For coating wood EGGER relies on efficient double diaphragm pumps from Timmer
In the wood coating industry, the requirements are constantly increasing – process reliability, as well as efficient and sustainable production, are becoming more and more significant. In this regard, fluid pumps in coating equipment are a key factor, since precise surface results can be achieved with a double diaphragm pump, and paints, as well as varnishes, can be used in a manner that is resource-friendly. The fact that an investment will be worthwhile over the long term is evident in the example of engineered wood manufacturer EGGER Holzwerkstoffe GmbH at the Brilon site. The company invested in several double diaphragm pumps from Timmer GmbH. These pumps ensure high-quality and uniform coatings, optimal processes, and efficiency at the highest level.
EGGER Holzwerkstoffe GmbH headquartered in the Austrian municipality St. Johann in Tirol is one of the largest and best-known manufacturers of engineered wood in Europe. The family company, which was founded in 1961, has approximately 10,000 employees and produces engineered wood at 19 locations in nine countries with an annual production capacity of 8.8 million cubic meters. The product range includes chipboard, OSB-board, MDF-board, and sawn timber for furniture manufacture and interior design, timber construction, and floors. Design requirements for living spaces and workspaces have become much more rigorous in recent years. To meet the needs of both processors and consumers, wood products must be visually and haptically impressive, as well as robust, durable, and easy to maintain. In this regard, the wood coating has particular significance because it ensures longevity and a flawless surface appearance. In addition, a production process with the utmost reliability that is resource-friendly and sustainable also plays an increasingly important role. To meet these requirements and in order to further optimize its own processes, EGGER invested in multiple Timmer fluid pumps.
The coating of wood panels in painting lines involves various process steps. For pre-painting, first, a primer is applied and hardened, before the wood material is sanded and enhanced with stylish decors and surfaces. The central component is the application roller that applies a medium on the engineered wood. The fluid pump ensures that a primer, a paint, a varnish, or a base coat flows in between the application rollers from above. Because the previous pumps did not have the desired service life and due to the higher pulsation sometimes this caused a certain shadowing and bubbles on the wood surfaces, which required labor-intensive removal, in 2014 EGGER invested in the double diaphragm pumps from Timmer GmbH. “For our second painting line, we needed pumps with process reliability that ensured an optimal surface result. Since several of the Timmer pumps were being used successfully, we also trusted in the competence of Timmer GmbH for our second line”, explains Stephan Rehker, Varnish Technologist at EGGER Holzwerkstoffe GmbH. Today a total of 12 Timmer pumps are used at the EGGER plant in Brilon.
Efficient pump technology and a precise surface result
With the Timmer pumps, EGGER can pump virtually all materials. A great advantage offered by the double diaphragm pumps is the efficient technology; the Timmer solution has an extremely low start-up pressure. Conventional market variants require a start-up pressure between 1.5 and 2 bar for the pump to even run at all; the Timmer solution requires only 0.7 bar to operate reliably even at 1 bar pressure. This results in significant medium-term and long-term energy savings since compressed air requirements are reduced by up to 50%. Another advantage is the sustainable use of materials. For application rollers the pumps work in a circulating system: The medium is pumped between the application roller and the dosing roller, excess material runs back into the tank and is reused. Thanks to the circulation system there is no paint loss and EGGER saves valuable material and it also saves costs.
Moreover, the proven control valve technology developed by Timmer that is used in the Timmer pumps enables lower pulsation and this is incredibly important for wood coating processes: “With high pulsation, frequently an irregular paint pattern occurs that causes shadowing on the engineered wood”, points out Recker. Due to the fast changeover time of the valve and the short-stroke principle the pump generates a lower pulsation so that the medium flows uniformly through the roller in a fine stream. This means that even minimal quantities can be input into the process; this is not the case with conventional double diaphragm pumps. “For our customers, it is particularly important that the surface of the wood always has the same appearance – with a uniform paint application, the same layer thickness, and the same color pattern. Consequently, the high reproducibility that the pumps make possible is critically important for us”, states Recker. Thanks to the Timmer solution EGGER experiences far less microfoam in the paint system; microfoam can cause small air bubbles that impair the surface result. “The advantage is that we don’t have to use an additive and this protects the entire tubing and the paint flow. Now we no longer need to add anything and we can work without foam. Even with low-viscosity fluids or varnish, there are significantly fewer medium splashes, thanks to the Timmer pumps”.
Maximum process reliability and easy maintenance
Furthermore, the possibility of a pump standstill is excluded. This is ensured by a special, low-wear, ceramic latching valve. All valve plates in the heart of the Timmer pump are made of ceramics in conjunction with precision-ground, high-performance plastics. This results in minimum wear in the valve itself. In addition, a short-stroke principle is used; the diaphragm executes shorter strokes and therefore it is subject to less wear. Also, a flow monitor indicates when the varnish is no longer being pumped – this is a customer-specific function that is a special feature for EGGER. This prevents the dry-run of the application roller.
Another advantage: The double diaphragm pumps from Timmer are extremely easy to maintain and they are quite simply structured. Because the valve is separated from the medium, the diaphragms can be quickly replaced when performing maintenance without having to replace the air valve. Ball replacement and cleaning are also quite simple. If specific pumps must be inspected, they can be removed, i.e. dismounted, very quickly and very easily. “The pumps are so easy to maintain that they sustainably increase the process efficiency in our products and thus reduce costs long-term”, says Rehker.
Timmer pump convinces EGGER
The surface coating of wood elements, for which the high-performance double diaphragm pumps are important components, quickly led to the desired results: EGGER was able to optimize the quality and the appearance of the coatings and use the efficiencies to save valuable resources. “The pumps were optimally tailored to our process. The product quality and the minimal service and maintenance effort required for the Timmer pumps convinced us”, points out Rehker and in addition, he praises the short delivery times, the service, and reachability. With this modernization of the painting lines, EGGER and Timmer are laying the foundation for further collaboration that will be continued and expanded in the future. “EGGER is constantly developing its capabilities as a company in the wood coating industry. Naturally more systems and pumps will be required”, says Rehker.
More information at: www.timmer.de
