In house powder coating line cuts lead times from two weeks to 24 hours

Debar Ltd is a market leader in aluminium bifold door systems. The company supplies high quality hardware and profiles to manufacturers that demand consistent finish and reliable delivery dates.

To protect and finish its aluminium components, Debar had been sending parts out to a subcontractor for surface preparation and powder coating. This outsourced approach caused long and unpredictable lead times, higher levels of waste and variable coating quality across batches.

To regain control of turnaround, quality and cost, Debar chose to bring powder coating in house with a dedicated SurfacePrep finishing line.

Relying on external providers for powder coating meant every batch of aluminium components had to leave the factory for preparation and painting, then return to site before final assembly and despatch.

This created several problems.

• Extended lead times: Outsourced coating could add up to two weeks to project lead times. Debar’s production schedule had to follow a third party’s capacity, transport and workload rather than its own plan.
• Less flexibility: The gap between fabrication and final coating made it harder to respond to changes in demand, prioritise urgent jobs or give customers firm delivery dates.
• Higher waste and rework: External coating was associated with around 2 to 3 percent of product being affected by coating issues. That meant rework, scrap or finishes that did not match the expected standard.
• Variable appearance: Variation in preparation and coating conditions made it difficult to guarantee a uniform finish across batches, which is critical for visible architectural products such as bifold door systems.

Debar needed a way to bring this critical process under its own roof, control the quality of the finish and shorten lead times without taking on excessive manual labour.

The solution, a SurfacePrep in house powder coating line

SurfacePrep worked with Debar to design and install a fully automated in house powder coating line, tailored to aluminium bifold door components. The system combines a conveyorised five stage pretreatment process with automated powder application and controlled curing.

Components enter the line on a conveyor and move through each stage with no manual handling, which keeps the process consistent and repeatable.

The line starts with a five-stage prewash that cleans and prepares the aluminium surface. This removes contaminants and conditions the substrate so that the powder coating adheres correctly and performs over the long term.

From pretreatment, parts move directly into a drying oven set at around 150 degrees Celsius. This removes residual moisture and prepares the components for coating.

Once dry, the conveyor transfers the components into a fully automated spray booth. Powder is applied under controlled conditions to achieve even coverage, and the correct film build across each part.

From the booth, components move into a curing oven for around 20 minutes. Here the powder flows and cures to form a durable, high quality finish suited to architectural use. After curing, parts cool for around ten minutes and are then ready for inspection, assembly or despatch.

This automated in-house powder coating plant allows Debar to run a stable, predictable process with minimal manual intervention.

Energy use was a key consideration in the design of the finishing line. SurfacePrep incorporated a gas reduction approach that recovers heat from the ovens to maintain pretreatment tank temperatures.

At start up, gas is used to heat the pretreatment tanks to around 50 degrees Celsius. Once the ovens have reached operating temperature, the system routes water through the ovens so their heat maintains tank temperature. This closed loop arrangement means the plant does not need to continually burn gas to keep the tanks warm.

The result is reduced gas consumption and a stronger business case, with a projected payback of around five years based on energy savings and quality gains.

Bringing pretreatment and powder coating in house has delivered measurable benefits for Debar’s operations, customers and energy use.

Instead of waiting up to two weeks for parts to be coated off site and returned, Debar can now put components through its own in-house powder coating line and finish them on the same day.

Typical turnaround has dropped from weeks to around 24 hours. This gives the business much tighter control over its production schedule and delivery commitments. It also makes it easier to handle urgent jobs without disrupting other orders.

With outsourced coating, Debar saw around 2 to 3 percent waste linked to coating issues. With the new conveyorised five stage pretreatment and automated application process, the finishing line is currently running at under 1 percent waste.

The controlled process reduces defects and rework, so more parts pass first time, less product is scrapped, and more material ends up as saleable output.

The gas reduction design that uses oven heat to maintain tank temperatures cuts gas consumption compared to a conventional setup. These energy savings support a projected payback period of around five years for the new plant, alongside the gains from reduced waste and improved productivity.

By bringing powder coating in house, Debar has gained full control over surface preparation and finish quality. The line delivers even coverage, consistent film build, and a high standard of appearance across bifold door components.

Debar can now monitor its own process, adjust parameters where needed and verify that the finish meets its own standards and customer requirements.

Debar’s team is clear about the impact the SurfacePrep finishing system has had on day-to-day operations and product quality. James Sunderland, Paint Plant Technician said, “The facility has helped us a great deal. It has changed the turnaround from two weeks, sending it out to Birmingham and waiting to receive it back. Now we can paint them same day, much quicker.” On waste and process efficiency, the change is just as clear. James continued, “When we used to send it out for painting, we maybe had 2 or 3 percent waste. Now we are currently under a percent waste.”

The investment case is supported by both energy savings and finish quality. “This gas reduction application means the plant will pay for itself within five years. The finish quality of the products is really good. It has helped us with our turnaround times and the quality of products. For anyone looking at investing in a SurfacePrep facility, I think it would be a great investment for you.”

If you are currently outsourcing pretreatment and powder coating and facing long lead times, higher waste or variable quality, Debar’s experience shows what a well designed in-house powder coating line can deliver.

SurfacePrep can help you:

• Review your current outsourced finishing costs and constraints
• Specify a conveyorised five stage pretreatment and powder coating plant tailored to your products
• Design energy saving features that cut gas use and support a clear payback

To explore in house powder coating options for your business, contact the SurfacePrep team or visit our finishing and powder coating systems pages to see more case studies and technical information.