In early 1993, the American affiliate of the world's largest enclosure manufacturer decided to switch from liquid spray coating to a powder coating system. The results were dramatic. "As a company, we're extremely satisfied," says Bud Rehl, Manager of Plant Services, for RITTAL Corporation USA. "We've improved quality and reliability while reducing costs, and we've virtually eliminated air emissions from our top coating processes."

RITTAL makes an impressive array of electrical and electronic enclosures and accessories. The world-wide corporation headquartered in Herborn, Germany, produces over 4,000 products including junction boxes, computer enclosures, electrical enclosures, busbar systems, network cabinets, etc. The customer list includes automotive, telecommunications and computer giants, as well as small and medium-sized firms. In the United States, RITTAL Corp. employs more than 400 people, most of whom work in the central production facility in Springfield, Ohio, which began operation in 1989. In 1996, the company sold some 2 million pieces worldwide.

Until the early 1990s, RITTAL used high solids liquid coatings in two standard colors as well as a variety of special colors on its diverse array of products. Parts were hung on carriers which were sent through a 2,000 foot-long PIC controlled power and free conveyor system made up of six different process routes. Parts scheduled for one of the company's standard colors passed through the finishing system's automated liquid booth, where six applicators on 108-inch vertical stroke reciprocators applied the liquid paint. "We did color changes in that area, too," explains Rehl. The liquid special colors produced using an in-house blend system were applied by hand at a separate hand spray booth. Coated parts then went through a curing oven to the unload area of the system.

In late 1992, RITTAL decided to make a change. "Two things drove the change to powder coating," says Rehl. "First, our parent company in Germany decided to pursue powder coating on a world-wide basis for its durability, resistance to chipping, and all its other favorable physical aspects. Second, our company philosophy is to protect and improve the environment, both from an air emissions perspective and in the interests of better waste management. Powder coating is an excellent way to do that."

Working with industry specifications and specifications from the parent corporation in Germany, Rehl developed the detailed requirements for the coatings RITTAL's Ohio plant would use. "My objective was to find a powder coating producer that could supply coating for our three levels of usage: high, which included our two main standard colors, beige texture and orange smooth; intermediate, including our other standard colors, such as white and other shades of gray, that are not used as widely as the main ones; and low, our special colors." He started by looking closely at seven companies and finally settled on a supplier that is only a 45-minute drive from the plant. As Rehl also notes, "They can deliver new formula special, low volume colors to us in ten working days. Repeat orders for these special colors usually take less than a week. "

At the same time, Rehl began looking for an equipment supplier, focusing on three companies. "The big drivers in that decision were the best available technology and the work envelope size," Rehl says. RITTAL wanted to be able to powder coat all of the plant's products, which range from fairly small junction boxes, 150 x 150 X 80 mm, to huge cabinets more than ten times that large.

The transition from liquid to powder went smoothly, moving from decision to implementation in less than six months. In July 1993, RITTAL installed the first automated powder coating booth in its US facility. The application system uses twelve guns on reciprocators and two manual guns, one on each side of the booth. Four roll-away collectors attached to fluidizing units facilitate color change. "We started out with tour collectors overall, so we could change colors," Rehl explains. "Two of the collectors were for our standard beige color. The other two held a smooth orange."

With custom colors still in demand, RITTAL also made a major modification in the automatic booth it had previously used for liquid coating, turning it into a second powder coating booth. That booth now uses several box feed units to hand-apply special color powder coatings. After converting the automatic booth, RITTAL dismantled its one remaining liquid coating booth, which had been used for the hand application of liquid special colors. This cleared the way for the company's complete transition to powder coating technology.

Relying on a single automated booth did have a drawback, however: changing colors was a time consuming process, even with roll-away collectors. "It took about three to six man hours," Rehl says. By the mid-1990s, RITTAL Corp.'s volume was high enough and powder coating was performing so well that the company decided to add a second automated booth. The second booth was purchased, installed, and in use in May 1996. By loading each booth with one of the two standard colors, the plant can now apply standard colors to parts without having to interrupt production to switch collectors. The booth modifications and additions along with some conveyor path/logic changes have resulted in an increase in capacity over 40%. Rehl notes that its recent expansion will take the company well into the future. No major expansion of its powder coating facilities are planned, although Rehl says the next logical step is to modify the hand application booth sometime in the future.

What is certain is that the change to powder coating continues to be very good for RITTAL Corp. USA's bottom line. "We're realizing significant cost savings, as we anticipated, in materials usage, maintenance costs, waste disposal, and energy usage," says Rehl.