Product Type: Powder Coat Line
Manufacturer: GAT Systems
Where to buy: Contact GAT
Performance Rating: 5/5
Quality Rating: 4/5
User Friendly Rating: 5/5
Price Rating: 3.5/5
Overall Rating: 4.4/5
Introduction
Anyone in the world of manufacturing knows that paint can cause bottle necking issues if not managed properly. For us, it was a matter of shipping parts outside of our facility, waiting for a third-party powder coat painter to paint the parts, with mark up costs, and then shipping the parts back into our facilities. Unfortunately, as a contract manufacturer, it didn’t make sense for us to have to miss any of our customer’s deadlines due to circumstances outside of our control. Thus, we decided to add to our in-house capabilities and began the search for a powder coat line.
How Did PEKO Come About Using This Product?
At the time, we had 2 major programs that required powder coating. Since we were outsourcing the paint to an outside company, we were dealing with a significant amount of quality issues along with major lead time problems. Apart from not having much control over the final cost of the powder coat process, we were also not getting enough throughput.
After much searching, for both new paint suppliers and our own powder coat lines, we finally found this system. The GAT System was slightly used, however, GAT still worked with us to make sure the system was installed correctly so that the large panels we were painting would be able to run through.
What Are Some Benefits We Have Seen?
- We can do a lot more powder coating now and our operations have evolved because of this
- Reduction in lead time
- We have more control in quality
- Cost competitive (we don’t have to ship parts out to a third-party painter, and pay to have them shipped back)
What are Some shortfalls of the Equipment?
- No reclaiming since we paint with more than one color (the company we purchased from only used for one color)
- Takes time to change colors if you want to maintain high-quality
Price vs Value
The GAT System has proved to have great value for our operation. Since installing, we have been able to better control and manage the quality and throughput of our powder coated parts. We have also been able to better manage the cost of the powder coated parts which has provided us with a competitive edge over some of our competitors. As a full-service contract manufacturing organization, having as many core competencies as possible allows us to manage a project through its entirety.
While the GAT System can be quite the investment, especially if you are looking into buying a system brand new, as long as your company has enough throughput and the efficiency to keep the line busy, you should be able to see a return on investment within a short period of time.
How Well Does It Work and How is the Usability?
There was a little bit of a learning curve when it came to mastering the GAT System. Since powder coat can differ in functionality between systems, it did take a bit of time to master. Still, once we learned the GAT Systems and had confidence in our abilities, we couldn’t be happier. GAT even offered support during the installation process, which took about three weeks in total. We did end up paying extra for them to help with the modules so we could fit the type of parts we needed, but the cost was very minimal compared to the support offered to us.
What Were Some Alternatives We Could Have Pursued?
The GAT System was an opportunity that had presented itself to us at the right time. Prior to the GAT System, we almost purchased a paint line from a company in the Midwest who refurbishes systems. However, the GAT proved to be a great opportunity. The system was only slightly used, and the manufacturer was very cooperative with us. GAT charged us very little, and even helped us with the modifications.
Final Verdict:
Overall, this has been a great addition to our organization. If you’ve been considering adding powder coat into your business model, we recommend the GAT System!
