Most important operation / part of the company

Surface preparation is the most important part of a coating system, because it affects the
performance of the coating more than any other variable. Given that the correct coating
system is selected, if the surface preparation is poor, coating performance is usually going to
be poor. If surface preparation is good, then the coating applied over it is likely to perform
well.

The performance of a coating depends in large part on the quality of surface preparation. This
is because coatings have been formulated to perform properly under particular conditions,
such as over a specified degree of surface cleanliness and a specified anchor profile, and
under certain environmental conditions. If these and other conditions are not met, coatings
may not achieve their expected performance. When dry abrasive blasting is the specified
method of surface preparation, many conditions must be taken into consideration by the
blaster.

Most difficult operation / part of the company

Today, modern coating plants in all area of the coating industry are highly automated and
comprise a great number of control loops. Many applications are found in coating solution
preparation area and in the delivery system, but also in the coating machine itself as well as in
dryer. Parameters to be controlled included coating speed, flow rate, fluid temperature, fluid
pressure, concentration of various chemical compounds added to the coating solution, air
temperature and humidity.

One area that provides some degree of difficulty is the on-line control of fluid properties like
viscosity or other rheological parameters and surface tension. This is unfortunate because
fluid properties directly affect the coating process. Furthermore, on-line changes of solvent
quantities will affect the performance of the coating process, the wet film thickness, and the
set points for the setting and drying zone, all of which will make overall control and the
operation of the coating process very difficult.

Most dangerous operation / part of the company

Like any manufacturing process, powder coating has the potential to be dangerous if the right
safety precautions havent been taken. By referencing a few key standards, experts can keep
the powder coating line going and the operators safe. As stated previously, all the elements
for a potential fire in a powder booth are there. It is a fact that powder paints are considered
to be non-flammable, but in an atomized state which occurs during application from a gun,
they can support a fire. The conditions that lead to combustion can be hard to recognize. To
avoid a potentially dangerous situation, manufacturers need to be vigilant.
Since the most operations in coating process are involving endothermic reactions, therefore
all the operations are possible to be dangerous for the employees. ARKEMA committee are
realising that they always be exposed to the hazard. An inspection on the hazard analysis will
be conducted by the Safety and Health Officer to ensure the working places are free from any
potential hazard.