New legislation in Sweden demanding eco-friendly alternatives to solvent-based finishing has proved beneficial to Deeside-based Universal Finishing Systems.
The company has been commissioned by wood and MDF mouldings manufacturer Une-Produkter of Leksand to convert a production line into environmentally friendly machinery, which will see the first use of its new Uni-Sand profile denibbing machine. The contract is worth £100,000 and four more lines are on the cards to follow.
Universal is supplying an integrated combination of its eight-head Pro-Sand profile sanding machine, Mini-Vac vacuum coating maching, Supa-Curer UV curing machine, the new Uni-Sand profile denibbing machine and automatic discharge conveyor.
Une-Produkter, which manufactures mouldings under the SEBE name, wanted to comply with the new finishing legislation, due to come into force in 2006, but was concerned about maintaining quality.
The Universal system meets the environmental requirements and also minimises coatings costs by using one rather than two coats of lacquer and through recycling the lacquer.
Incorporating a lacquer heater to maintain optimum temperature, the MINI-VAC coating line delivers 100% transfer efficientcy of solid UV acrylic lacquer before UV curing in the SUPA-CURE.
Furthermore, the Universal system can either apply coating to all four sides in one pass, or top and sides only, just like a spraying machine.
Une-Produkter owner Pär Bergkvist said: “Quality of finish is the driving force for us and for other Swedish manufacturers, who up until now have seen solvent-based coatings as the best option for achieving that finish.
“It’s been a real breakthrough to find a compliant solution which gives us such a natural finish in just one coat.”
