A manufacturer of cement board was experiencing quality issues stemming from the manual application of a release agent. Ideally, the chemical is applied in a thin coating on 1.3 m wide forming boards prior to laying cement. The release agent allows for quick and complete removal of the cement boards after curing.
The previous process involved mopping the release agent onto each forming board before the conveyor took them to the cement pouring process. Various operators produced inconsistent results. Over-applying the chemical was sloppy, wasteful and stained the final product. Under-applying caused damage to the cement board when it was removed from the forming board, creating rough surface finishes. The manufacturer wanted to eliminate product scrap, chemical waste and unnecessary labor.
The solution for more efficient release agent application
Our AutoJet® E1850+ Spray System with integral air-operated diaphragm pump provided the ideal solution. Four hydraulic PulsaJet® nozzles are mounted to a 1.5 m 98250 spray manifold, which is positioned 3 m before the cement is poured on the forming board. The PulsaJet nozzles provide uniform coverage of the forming boards from a spray height of 152 mm. The spray controller allows operators to easily adjust the flow rate for different conveyor speeds to provide optimal release agent coverage to each forming board. By using Precision Spray Control (PSC) to generate very low flow rates with hydraulic PulsaJet nozzles, the need to use air atomizing nozzles and compressed air was avoided.
Result of the new spraying system
The AutoJet system solved the manufacturer’s quality issues and reduced chemical usage by as much as 50%. The manual labor previously used for the release agent application also was eliminated. Together, these benefits generated a six-month payback period and will continue to save the customer more than € 27,000 annually.