Powder Coating Process Improvements

Overview

This project explores the options that AFUSA can take to make process improvements to their current powder coating process. The main idea explored throughout this project is to make capacity and storage improvements through a new storage rack design. This rack design would be implemented into the powder coating line which would allow the company to cut waste time and improve capacity and storage.

Objectives

The main project objective was to find the most ideal solution for optimizing the storage capacity of the powder coating hooks used at AFUSA. The group redesigned the rack storage system to increase efficiency of the powder coating process.

Approach

• The team gathered customer needs by visiting AFUSA and becoming familiar with the powder coating process
• Concept generation and selection was used to find which project route was best suited for the group to focus their improvements

• A list of criteria and ranking of project ideas was used to make the final path decision
• A CAD model was created to set up the baseline idea for the new rack design
• A prototype was fabricated to demonstrate the key features that need to be included in the design
• Results include a working CAD model and prototype as well as new storage ideas that AFUSA can choose to implement into their powder coating process

Outcomes

• This project resulted in a new and unique rack design for the powder coating process for hooks and storage of hooks
• With implementation of the new product, manufacturing/production times would be reduced as a result
• The project’s intention is to reduce set up time when switching the non-automated portion of the powder coating process