The hand mixing is over

The hand mixing is over

Once the company is of a certain size, the efficiency in painting is worth money. Faster processing times can mean more throughput and lower energy costs. Ergo: more yield at the end of the day. The PPG Group is aware of the potential for increasing efficiency and has developed Moonwalk, a partially automated mixing system that weighs or mixes with computer assistance to an accuracy of 0.05 grams. The advantage of the system: Even the smallest quantities for a sample sheet or a mirror cap can be produced in a material-efficient manner. “In total, with Moonwalk we can increase material efficiency by up to nine percent,” explains Sebastian Struber, CPT manager at PPG Austria. A mixing process - depending on the quantity and variety of colors - only takes a few minutes with Moonwalk. “Compared to hand mixing, the pure time saving is not the decisive point, but rather the higher accuracy, lower material consumption and the possibility of using the employee's ten to 15 minutes of mixing time for other work,” says Hans Niederegger, Business Development Manager at PPG Austria.

“With 20 working days a month of eight hours each, the device costs 2.50 euros per hour.”HANS NIEDEREGGER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER PPG AUSTRIA

SIMPLE AND EFFICIENT

When you think of automated color mixing, you immediately think of the Daisy Wheel paint mixing system. But Niederegger emphasizes the incomparability of the systems: "The Daisy Wheel is a fully automatic mixing system - a different system than Moonwalk. Moonwalk is partially automated. This means that the painter himself still has to carry out certain steps in order to operate the device." Specifically, Moonwalk works like this: All PPG standard paint colors can be accommodated in a two-meter-wide shelving system plus additional shelves. The paint containers (0.5, 1 and 2 liter containers) are mounted upside down on the dosing heads. Moonwalk is operated via a touchscreen with an integrated computer, called Touchmix. This can also be linked to a color measuring device. The painter enters the color or takes the measurement result from the measuring device and the desired amount of paint. The system calculates the exact color and shows the painter which colors have to be inserted manually in the mixing carriage (up to 13 color slots). Once all dosing heads are inserted into the carriage, a barcode scanner recognizes the location of the respective color and the mixing process begins. Using the mechanically controlled dosing head, the system mixes the desired amount into the spray cup completely independently. A high-precision scale ensures the accuracy of the measurement results, which are carried out behind a protective screen. The background lighting of the mixing carriage changes between green, blue and red depending on the work process (in the event of a malfunction). The dosing heads are self-cleaning and ensure that the material cannot stick together or dry out. Thanks to the overhead position, the maximum amount of material is drained from the container.

“With Moonwalk, the time for hand mixing could soon be over.”SEBASTIAN STRUBER, PPG AUSTRIA

SIGNIFICANT COST ADVANTAGE

While the system is mixing, the painter can either take a short break or prepare for the next work steps. You can either buy Moonwalk for 18,500 euros or lease it for 400 euros per month. Hans Niederegger calculates: "With 20 working days per month with eight working hours each, the device costs just 2.50 euros per hour. With eight mixtures per day, the return on investment (ROI) is achieved within a year." Moonwalk comes with a three-year warranty and includes a maintenance package. If you want, you can extend the guarantee to five years for an additional charge. "With Moonwalk, the era of hand mixing could soon be over. The system is inexpensive, sophisticated and efficient, easy to use, robust and designed for long-term use," says Struber. Moonwalk is now available in Austria.