As the finishing sector evolves, end-user companies appear to have an increasing list of priorities, often expressed with familiar concepts of flexibility, ease of use, cost reduction, process control, compact design, sustainability, productivity, consistency… Indeed, the list is long. Manufacturers are feeling the pressure of so many equally important demands, so we decided to put the pressure on our roller coater solutions, making it possible to process raised panels on Smartcoater PRO.

Thanks to the equipment’s ability to exert significant pressure on the application system, Smartcoater PRO applies the base coat to raised panels prior to sanding. Panels are then spray coated to complete the surface finish. Reaching the grooves with a roller coater in the past was unheard of, but now brings the benefits of extra flexibility and reduces the application costs.  Moreover, Smartcoater PRO implements innovative systems able to closely monitor the process and thereby minimise operating costs. Process control also enables operators to make immediate corrective actions to optimise quality and improve production efficiency.

The solutions we provide today combine enhanced performance with simpler finishing line concepts and a smaller overall footprint. Their impact on the environment is substantially reduced thanks to a drop in emissions by virtue of the roller coating process as opposed to spraying, plus it saves money! By combining different processes, for example with the addition of edge coating solutions, the entire production cycle acquires greater stability and delivers more consistent results in an easier, automatic way. Automation also plays a role in reducing production costs by monitoring lacquer weight, temperature, etc.

Future development will further limit production costs and add benefits in terms of environmental sustainability, as well as broadening the scope of potential applications. Today it will be interesting to see how Smartcoater PRO handles the base coat application and sanding tasks on raised panels prior to surface finishing on a spray coater.

Plastic flower pots may look like simple objects, but when decorating them, you need to make sure nothing gets left behind. We tested a few solutions before devising the most efficient and effective way of coating them, minimising operator intervention and delivering the best results. This is our advice for an integrated finishing line, but we remain available to adapt with tailored solutions to suit specific customer requirements.

Our in-line spraying solution is composed of an iGiotto high-performance anthropomorphic robot with 2 consecutive process steps. Flower pots are fixed to rotating swivel pins running along a floor-mounted line.

The first step has to be flaming. This is vital for the following coating steps to be really effective. If not, the lacquer will not adhere correctly to the plastic substrate. Performed by the first robot featuring a flame burner, the product then moves along the line to the spraying station, where the rotating pots are coated with 80-100 g/sqm water-based 2K pigment. Drying is then performed in a hot air tunnel.

This fully automatic solution saves time, limits lacquer consumption to what is essential and ensures the exterior of each pot receives a quality finish that will last over time.

Contact us and discuss your needs with a finishing expert.

Throughout the digital print process, between the cycles and tests we’ve performed in our LAB while expecting the next customer to come along and test the print quality, amongst the many factors that exist, we have optimised the key phases which ultimately lead to a top quality print.

What is required to produce the desired outcome?

There’s a huge difference between those who have no time to prepare things properly and those who take the time to organise each step’ of the process correctly. Let’s take a look at these steps:

1. Check your materials, both the image and the substrate which we will need to prepare, print on and texturize.
2. Process the image, either digital or acquired via a scan, so as to set the appropriate characteristics we wish to obtain with the print and texture operations.
3. Check the substrate by testing the most practical cycle for digital printing in view of customer expectations. This step is critical and depends on our expertise and professional approach. This represents a key step for Cefla Finishing and is a team effort comprising the competence and experience of our LAB Manager, the skills of our Product Manager, our partnering lacquer suppliers and the customer’s own knowledge in view of their consolidated processes.
4. Create the right colour profile by carrying out the entire process including texturization. This is the only way to achieve effective printer calibration and obtain faithful reproduction of the desired colours. This step does not avoid the need for the right image preparation expertise, but it’s a perfect starting point for the fine-tuning that will be needed further on.

This sequence enables us to obtain a product thanks to a specific cycle, prepared and developed, knowing precisely what the attainable outcome will be.
This becomes the basis for all further fine tuning and any adjustments we wish to make.

For more about the digital printing process download the White Paper

When you are dealing with fibre cement or cement-bonded products, one thing is the surface finish, another is what happens beneath the surface, to the structure of the product.

In the first case you will be looking at the aesthetic qualities, aiming for an attractive finish, for example for an architectural siding. In the second case you will be concerned with achieving structural characteristics that ensure your siding will stand the test of time. Each of these aspects is a fundamental requisite that the finishing process must cater for: surface enhancement and structural enhancement.

By taking care of the functional characteristics of your fibre cement product, you are effectively guaranteeing its value over time, setting the quality of your product at a higher level. Mould, hailstorms, pollution and even vandalism may affect the external surface, efflorescence is an issue for the internal structure.

Manufacturers and processors of fibre cement composite products are increasingly looking for water-repellent products that increase resistance to weathering and avoid the lamination of subsequent aesthetic layers, as well as preventing deterioration caused by extreme temperature fluctuations.

