Apr 15 2005
Converting to a DuPont™ Imron® finishing system made by DuPont CoatingSolutions has increased productivity by 25 percent at the Mack Trucks plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania.
The Macungie facility is the latest heavy-duty truck facility in the United States to convert to DuPont™ Imron® technology. The transition, which began in August, "has exceeded our expectations," said Dan Haugh, manufacturing, engineering and continuous improvement manager at the plant.
Dan explained that contamination had been a problem with the previous process because each truck had to go through the bake cycle twice – once for the basecoat and once for the clearcoat. Because of Imron's rapid flash time, both color and clear can be applied in one process.
Teams from both companies worked together to bring about the successful conversion and remove production bottlenecks. "We've increased efficiency by 25 percent," he said. "Before, we had people standing idle waiting to apply the clearcoat. That's been eliminated."
Based on the successful conversion of the Macungie plant, the New River Valley Plant in Dublin, Virginia, which produces the Mack and Volvo brands, will begin converting to Imron® Elite in the third quarter of 2005 and will be using it 100 percent by year-end.
Mack and Volvo management has designated DuPont CoatingSolutions as its "Global Paint Supplier."
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