Mixing and dosing system for less material consumption

A new electronic mixing and dosing system reduces material consumption when painting pumps and systems. The smart painting technology also helps to save time thanks to improved efficiency.

Hammelmann GmbH has been a manufacturer of high-performance high-pressure plunger pumps and cleaning systems for 75 years. At its headquarters in Oelde, Westphalia, 485 employees produce pumps and systems that are used worldwide in various sectors and industries, for example for cleaning heat exchangers, containers and pipelines as well as for paint stripping and cleaning metal surfaces in shipbuilding, gratings and storage tanks. Hammelmann products are also in great demand for deburring engine blocks or maintaining bridges, roads and other structures. With an operating pressure of up to 4,500 bar, the systems are also used for cutting reinforced concrete, metal and other solid materials. Another mainstay of the company is process pumps, which are used in the chemical and petrochemical industries as well as in the extraction of oil and gas. Hammelmann also produces pumps and systems for the hygienic pumping of high- and low-viscosity foodstuffs.

Hammelmann GmbH needed to update its paint shop for surface treatment in production. "We were already using a wet paint system with electrostatic application and paint supply from Wagner," explains Stefan Wickenkamp, Head of Steel Construction and Paint Shop at Hammelmann. "We are still very satisfied with the system components today. However, we mixed the material by hand for years, which meant that we lost more and more efficiency - both in terms of working speed and material consumption." Reiner Feldkamp, service technician at long-standing service partner Oltrogge, recalls the start of the project and the customer's wishes and requirements: "It was particularly important to Hammelmann to be able to save material, i.e. paint, with the new solution. In addition, color changes should be possible in a shorter time. At the same time, it should be possible to expand painting capacities if necessary and automate the production process in the long term."

After extensive consultation with Oltrogge, Hammelmann decided to invest in a Wagner 2K Smart mixing and dosing system, including a gun flushing device from Oltrogge. The existing GM 5000EAC electrostatic manual gun with the associated control unit was retained for the application, as it had already proven itself over many years. The Wagner pumps in the paint supply system - Cobra 40-10 and Leopard 35-70 - were replaced by modern models in the new system.

The 2K Smart electronic mixing system is suitable for all applications in which multi-colored 2K or 3K paints are processed. It can be used to process a variety of workpieces from different application areas. Thanks to its compact, space-saving design, Hammelmann is now able to shorten production paths and optimize paint and rinsing agent consumption.

The company also benefits from the quality of the new system. The dosing of the hardener is adapted to different material flow rates with the help of the adaptive injection system AIS. If the amount of paint flowing through the system changes, it automatically ensures an optimum mixing ratio. The coating results are more homogeneous and the paint appearance is improved. The GM 5000EAC electrostatic manual spray gun from the predecessor system continues to impress with its homogeneous spray jet and very high application efficiency, which saves a considerable amount of material. The pumps in the paint supply system are particularly reliable and ensure fast work with short rinsing and color change times.

Hammelmann is delighted with the result: "Thanks to the automatic dilution and automatic adjustment of the mixing ratio, we no longer have any manual mixing work. This gives us greater process reliability in production and therefore for our customers," says Sebastian Voß, Head of Purchasing at Hammelmann GmbH. "This allows us to implement orders for our customers even more effectively and thus ensure their economic success in the long term. With the help of Oltrogge, we have an effective solution that has also been smoothly integrated into our production process and can also be integrated into automated systems in the long term." Oltrogge is also extremely satisfied following the installation of the new system: "We are delighted that the customer is so happy with the result," says Kevin Schulze-Bockholt, Head of Surface Technology at Oltrogge. "The project has also had an additional effect for us: we are allowed to visit the new system with interested customers to demonstrate the benefits live." (OM-11/24)