Cooperating with companies that make continuous research of high quality standards a cornerstone is truly satisfying and stimulating for us at Verona Impianti. For this reason, we were happy to enter into a partnership with Veneta Cromature, a historic company specialized in the chrome plating and painting of high-end lighting and furniture items. The company has always made innovation one of its strong points: so, to meet the needs of an increasingly competitive market, it recently chose us at Verona Impianti to design a latest-generation painting system. This decision is part of a project to renew and optimize the company's production, aimed at improving the quality of the products and ensuring greater efficiency in operations.
The coating: a fundamental process for high-end furniture items
In the furniture and lighting technology, coating is not only a functional process, but also an art that contributes to giving shape and character to each product. Veneta Cromature has always worked with high-end metals like steel, brass and copper, applying chrome plating and painting techniques that enhance the aesthetics and durability of its products. The company has also seen its demand grow in the furniture sector, with a particular focus on metal finishes, which have become a must in contemporary design. To keep up with the continuous evolution of the market and its consequent demands, Veneta Cromature has had to make a real leap in quality that has materialized with the investment in a new painting plant, designed and installed by our company.
In recent years, light design, which combines functionality and aesthetics in furnishings, has seen the evolution of chandeliers from simple light sources to real design elements. Metal, in particular, has taken on an increasingly important role, moving from a raw material to a decorative and versatile element, which integrates perfectly with other materials such as wood or crystal.
Painting, together with galvanizing, has become one of the key aspects for obtaining perfect and long-lasting finishes. Metal surfaces treated with advanced paints, such as those based on 2K resins, not only improve the aesthetic appearance, but also offer long-lasting protection against atmospheric agents, ensuring unparalleled quality.
New protagonist, new technology: the coating line of Verona Impianti
As mentioned, the global market has evolved rapidly, and with it the competitive dynamics. The production of lighting and furniture items has seen a strong shift towards countries with lower labor costs, such as China, where economies of scale have made it difficult for many European companies to compete on costs. Veneta Cromature has responded to this challenge with a process of diversification of its offer, expanding production towards new markets, including luxury ones.
In this scenario, the company recognized the need for a high-performance painting plant that could support the quality and efficiency required to meet the demands of the global market, especially in the luxury segment. So our know-how came into play and, together, we created an efficient liquid painting line.
Design and installation of the implant
We at Verona Impianti, with our consolidated experience in the design and construction of painting systems, responded promptly to Veneta Cromature's request, proposing an advanced solution that guaranteed efficiency, quality and sustainability. The new system was designed to meet the company's specific needs, allowing continuous and optimised production.
The liquid painting system, custom-designed by the Verona Impianti team, was installed in record time, with the demolition of the old system and the assembly of the new system in just three weeks, a result made possible thanks to the great experience and operational capacity of our technicians.
Technical characteristics of the new coating plant
The new liquid painting system by Verona Impianti is a latest-generation solution, capable of painting components of various sizes, with a processing capacity of up to 600 mm in width, 3 meters in length and 1.5 meters in height.
After the operators hang the components and perform the masking operations, the monorail overhead conveyor – which is equipped with a dirt channel to avoid possible contamination of the parts – takes the artifacts inside the booth for the manual application of the two-component liquid paint. The booth is pressurized and guarantees a uniform application of the paint, avoiding common aesthetic defects such as iridescence or "orange peel".
After the application of the clear-coat, the pieces arrive in a dedicated drying area, before proceeding to the insulated drying oven, specifically designed to ensure uniform cooking of the paint, reducing heat consumption to a minimum. After drying in the oven at 130 °C for about half an hour, the treated items are taken to a storage tank for cooling, thus completing the painting cycle and allowing operators to carry out unloading operations in a precise, safe and controlled manner.
One of the main innovations introduced is the automated control system via a PLC 4.0 with touch-screen, which allows the entire painting process to be monitored in real time, ensuring precise control of the production phases. The system is able to automatically adjust the chain speed and the rotation speed of the cabin fan, based on the level of clogging of the filters, and warns operators when they need to be replaced, ensuring efficient and trouble-free operation, optimizing the process and reducing the risk of dust contamination.
A system that winks at energy efficiency and sustainability
According to our client’s needs, in addition to the quality of the production processes, another fundamental aspect of the new painting plant should have been energy efficiency. For this reason, the adoption of an autonomous generator that produces electricity to power the plant was crucial, which allowed us to reduce energy costs. This cogeneration system allows the production of electrical and thermal energy to heat the painting plant and the tanks for galvanic treatments, thanks to the recovery of heat from the fumes produced during the combustion process of the thermal engine, further contributing to energy savings.
Furthermore, the structure of the polymerization oven is completely insulated to avoid heat dispersion, with an air curtain barrier system that optimizes energy efficiency: it was also designed to guarantee a uniform temperature during the paint baking process, avoiding thermal changes that could compromise the final result. The air curtains create a barrier that allows the air to be kept clean and heat not to be dispersed.
The goals reached by Veneta Cromature with us: quality, precision, efficiency
For Veneta Cromature, the quality of treatments is fundamental. Each component, which can vary from small metal parts to imposing structures for the luxury lighting sector, is treated with the utmost care, so that each final product meets the high standards required by the global market.
With the new painting plant, the company has significantly improved its rework rate, which previously reached 30% of painted parts, reducing errors to almost zero, even for complex components such as gold ones destined for luxury markets, such as Saudi Arabia.
The benefits from the collaboration with Verona Impianti
The choice of Verona Impianti as a partner for the installation of the new painting system has brought numerous advantages to Veneta Cromature. In addition to the quality and reliability of the system, the company has been able to benefit from highly qualified technical support, which has guaranteed rapid and smooth installation, despite the logistical difficulties related to the limited space available for the installation of the new system.
Verona Impianti’s experience in designing and installing cutting-edge painting systems was instrumental in the success of Veneta Cromature’s project. Thanks to this partnership, the company was able to respond to the challenges of the global market, improving production quality, energy efficiency and rework rate.
If you also want to optimize the painting process in your company, Verona Impianti is the company that will guarantee you innovative and reliable solutions, able to respond to your production needs and the challenges of the changing market.
The complete article is now available on the number of January/February of ipcm_International Paint&Coating Magazine: https://www.ipcm.it/en/open/ip...