PRODUCTS & PROCESSES Gema Coating of Office Furniture with

Operating from its state of the artmanufacturing facility in Newport, South Wales, Bisley have a philosophy ofinvesting in innovative technologies as theycontinuously push back the boundaries ofworld class manufacturing excellence.

The facility delivers an output in excess of20,000 pieces of furniture per week. Bisleyemploys the most advanced manufacturingprocesses from in-house tool making andcomputer aided design, precision folding;laser cutting; the latest in robot handling andwelding thorough to cutting edge technologyfor fully-automated powder coating.

As part of their continuous improvementprogram Bisley were searching for a solutionwithin the Newport facility to deliverincreased output, improved quality andreduced manual coating on their pedestalrange of products.

Martyn Walters, Senior Project Engineerexplained, “We were looking for a solution to increase the level of automation andproductivity on our range of pedestal storageproducts and asked Gema to provide asolution.” Martyn continued, “ A selection ofpedestal product was sent to the TechnicalCentre at Gema where their technicians

evaluated our product and process anddeveloped the optimum solution.”

Extensive tests were conducted to ascertainthe ideal gun configuration to ensure full andconsistent coating on the sides, back and topof the product, but the key breakthrough wasthe ability to coat the pedestal internalwithout any manual touch in.

Richard Hawkins, General Manager GemaUK commented, “We have worked closelywith Bisley over a number of years on anumber of improvement programs to reduce coated part cost. Having an in depthunderstanding of Bisley products, processesand requirements was absolutely vital inenabling us to provide the best solution”

Martyn went on to explain, “The solutionprovided by Gema delivered on all fronts.The coating on the external surfaces ismaintained within tight tolerances, whilst the tracking guns provide a high level ofcoating on the internal surfaces. The MagicCylinder booth also enables us to rapidlycolour change in less than 10 minutes which provides the high flexibility we requireto meet customer demands.”

The selected system comprises of:Gema Magic Cylinder booth systems

EquiFlow floor design with unique homo-genised air flow and self-cleaning function

Multi-axis reciprocation with tracking axis

Fire detection and suppression system to meet latest ATEX regulations

22,000m³ Mono-cyclone and Swing-wing filter for ultimate powder recovery

OptiCenter© powder management system

28 GA02-AX automatic guns

Full height and width recognition system for optimised coating automation

CM30 operator interface

ChallengesWhen specifying the coating process anumber challenges were faced which pushed the traditional boundaries. With a line speed of 5.0 metres/min and the requirement to eliminate manual touchacross the product range, maintain aconsistent coating and the requirement thatthe plant should have full flexibility to runother products in an extensive range such ascabinets, lockers, door panels and the newlyintroduced workshop storage range.

In order to meet these challenges Gemautilised light grid product recognition toidentify product types and automaticallyselect the correct application configuration to achieve the required result. A series ofeleven axes was used to position theautomatic powder guns at the optimumtarget distance as well as tracking andlocating to coat the tops and productinternals. The precision powder flowachieved with the OptiCenter PowderManagement system and the precise powdercontrol and switching through the DVCtechnology with the OptiStar gun controlensures that powder outputs can beaccurately adjusted to avoid over applying,producing the highest quality finish. The use of the unique Magic Cylinderensures minimal powder deposits within the booth cabin minimising colour changetime but also ensuring that the powderremains in optimum condition when recycled,particularly important when applying metallic and textured materials.

If you require further information onthe range of Gema powder coatingproducts please contact us at 00 441202 763 942 or atuk.sales@gema.eu.com

PRODUCTS & PROCESSES

66 April 2015

Bisley Office Furniture is one ofEurope’s largest manufacturersof steel storage furniture, with a reputation for producinghigh quality products that areinstantly recognizable in officesthroughout the world.

Gema Coating of OfficeFurniture with Bisley

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