ISO 9001

Why should your company work with an ISO certified company? Thierica Equipment Co. is proud to be one of the few ISO certified paint systems houses available today. We’ve all heard the mantra, “Say what you do, do what you say, and prove it”. Sounds easy, but requires work, attention to detail, and constant evaluation and follow up. It doesn’t mean that we are mistake free, but that we are accountable for our mistakes and required to correct them as part of our normal process. That process also means that those mistakes will become fewer and fewer because when a mistake is corrected, the process is also evaluated and adjusted to avoid repeating the conditions leading to the problem in the first place. There is an additional cost to becoming an ISO certified company, but the cost, like so many quality related costs, quickly turns into a savings as rework expenses are reduced. Take a look at Thierica Equipment Co. for your next system or system up grade. We work hard to provide “first time” quality and cutting edge technology for your system needs.

Winning In 2007

We, at Thierica Equipment Company, are excited about 2007. Sales activity is up. The finishing industry is beginning to boom again. When we invested in our new building, some thought we were crazy. Business was slow. Why invest now? Our management had the wisdom to see past next week, or next month. They knew the industry was slow, but it would come back strong at some point in the future. They decided to be in a position to lead rather than follow when the up turn hit. As a result, Thierica is ready to help you if you want to lead rather than follow. Manufacturing is just beginning to come back. There is still time to be in position to increase your sales and profits by improving your company's return on investment, piece/part cost, and profitability. We can help. Give us a call and join the ranks of the "Leaders"!

Holiday Wishes from Thierica Equipment Co.

Another year draws to an end. Peace on Earth is still a dream rather than a reality. I guess “Peace on Earth” is something inside us instead of something outside of us. As we celebrate Christmas, it is my prayer that all of us would know that true inner peace, that the Child would live in us at this holiday time and throughout our lives. So good bye to 2006 and here’s to 2007. May this be the year that we all find real peace and joy. Thank you for your business. We hope 2007 is rewarding and safe for you and your family. God bless you.

How To Compete In This Economy

2007 is looking at moderate growth in the industrial markets. Well, moderate grow is better than no growth, but how do you continue to expand your company in this economy? “Process”, improve your process. So much waste is generated in the finishing department. This waste leads to high costs and added pollution. Constant evaluation and improvement is the most cost effective way to compete in this new global market place. Thierica Equipment Co. is once again offering a Process/System evaluation free of charge. We will send a sales engineer, with process experience, for the purpose of evaluating your process and system. We will look for ways to reduce cost, improve quality, reduce pollution, and generally improve your bottom line. Let us help you compete in 2007. Contact us at (616) 453-6570.

Save Money With 2K Material Handling Systems

Many customers are still “hot potting” their 2K materials. This is a very expensive way to handle two component paints and adhesives, and can lead to inaccurate mixes and rejects. There are several manufacturers who have developed systems to mix the material, track application usages, and save many times the cost of the equipment and it’s integration. Each manufacturer has their own approach to 2K mixing. Graco is the leader in “dosing” systems which are strong with low flow rates. They have a wide offering from one gun, hand spray, applications to multiple, automatic and robotic systems. ITW Ransburg features two very different technologies with “real time” mixing with their DynaFlow flowmeter system and their “gear pump” system, RCS 2. RCS 2 is a very dependable, accurate system. Ransburg also offers everything from low cost, one gun systems, to high end multiple automatic and robotic systems. 2K mixing systems give you consistent, accurate, mix ratios, and eliminate expensive waste at the end of the shift. You need to consider upgrading your system with this money saving solution. Thierica Equipment Co. has a cost justification form that can help you to decide if 2K equipment is cost effective for you. Just ask us.

Gast Mfg. Contracts Thierica For Green Belt Project

by Dave Kooienga, Thierica Sales Engineer 

Overview: Due to previous success of merging a green belt project with a Value Stream effort, Jay Zimmerman (New Product Development Engineer, Gast) was challenged to achieve a similar result for his green belt certification project within Gast’s second Value Stream. The success of the Air Motor Value Stream depended on better paint adhesion to reduce the disruption of manufacturing flow that reworking paint caused. His initial inquiries into possible alternative coatings brought UV (Ultra Violet) paint to the forefront of discussion. Its remarkable ability to cure very rapidly, as well as its phenomenal hardness and adhesion immediately drew attention to UV paint as a possible solution. Subsequently, and with the help of Dan Apotheker (Manufacturing Engineer, Gast) and Dave Kooienga (Thierica Equipment company), a design and layout were drawn up to coincide with the testing and other validations that were being performed. After the initial design stage and actual implementation, it was found that the new process saved 850 square feet and reduced the production lead time from 4.5 hours to less than 15 minutes. In addition, WIP (Work In Process) was reduced from 190 to 12 pcs, an amazing 94%! The Science of UV Paint, in brief UV paint can best be thought of as liquid plastic. This liquid will never evaporate, and will never harden under normal conditions; but when it is subjected to intense UV light, molecules of liquid bond with other molecules to form very, very long chains. The end result is a very hard, durable and chemically resistant coating known as polyester acrylate. This transition can happen in less than 2 seconds on flat surfaces, at the optimal distance from the light source. At Gast, the shape of an air motor prevented such a quick cure time. During the “Analyze Phase” of the green belt project, the engineers experimented with several options and concluded that rotating the part in front of a UV bulb for 30 seconds would insure proper curing, and allow the cell to produce one painted and cured unit every 75 seconds; well below the required TAKT time of 90 seconds. Benefits and Drawbacks: The primary benefit of the new system is the reduction of lead time. Within the first two weeks of implementation a customer needed an expedited order of 50 air motors --- they sent a courier to pick them up only three hours after the raw material came to receiving. This would have never been possible with traditional paints. Other benefits include the dramatic reduction of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The VOC emissions into the environment from the Air Motor Value Stream were reduced to negligible amounts, along with the complete elimination of the noxious solvent MEK, a definite step in the right direction regarding the health of employees. Since implementation on August 14, 2006, even the employees of the Air Motor Value Stream have been impressed with the change. Jay and Dan have frequently heard comments that the air motors “look better,” and “won’t scratch or stick to packaging anymore.” Key Takeaways: The debugging phase of the Air Motor Value Stream is winding down, and the Value Stream implementation could not have been a success without the help of green belt projects like UV Paint. As a result of this synergy, customers will see the increased durability in the product and the increased responsiveness of Gast to emergency orders. Internally, Gast sees a reduction in WIP, and a substantial reduction in value stream process time.

Another Success Story

Galion LLC was founded in 1954 and produces a variety of innovative screw machine parts for automotive and military customers. They came to Thierica Equipment Co. looking to improve quality, reduce costs, increase output, and reduce VOCs. Thierica, working with ITW Ransburg, found a solution that surpassed everyone’s expectations. We were able to apply, in one booth with an AeroBell 33, the same mil requirement as Galion was applying in two booths with HVLP guns. The results took Galion from 2000 parts per gallon to well in excess of 15,000 parts per gallon! The paint is not even visible as the projectiles turn color in front of the bell. Adding to this system’s amazing transfer efficiency is the added control provided by ITW Ransburg’s RCS II flow control and Thierica’s user friendly system controls. The results are greatly reduced paint costs, greatly reduced VOCs, improved product quality, and very nearly a 100% increase in production capability. This is the definition of a win/win situation. Call us to see how we can improve your paint line, your bottom line, and help make you a better neighbor at the same time. Making your company “green” can also make your financial statement “green” as well.