Defects and rejects: Identifying and solving finishing problems
In June 2007, the magazine published the article “Defects and rejects: The ugly side of the finishing business” written by Michael Cravens. Shortly after the issue was published, he began to receive telephone calls and E-mails from companies wanting copies to use as training examples for employees. Since then, powder coatings manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, chemical suppliers, and job shops from all over the country have asked for another expanded article on this topic with even more examples of the cause and effect of real-world problems that he has experienced in his consulting and job shop metal finishing businesses. Well, here it is. The content has been expanded beyond the job shop to include original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and contractor related problems complete with photos of the failure conditions.
The primary purpose of the powder coating process is to add decorative and/or protective value to manufactured products. For a job shop, the ideal business transaction should result in a satisfied customer who is willing to pay a reasonable price for the service and quality delivered. Successful job shops have one thing in common: They have a good track record of satisfying customers’ needs repeatedly over a very long period of time. This is accomplished by establishing a quality management system that is complete, accurate, and effective. When it comes together as planned, the benefits are great. But not everything goes exactly as planned. A single change in processing methods, materials, machines, people, or environment can result in catastrophic finishing failures.