power, Bus Plugs

Ventilated & Encapsulated Transformers

Powder Coating Process

Panel Boards, Switch Boards

Automatic Transfer Switches

Process Impacted:

1. Loading 2. Pre-Treatment3. Dry oven4. Paint Booth5. Cure Oven6. Unloading

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Project Background

• The current powder coat process is not precise due to a manually controlled system which results in high powder paint consumption and inconsistent paint thickness on steel parts.

Powder spray operation principleManual Gun Control

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How Does This Project Align With Your Plant’s Critical Success Factors?

Key StrategiesProduct Customization Responsiveness & Flexibility

• Process Standardization• Recipe Set Up Reduction

Lean Culture / Engagement• Shop Floor Team Member Participation• Promote and Execution of Employees’ Ideas• Increase Operator Knowledge of Process

Mesh Culture• Ergonomic Improvements• Establish Waste Reduction Awareness Key Metrics

23.89% Contribution Margin• Reduce Paint Consumption• Hazardous Waste Disposal Reduction

0.96% CONC• Reduce Rework Due Excess or Lack of

Paint

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What Are You Trying To Improve?

• Reduce paint thickness variation (Ranging from 2 to 6 mils prior to project start)

• Target to achieve cost out by applying corporate paint thickness standard of 1.5 mils minimum

• Achieve quality and consistency of paint application between production shifts and operators

• Address current equipment obsolescence reducing the risk of extended lost production time

Metal

Paint

Illustration of irregular paint thickness

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PlanWhat Approach Did You Use?

The new generation paint booths on market

Available EATON gun control equipment Time Line & Project Cost

PDC

A

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DOWhat Approach Did You Use?

• Transfer paint line controls available• Upgrade paint controls from 8 to 12 paint guns and

integrate into the existing paint booth

Automatic Gun: Automatic powder coating guns make powder application more consistent and cost effective

PDC

A

Manual Gun: Manual application inconsistent, with production operators variation.

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DOWhat Approach Did You Use?

• Set up paint application recipes for high runner parts• Reducing the need for manual touch up improved the

ergonomic conditions

PDC

A

Recipe: Parameters for flow, atomizing air and electrostatic settings

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CheckWhat Approach Did You Use?

• Daily paint thickness monitoring (PosiTector)• Data analysis and database storage• Continuous improvements to recipes

(adjustments based on collected data and test results)

• Adhesion, salt spray and impact tests

PosiTector: Electronic coating thickness gauges for ferrous metals

Database Storage: Software for downloading stored measurement results from the positector gage

PDC

A

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ActWhat Approach Did You Use?

iControl: Integrated automatic gun control system with closed-loop digital flow for consistent, repeatable coating performance. All gun parameters are user programmable.

Visual Aids: For operation of iControl

PDC

A

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Who Did You Involve?

Production:

Tool Crib:

Manufacturing:

Quality Control:

Sending Eaton Facility

Maintenance:Executives:Champion:

Finance:

Manufacturing: Define, Planning, TestingProduction: Execution, Follow UpQuality Control: Inspection, Follow Up Finance: Capital Appropriation, Asset TransferMaintenance: Equipment Transfer & Installation, TestingTool Crib: Quote & Supply MRO Items For System UpgradesSending Eaton Facility: Transfer Logistics; NegotiationsExecutives: Capital ApprovalChampion: Negotiation (Asset Transfer), Eliminate Road Blocks

Project Successful

Thank you All !!!

* Project Team Member

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• Reduced paint thickness variation (ranging from 1.5 to 3 mils) • Achieved cost out by reducing average paint thickness by 20% in

consequence waste disposal was reduced• Achieved consistency all shifts, all operators• Extend reliability of equipment• Sustainable results with expected improvements over time

What Were The Results Or Projected Results?

Average cost per square foot2011 was $0.1142012 YTD average is $0.092

Paint thickness variationNormal distribution before & after

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What Were The Results Or Projected Results?

PL100Q - ANSI 61 Gray:The standard powder paint used in paint system

Project ahead of schedule no saving forecasted for April

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Lessons Learned / Future Improvements

• Review at different Eaton facilities if there is available equipment to transfer before purchase or made big investment. special thanks to Eaton Mexicana for provide the required equipment.

• Production employees are experts at their processes, listening and working with them can achieve big improvements! It is important to create the desire to make the change successful; they understood the risk of do not change.

• Removing roadblocks was necessary to look for and present different alternatives for the same issue.

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Contact For Further Information?

• Diego Barrios – • Manufacturing Engineer

• diegobl@gmail.com