It is crucial to avoid the formation of mould, fungus, moss and rot, and last but not least, help resistance to external factors with products to ensure surface hardness against vandalism (incisions) and washable, anti-graffiti surfaces.

In the case of corrugated roofing sheets, products are needed that allow breathability so that normal thermal expansion due to climate change does not damage the aesthetics of the product, preventing water absorption, freeze-thaw damage, growth of fungi, algae and moss, and providing UV resistance.

Our experience at your disposal

All these issues are well known to us and we have the necessary experience to guide you in the choice of finishing technologies to enhance the value of your product. For sidings, flat boards, corrugated sheets, slates, tiles or other roof fittings and accessories, we have a tried and tested solution.

From the initial priming to the final coat, our solutions for fibre cement products such as roof tiles or sidings are numerous. Let’s discuss your needs and find the right combination of equipment to handle your product. But first, check out our experience in finishing cement-bonded materials.

If you make sidings, check out this page.

If you make other fibre cement or cement-bonded products, visit this page.

What’s the advantage of having masses of data at your disposal if you can only implement a negligible amount of actions using those data? Data for data’s sake is more of a burden than a benefit.

Thanks to full remote access to installed machinery, UBIQUO experts use the data and turns them into service opportunities, giving end-users preferential access to technical support, spare parts, technology updates and training. Unlimited access to processing data at all times enables ongoing control of production, so whenever an issue arises, diagnosis and the appropriate solution are at hand.

Moreover, UBIQUO facilitates the connection between a customer’s different IT platforms and the data acquired by the software can be elaborated easily and shared to maximise its value. Data from a connected machine regarding overall productivity will always be of greater value than those of non-connected equipment. Further developments should soon see Artificial Intelligence contributing to broaden the range of services and the times in which they are readily available.

There are a number of issues facing many furniture manufacturers, such as lead times unable to cope with the increasing demand for personalisation. Small production batches are also a growing phenomenon that requires substantial flexibility. Another issue, when it comes to a high degree of personalisation and variability, is the difficulty in matching edge patterns and colours with the flat panel surface. Some manufacturers are overcome with stockpiles of engraved rollers and colours or hundreds of rolls of decorative paper, plus the need for stock service ensuring a number of replacement items.

Overview of the benefits of digital printing

Many of the abovementioned problems can be overcome with industrial digital printing. Apart from the equipment and the inks, all you need are the skills needed to deal with digital images and initiatives to promote a service your customers will immediately appreciate, such as:

• limitless customisation possibilities
• very small production batches (10 – 100 sqm)
• lead times go from a few hours to a few days
• reduced stock requirements
• virtually no stock service at all

And all of this can be said for both the decoration of a flat panel surface and the panel edge, so that the pattern and colours are perfectly matched.

Same image, same procedure, same inks if possible

Although it may not be the same company handling the decoration of the flat panel surface as well as the edgebanding, digital printing allows for a perfect match between panel surface and panel edge on the finished piece. Elaborating the digital image for both tasks is the first step. Using the same inks optimises the match, but may not always be possible depending on which inks each company adopts. Overcoming metamerism with digital printing of the flat surface as well as the rolls of edgebanding material is also much easier if the procedure and the inks used are the same. 

The ideal integration to multiply your business opportunities

Industrial digital printing is a technique which fits seamlessly into a finishing line, speeding up the process, offering enormous flexibility and allowing companies to say “yes” to single pieces or minimal production batches. After sanding and primer application, the flat surface can be decorated with a digital printer followed by a transparent basecoat which precedes the finished effect that can be matt, glossy or even texturized (haptic effects), the latter also accomplished on a digital printer. 

So much faster, so much simpler

One of the key advantages of this technique is the speed. A recent example illustrates the huge opportunities and how simple it is to achieve results which are unheard of using traditional decorative techniques. For an international fashion show a renowned luxury Italian fashion brand wanted to customise the environment (flooring and walls) for a minimal surface area. Between the initial idea to approval of the panel samples for production it took one week. Handled between Milan and Bari, the former conceiving the digital image, the latter processing it and printing it. Regardless of quantities, the price per piece is virtually the same. Using another technique, such as rotary printing, this would have required a 30 to 60-day period and minimum quantities to cover the roller engraving costs. Using decorative paper, we would be more or less as quick, but decorative choices are limited and there is no chance for customisation. Either you produce large quantities to reduce unit costs or accept high costs and reduce the overall quantity. So why hesitate? Digital printing is faster, simpler and in line with market trends.

How to make the most of digital printing 

Implementing a Print Quality System based on daily print quality assessments and maintenance is one way of ensuring the highest quality at all times. Managed by our proprietary software, parameters are verified on a daily basis, checking for missing nozzles, deviated nozzles and running test pattern prints to adjust alignment and ink deposit density. Corrections are made electronically, and the use of redundant colour bars helps avoid the need to stop production when one colour nozzle clogs up because the second one copes adequately.