Case Study

Powder Coating Job Shop Benefits from ARMAKLEEN™ Paint & Ink Remover

Overview:

A small shop was looking for a better way to strip cured paint from reject parts and paint hooks. The shop uses polyester and epoxy powder coat paint and processes steel and aluminum parts depending on the job. Stripping is done every day to rework parts that have paint defects and to clean paint line hooks to assure proper paint transfer.

Current Cleaning Process:

The shop's current cleaning process is labor intensive and poses a health risk to employees. Parts are manually cleaned with a viscous methylene chloride stripper purchased from a local home improvement store. Methylene chloride is considered to be cancer causing. Once rinsed from the parts, it must be captured and disposed of properly.

The shop's spray painters have the responsibility for stripping reject parts and getting them back on the line, which means about two hours of lost productivity every day. Scrap hooks and parts cost this shop about $7,000 per year. They purchase about 300 gallons of methylene chloride annually for cleaning.

ARMAKLEEN™ Recommendation:

Use non-hazardous ARMAKLEEN™ Paint & Ink Remover combined with Safety-Kleen's Parts Cleaning Service that includes:

• Patent-pending ARMAKLEEN™ Paint & Ink Remover
• Safety-Kleen Model 81.8 Agitating Parts Washer
• Maintenance of chemistry and equipment including bath change out and recharge
• Proper waste disposal

The local MSS recommended a 12-week service term.

Results:

The reject parts and hooks were successfully stripped in 1-3 hours at 170°F. Parts can now be cleaned automatically while painters go back to painting - improving the shop's productivity and profits as paint jobs are turned around faster. Paint skins must be pressure rinsed after cleaning, but total labor hours are reduced to a half hour per day. The reduction in labor cost and elimination of methylene chloride allow the job shop to save $14,000 annually and reduce the risks associated with methylene chloride.