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Programmable Logic Control-PLC and PC Based Control Systems.
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ITW Gema's OptiFlex™ equipment opens the gate to higher productivity for fence company.
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Product Spotlight:
ITW Gema's OptiControl™ PC Based Control System.
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Free Optimization Assessment.

Find out how your
company can
Dramatically Increase Your Productivity While Reducing Labor Costs and Downtime.
Payne Fence did!
Click Here.
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Architectural Fence Company Corrals Higher Productivity at a Lower Cost with ITW Gema Powder Coating Equipment.

Get Control of Your Powder Coating System...the Sequel.

In our last GemaGram, we highlighted the AutoTracker™3.0 PLC automation solution. In this edition, we highlight the OptiControl™ PC automation solution. Either platform is capable of performing a number of automated functions, improving performance. While the PLC solution offers flexibility and customization, the PC solution offers simplicity and easy to use graphics for program manipulation. The following are some of the important functions that can be automated.

Powder Recovery. Controlling powder recovery with automation can improve performance. A PLC or PC can regulate cyclone fan speeds, fan motor cycling and airflow according to various booth conditions. Pulse-down filter cleaning cycles and multiple transfer modes can also be programmed.
Powder Delivery. Probably the most popular use for automation, powder delivery can have immediate results with savings in powder use, component wear and improved finish quality. In most cases, automation can be easily retrofitted to existing systems.
Zone Triggering. Based on a part profile, zone triggering uses photo sensors to scan the part as it enters the booth. Sensor information creates a digital image of the part, and with other process data, is stored for triggering of the guns. Each photo sensor represents a zone and a gun will trigger when the part passes through its zone.
Style Triggering. For coating that requires gun triggering at precise locations or multiple times across a part. Instead of scanning a part to determine leading and trailing edges, sensors identify a particular part style which then calls up a triggering recipe. A system can have a multitude of recipes.
Digital Controllers. These units allow automated control over powder air and voltage settings. This is highly effective and reduces edge build-up.
Gun Positioning. As part widths can vary, guns need to be positioned for proper targeting. Automation can handle this using light curtains to detect the width of the parts as they enter the booth.
Style Based. The positioning devices can be programmed to follow the actual profile of a part, letting guns track with the part as it passes. Articulated robots are sometimes used for this with PLC or PC program parameters.
Photo Eyes. A PLC or PC system can receive input from photo eye placements and arrays, using that information to trigger guns or move them.
Light Curtains. Where single photo eyes are not practical for proper part identification, light curtains, made of many tightly-spaced photo eyes, are used. Light curtains are more flexible and can supply more complex part data.
Hanger Flags. When differences in parts are too subtle for the photo eyes to recognize, hanger flags are used. Small metal plates with a series of logical holes, are read by the sensors and translated into a part style by the PLC or PC. It's like Braille for a powder coating booth!
Operator Interface. Automation can track, control and display all kinds of real time data, in a simple graphical interface easily understood by operators.

Getting higher productivity at a lower cost is what Powder Coating System Automation is all about. To read more, click here to view our Powder Automation white paper or call ITW Gema at 800-628-0601.

“We upgraded to ITW Gema and increased our productivity tenfold!”

THE COMPANY
Payne Fence Products, a division of Payne Metal Works, Inc. provides the highest quality and widest standard selection of Security and Architectural Metal Fence products in the industry. Payne Fence delivers a superior, cost-effective solution for any project requiring security or ornamental fencing and gates, with the company's patent-pending fence and barrier systems, and custom designs.

THE CHALLENGE
Some of the nation's largest retailers have turned to Payne Fence Product's fence systems for their new and retrofit construction projects. The increased specification of Payne systems called for a larger, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. An upgraded powder coating system was an essential element of the company's dedication to meet each project's targets, on time and on budget.

THE SOLUTION
Payne thoroughly investigated powder coating equipment suppliers for eight months before choosing ITW Gema. Equipment performance, five-year warranty, support and service, industry recommendation, and equipment reputation were major factors in their decision. Payne installed ITW Gema OptiGun® automatic powder guns, OptiTronic™ control units, and OptiFlow™ high performance powder pumps.

THE SAVINGS
Along with increasing their production capacity ten times, Payne Fence experienced an improved finish quality, consistency, reduced labor and downtime costs, quicker color change times, reduced powder usage, and easier to use equipment. "Our painters really like the new equipment because it is much easier to use than what we had before. We thought headaches came with powder coating, but after installing ITW Gema equipment, our headaches went away," stated Donnie Keilers, Operations Manager.

Click here to view the entire Payne Fence Products case study!

To find out more, visit:
ITW Gema's
OptiControl

Product Spotlight
ITW Gema's OptiControl™
PC Based Control System

ITW Gema’s OptiControl PC Based Control System automates your powder coating operation to help save you money and give you a higher quality finish.

OptiControl is a powder coating booth control network that utilizes a personal computer (PC) base to manage the operations of a booth system. By maintaining control of powder coating through the easy-to-use touch screen graphic interface, users can monitor and operate the critical components of your system, like:

• Expansion flexibility is provided with control of up to 24 guns and up to 4 axis of gun movement.
• System software and application parameters are stored on removable Compact Flash cards.
• Global adjustment allows operators to make changes without affecting individual parameter settings.
• Automated gun triggering and Digital Valve Control (DVC) ensures consistent gun voltage and air flow.
• Quick copy feature speeds data entry of application parameters.
• Application parameter storage gives operators the ability to create multiple custom programs.

When you’re looking for increased application performance, OptiControl is the answer. The accurate control and versatile programmability ensures that your powder coating system coats your parts right the first time–every time!

To find out how OptiControl can benefit your powder coating operation, contact ITW Gema at 800-628-0601 or click here for a PDF of our OptiControl brochure.

Does your company
need to optimize?
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• Are you wasting powder?
• Are you experiencing too
• many rejects?
• Is your equipment older
• than 5 years?
• Are your labor processes
• inefficient?
• Is your film thickness inconsistent?
• Is your business growing?
• Has your equipment been
• rendered obsolete by the
• original manufacturer?

Call 800-628-0601
and ask for a
FREE
Optimization Assessment
of your powder coating operation,
or visit
www.itwgema.com/upgrade

ITW Gema An Illinois Tool Works Company
P.O. Box 88220, Indianapolis, IN 46208-0220
Phone: 800-628-0601 • Fax 317-298-5010

www.itwgema.com
gemagram@itwgema.com

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