The Most Important Investment in Your Product's Quality.

Pretreatment is the foundational stage of any high-quality finishing system. It is a multi-stage washing process designed to do two things: clean the part's surface and apply a conversion coating. Cleaning, typically with an alkaline solution, removes oils and soils. The conversion coating, often iron phosphate or zirconium, microscopically etches the surface and deposits a thin, inert layer. This layer provides corrosion resistance and creates a perfect profile for the paint or powder to adhere to. Without proper pretreatment, even the best coating applied by the most advanced coating equipment will fail. At TIMS, we consider the pretreatment washer to be the most critical component of the line, and we engineer it with the same precision and control as the robotic application and curing systems.

The spray booth is the centerpiece of your powder coating equipment, and several key features separate a high-performance booth from a basic one. First, look at the material; stainless steel or advanced composite materials prevent cross-contamination and make color changes much faster. Second, evaluate the airflow and lighting; proper downdraft airflow contains the powder, while bright, color-correct lighting is essential for quality control. Third, and most critically, assess the recovery system. A high-efficiency cyclonic reclaimer from a provider like TIMS will capture and return over 98% of overspray for reuse, offering a rapid return on investment. A quality booth is an investment in efficiency, quality, and safety for your entire coating equipment line.

High material waste is a significant and unnecessary cost. The solution lies in upgrading to modern coating equipment designed for high transfer efficiency. For liquid paint, this means switching to high-volume, low-pressure (HVLP) or electrostatic applicators that create a soft spray and an electrical charge that wraps the paint around the part. For powder coating, it means using advanced guns that provide superior control over the powder cloud and a high-efficiency recovery system that captures and recycles nearly all overspray. A fully integrated system from TIMS addresses waste at every level, from optimized robotic spray paths to booth designs that maximize recovery, ensuring the vast majority of the coating you buy ends up on your product, not in the waste bin.

Coating wood and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) requires specialized coating equipment due to the material's sensitivity to heat and its porous nature. Traditional powder coating is not viable, but low-temperature UV-cured powder coating systems are an emerging, durable option. More commonly, liquid coating systems are used. A typical automated line for wood products includes sanding robots for surface preparation, a sealed spray booth with a flatline conveyor, and a curing oven that uses infrared or ultraviolet (UV) light. UV curing is particularly effective as it cures the finish in seconds without generating significant heat that could damage the substrate. TIMS designs specialized coating equipment for wood products that provides a beautiful, durable, and consistent finish while carefully controlling the heat to protect the integrity of the material.