The invitation for the tech day event was brief, devoid of clutters and to the point; it could have been taken as one of those run-of-the-mill events in the marketing space but going thro’ the organiser’s names and the venue for deliberations, the message sank to send the pulse racing in anticipation. One of the world’s premier manufacturers of fluid-handling equipment and pioneer in the finishing equipment domain Graco Inc., US, was showcasing the contemporary technology, segment innovations and the new products positioned for the Indian market thro’ their TN distributor SURRAL Surface Coatings Private Ltd. (SSCPL) Chennai – the venue was Sriperumpudur bordering Chennai, the industrial cluster zone housing world leaders in auto/auto ancillaries, construction equipment, general engineering and electronic sectors. The target customer segments were evident and it was but natural to expect the hardcore engineering professionals from the brick and mortar companies to attend the event and share their experiences and requirements; and the unfolding of the event on April 12, 2014, did not belie the expectations. The innovations that was talked about during the tech day was about lowering the bottom line by means of minimizing waste, lowered consumption of energy, less man power and above all how to bring back the smile on the client’s face.
Industrial Products Division (IPD) executives of Graco’s India representative office Gurgaon, headed by Mr. Navneet Kumar Thakur, Sales Manager, were present along with their TN distributor SSCPL Director Mr. V. Subramanian and his technical team for the event. Mr. Navneet began the presentation focusing on Graco’s history and evolution of the company from way back 1926. “Graco’s product gamut encompasses squeezing tomato paste onto pizzas, pumping chocolate during processing to lubricating industrial machineries, mobile equipment and painting/finishing applications in automobiles, construction equipment et. al. – all in the fluid handling domain. Graco operates in seven business verticals and IPD catering to the industries segment and focusing on the finishing equipment line is one amongst it. The company was formed by Mr. Russell Gray with his brother Mr. Leil Gray in Minneapolis US initially to manufacture pneumatic grease gun for automobiles, to eliminate the difficulties faced in the manual route. There has been no looking back since then and the company has grown to the present leadership position of a multinational company employing about 2300 people and registering a turnover of US$1 billion in 2012”, indicated Mr. Navneet.
Highlighting the product categories and evolution in the finishing line Mr. Navneet said: “Finishing product line comprises Applicators, Pumps/Packages, Proportioners and Accessories. In the Applicators category, the popular paint spraying methodologies include Air spray conventional gun, Air assisted Airless gun, Airless gun and Air spray & Air assisted Airless Electrostatic gun for depositing paint on the target object. Pumps/ Packages are essentially for transfer of paint from the source to the spray gun – supplied either as separate unit or as complete system; Proportioners to enable mixing of 2 component paint (Resin & Hardener) in the correct ratio for spraying; and the Accessories for handling, regulating and controlling operational parameters for getting the expected paint finish”.
Electrostatic Gun
“In the air spray conventional gun, a very common route, the Transfer Efficiency (TE), viz., ratio of paint deposited on the target object vis-à-vis the paint consumed or sprayed is as low as 30% – with most of the paint getting wasted. To overcome this poor TE, various new concept models were introduced like Airless gun, where paint was injected at high pressures (TE-60%) and the Air assisted Airless gun (TE-60%, to ensure better paint spread); and the model that caused a paradigm shift, viz., the Electrostatic gun (ES gun) which increased the T.E to as high as 80%” pointed out Mr. Amar Koppa, Business Development Manager. He added “ES gun thro’ high voltage (40-85 KV) produces electrically charged air atomized paint particles that ‘wrap around’ the target product, oppositely charged or generally earthed. This attraction causing ‘wrap around effect’ increases steeply the TE of ES gun and has clicked favorably with the discerning customer segments with an eye on the quicker ROI apart from the need for a superior finish. Graco ES gun has several innovative features and one such being that the high voltage is produced by the in-built air turbine alternator assembly – it produces a low voltage which is then stepped up thro’ electronic circuitry to the specified high voltage depending upon the model”.
Commenting on the advantages, technical features and safety aspects Mr. Arif Khan Technical Support Manager mentioned: “ES gun of Graco has just 2 lines entering the gun, viz., fluid line(paint) and air line and it is different from other models available in the market that have an addition electric cable from an external source to produce the high voltage. The gun is lighter and has varied advanced features and controls integrated to get the desired pressures and flow rates. Pro XP 40 / 60 / 85 (40 KV, 60 KV & 85 KV) are some of the popular models”.
