An international packaging group uses lubrication oil on the chains in their can production process. The cans are sold all over the world to major soft drink producers so quality is a top priority.
To apply the lubrication oil they were using inaccurate air atomizing nozzles that caused overapplication of the lubricant. This limited the lifespan of the chains and also contaminated the cans.
To prevent jeopardizing customer relationships the packaging group was looking for a more performant lubrication solution. The requirements were as follows:
- Lower lubrication oil usage
- Increase the lifespan of the chains
- Improve accuracy of the lubrication process – Better coverage and no more overapplication
AccuCoat electrostatic chain lubrication system
Our local spray expert recognized that our standard AccuCoat® Electrostatic Chain Lubrication System would be a perfect fit for the customer’s needs. This system delivers the lubrication oil by negatively charging the liquid so it is attracted to the neutral, grounded target. The physical attraction of the liquid to the target pulls the coating to the object’s surface to provide optimal transfer efficiency.
After lab testing the system with the customers’ prefered lubrication oil we decided to offer our AccuCoat® solution with a Siemens PLC and the accompanying nozzles, oil reservoir, pressure regulators, … This way we are in full control of the lubrication process and can guarantee optimal results.
Result
The packaging group was happy to conclude that their new AccuCoat® Electrostatic Chain Lubrication System meets all of the expectations: Product quality has gone up with less end product rejections leading to increased customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the new system saves costs by using less oil and, thanks to higher accuracy, the chain life has doubled. Additionaly, eliminating overapplication means there is less waste and the production area is a lot cleaner with no more mist – an important sustainability goal.