Pennwood, a small wood products manufacturer in East Berlin, Adams County, reduced its operating costs, increased throughput and eliminated air pollution, all by adopting a new way to coat and cure their products with the help of the Electrotechnology Applications Center at Northampton Community College.

ETAC helped the company implement a state-of-the-art vacuum coating and ultraviolet curing process that has extremely high transfer efficiencies and changed coating materials to reduce the company’s overall environmental impact.

Over 50 percent of their coating material was lost in overspray before the new process was adopted and each product had to be given two applications of clear topcoat before they met product specs.

Now only one coat is needed and parts are only handled once in the coating process.

For more information on the Pennwood’s case study visit the ETAC website.

7/9/2004