Proportioners, Pumps & Accessories
Mr. Navneet then highlighted the range of electronic Proportioners, both recent/new market introduction. He said: “Electronic Proportioner ensures highest degree of ratio assurance, material & time saving, increase in productivity, quality, efficient color change and quicker ROI amongst many other credits to its favour. The entry level in the segment is the ProMix 2KE, 2 component model which mixes resin and hardener in the desired ratio thro’ electronically controlled proportional valves, in the mixing chamber; and the model can handle up to 3 colours and 1 hardener. The next higher level unit is the ProMix 2KS, again a 2 component model that can handle up to 30 colours and 4 hardeners. The unit has several programmable features and can be hooked on to PLC for setting up the parameters. The advanced new model undergoing tests is the ProMix PD 2K, Positive Displacement 2 component Proportioner in which the mixing chamber can be attached to painter’s hip belt”. The advantage of the ProMix PD2K is it eliminates the fluid (chosen material mix & thinner) wastage and cuts down costs thereof; and in the case of long distances & multiple hoses between the mixing chamber and the paint booth, the economics of operations of the ProMix PD2K model are compelling in choosing it readily for the application, he summarized.
“Graco offers a wide range of pneumatic and hydraulic pumps for the applications. The evolution in the segment has been pneumatic, hydraulic and then the electric version, new introduction – E-FloDC (Electric Flow Dual Control). The model can operate in constant flow or pressure conditions to suit the application demands. The unit is virtually maintenance free and totally safe for operations in hazardous environments; and the same can be hooked on to central PLC controls and various parameters adjusted from the same”, explained Mr. Arif Khan. Graco also offers the complete range of accessories like regulators, filters, hoses, valves, air controls, meters etc, to provide the total needs for the paint handling lines, he pointed out Mr. Arif Khan.
Demos and interactions
SSCPL had organised for the wet demo of Pro XP ES gun to demonstrate the efficiency and the ease of handling. The ‘wrap around effect’ was impressive and the participants interacted with the Graco team and SSCPL team members Mr. B. Mustaq Ali and Mr. R. Suresh Babu for getting more inputs. Beside the paint booth, ProMix 2KE model was exhibited; its operations were explained and the control features demonstrated. Also the electric model E-FloDC working, tech features and energy savings were shown and explained.
Customer interactions followed the demos; the technical team of a leading construction equipment manufacturer indicates: “We have been using Graco ProMix 2KS since 2008 for painting bulky off-highway truck sub-assemblies and other equipment like Excavator, Backhoe and Wheel Loader. Painting is done at 3 locations to cover the sides and bottom; and for some of the inaccessible areas, we still use the conventional air spray gun. The quality of finish has improved substantially and we are able to get significant cost savings in operations. Workers find the ES gun without electric cable gives them that handling comfort and extra assurance vis-à-vis safety; and it took some time for the workers to get trained in the new system but thanks to Graco’s on site training, the changeover was smooth. We would definitely like to examine the new product ProMix PD2K for our applications when the segment business picks up – as the same can provide significant savings to us in terms of paint and thinner during multi-colour paint choice for diverse needs”.
One of the multinational manufacturers of agriculture tractors had been using ProXP 60 KV gun for the last 5 months for painting tractor sheet metal parts, chassis and the complete unit. The finish obtained has been very good and the same appreciated by customers. The technical team from the company says: “Workers were initially reluctant for the switch over from air spray to ES gun but once they got used to it, they have become the ardent supporters for the product. Our unit focuses to a great extent on exports and the product quality including the paint finish that we provide is the same for all markets of the world. We have the range up to 110 HP and have not yet made an entry into the 35 HP segments that corners about 70% share of the local market. When we go for the product program expansion and a new paint shop, we will examine the Graco’s range, especially the ProMix 2KE model for the deployment”.
How does Graco handle the sales and service aspects? Mr. Selva Arasu T, Territory Manager – S. India, explains that Graco sells the equipment and spares thro’ the well developed distributor network – the products are imported by the distributors and they stock-up the fast moving spares and standard equipment/ accessories for early/ex-stock delivery; and the high end equipment is generally supplied against the firm order. How do they address the competition in a price sensitive market? Mr. Navneet summarizes that Graco has been setting high standards in the finishing equipment domain and clearly stays ahead of the competition; and the quality and price conscious customers have found that investing in Graco equipment gives a quicker ROI and also pays in the long run-taking into factors like performance, reliability, finish and operational economy.
Graco, with its wide range of products in the fluid handling domain, is one of the well respected and recognized brands worldwide and the Indian customers are starting to derive the quality and cost benefits in deploying the same for their needs. The company’s basic mission as ‘service to people thro’ profitable growth’ is beginning to be felt thro’ increasing number of industrial sectors deploying Graco products – yes, we are going to hear more about Graco in future and the Indian market should open up new vistas for the company to take its operations to the higher orbits.