One-step cleaner lets coater do more and spend less
With its two-step iron phosphate washer waning, a custom coater switches to a one-step cleaner that provides greater production efficiencies at a lower cost.
Advanced Graphics, a custom coater in Stratford, Conn., finds its niche in mid-volume jobs that demand a high-end finish. It applies powder and liquid coatings to plastics and a variety of metals with steel, aluminum, and aluminum castings comprising the majority. The company employs 35 people; 31 work directly with the finishing process, including 10 finishers who apply coatings. The rest prep parts, apply custom masking, and perform inspections. The custom coater also offers screen-printing on coated parts and other ancillary services, such as light assembly and custom packaging. Primarily serving the data communications, telecommunications, and medical equipment sectors, the company has a customer base that ranges from fabricators making sheet metal lawn ornaments to a high-end stereo manufacturer whose tuners sell for $5,000 to $30,000.