CPS Color presented some novelties related to one of its paint lines, in addition to the launch of its new manufacturing plant and the partnership with the San Marcos Group.
by Inpra Latina
INPRA LATINA welcomed the invitation made to us at the end of the previous year by the company CPS Color, in order to know the new plant located in San Felice, Italy, where the company has been executing since 2012 the production of the Staining System in factory (TDF - Tinting During Filling).
The population of San Felice is again taking its starting point after it was hit by the earthquakes that hit the Emilia Romagna region in 2012. Despite this, CPS never stopped TDF production, but it is only now, more than a year later, that the CPS Color plant was able to be fully restored.
A week after the earthquakes, the company had already managed to install four production stores of 1,000 square meters and a store for offices. The main challenge for San Felice employees was to make the most of the little space that was available.
There was more equipment than storage space and it was almost impossible to replicate the structure of the old cellar. The seasonal changes posed additional challenges: during the summer months the temperature rose to 40°C. For that reason they installed a cooling system in the production stores to prevent the equipment from overheating. However, the company stressed that customers were very understanding and praised the team for the speed of deliveries and maintenance.
The space for the production of the TDF in San Felice is 4,000 square meters. The annual production volume is 6,000 pieces of equipment, including dispensers, mixers, filling equipment for staining at the point of sale and in the factory, as well as staining machines operated by the consumer. It currently has a group of 126 employees.
The history in San Felice is summarized as follows:
- It was established in 1984 as Corob in Medolla, Italy, 2 km from today's site, production moved to San Felice in 1997 (Corob is one of the three pioneering companies that merged into CPS Color in 2002).
- By 1997, more than 2,000 dispensers and mixers had been produced.
- In 1999, the production space doubled to 4,000 square meters.
- In May 2012, two earthquakes struck and destroyed the site. It was rebuilt, combining the first two production buildings into one, which complements the office building.
The development of TDF
CPS Color's engineering division specializes in developing automated production lines for many different applications.
Its most recent development is the concept of in-CAN (canned) paint production, a way of producing directly in the final container, which takes each can as an individual batch. By dispensing the precise amount of base paint and dyes directly into the can, numerous steps are eliminated from the production process.
All types of paint can be dyed and any color can be created. The size of an order can be up to a single can of any size.
Main advantages of the TDF system
- Increased production.
- Shorter delivery time and, consequently, better service to the end user.
- Reduction of downtime during the process.
- Reduction of labor costs.
- Cleaner and safer operation.
- Less waste-
- Scalable technology and flexible configuration allow you to create a suitable solution for all types of companies, from the largest to the smallest.
Examples of applications
- Decoration.
- Industrial applications.
- Ink for printing.
- Ink for ceramic tiles.
- Inks and coatings for plastics.
- Cosmetic industry.
Performance insights
- Compatible with different sizes and shapes of cans.
- Unlimited flow rate.
- Unlimited number of circuits.
- High productivity: for example, filling approximately one and a half cans of 20 liters per minute.
- Compact modular dispenser that can be designed to meet the staining needs of factories, warehouses and warehouses.
The dispenser is ideal for point-of-sale dispensing, but can be upgraded for use in a fully automated factory staining system. The dye module can accommodate dye cartridges with capacity from 6 to 90 liters, flow rate from 0.15 to 1 liter per minute, and even high-precision dual circuits in small quantities and high-speed dispensing in large quantities.
PLC control system available: allows the integration of automatic conveyor systems, barcode readers for processing orders, can feeding devices and cap unloading and closing devices.
The mixing cycle is surely the "bottleneck" of production, therefore it is very important to have a very fast and efficient mixing unit that can operate for several shifts without any problems. The mixing station is a module of an "automatic staining line", which can be integrated into any staining equipment. It can transport all cans and buckets of different sizes and shapes, tinted by any staining unit, to the point where the robot picks them up.
Main advantages
- It has 3-6 specially designed gyroscopic mixers, equipped with 3HP mixing motors, with the capacity to mix buckets of 20 liters, of 40 kg, at a speed of 150 RPM, which guarantees a long-lasting performance also in extreme duty cycles.
- You can select the desired mixing time and speed per can.
- The handle of the container is automatically attracted by a magnetic system.
- Elastic bands of the tape are not necessary.
- Fast return on investment.
- Greater flexibility.
- Frees up heavy-duty operators.
- Requires little manpower.
Market expectations
As for TDF systems, 2013 for CPS was considered "a very good year", in which they consolidated and received recognition for several large-scale projects and installations that were carried out in 2011 and 2012, which paved the way for a larger processing of orders in 2014.
To date, CPS Color has a portfolio of confirmed orders of more than 2 million Euros, which must be delivered before May of this year, and several projects in the final phase of development, pending final approval for implementation. The European market remains very weak, but we are seeing very positive signs of recovery and expect Europe to once again account for almost 50% of our global business.
On the other hand, the Latin American staining market is as varied as the European one. It ranges from point-of-sale staining to factory staining. It is showing great potential for growth, as the penetration of TDF systems increases.
Corob's first major TDF facilities in Latin America, which opened in Uruguay in 1991, are still in operation. Subsequently, other smaller facilities were opened in Brazil and Chile. The market trend and the interests of the clients indicate to the company that it could be facing a good growth potential in the next three years, mainly in Brazil.
TO HIGHLIGHT
Agreement between CPS Color and Colorificio San Marco
Both companies reached a partnership agreement for the commercialization of products among which is the TDF production line. Colorificio San Marco S.p.A, a San Marco Group company, is a specialist in the production and marketing of paints and varnishes for the construction sector in Italy. Born in 1962, it has 8 production facilities around the world and has 7 brands: Colorificio San Marco, Eurobeton, ABC, Tjaralin, San Marco Adriatica, Novacolor and Disegno.
Colorificio San Marco closed 2012 with a profit after tax of +21% compared to 2011, with a value of €8.7 million and a consolidated turnover of €64.6 million.
The geographical areas in which the company has significantly improved its market shares, in addition to Italy, are France and Romania, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and South West Asia and Russia.
The management of Colorificio San Marco combines a sue focus on research and development products with prudent strategic options in acquisitions of companies in Italy and abroad. In this way, the company has developed a wide range of paints and construction solutions to meet all market needs. "We distinguish ourselves from the competition thanks to our broad product portfolio and our technical and commercial service to our customers around the world," said Pietro Geremia, marketing director and representative of the fourth generation of the founding family.
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