Solving Manufacturing Pain Points with an Automated Corner Painting Machine
As a custom machine builder, we’ve learned that a manufacturing bottleneck can result from even the smallest details. So when a customer recently approached us about a solution for painting welded corners on vinyl windows, we immediately understood how this challenge could significantly slow down production.
Their previous process required manual touchups, which were labor-intensive, slow, and inconsistent in quality. In some cases, employees were even sent to installation sites just to fix a few poorly painted corners with a paint pen. They knew there had to be a better solution—and our team provided it.
Find out how Gemini Industrial developed an automated corner-painting machine that can be customized to any window manufacturer’s needs, and learn how we can help you find critical manufacturing process improvements for your own operations, as well.
The Bottleneck: Manually Painting Lineal Corners
Vinyl window manufacturers often fabricate frames and sashes from painted vinyl profiles that are extruded in stick form. The process of cutting and welding profiles together leaves a small exposed seam that is the base vinyl color and doesn’t match the full frame.
As a result, these corners need to be touched up to match the frame’s color. Traditionally, vinyl window manufacturers have had team members manually color the areas using paint markers or pens.
However, this solution presents several challenges: quality and speed vary depending on the skill of the operator, and the drying time involved led to significant backup. When windows were moved prematurely, they often smudged, requiring time-consuming reworks for one small detail.
The Solution: Vinyl Window Corner-Painting Machine
The customer sought out our machine building services, and we consulted with them on their processes, their facility, and their bottleneck. Our engineers then took this information and designed a solution that could be easily integrated into their production line.
This UV corner-painting machine combines robotic integration, fast-drying UV-cured paints, and precision painting systems to quickly and consistently produce a high-quality finished product.
The corner-painting machine was built specific to our client’s needs, as all of our custom machines are—but it can be easily adapted to the needs of any other window manufacturer. Customizable factors include differing window sizes, colors, production line requirements, and more.
The Benefits: Precision, Consistency and High ROI
Our corner-painting machine offers several key advantages over traditional methods:
Near-instant paint curing, enabling immediate handling after painting
Greater paint durability, ensuring long-term color integrity
Flawless color matching across any color specification
Consistent precision application with an industrial-style airbrush
Significant scalability through increased process speed
Reduced human error with process automation and robotic application
Rapid return on investment due to increased efficiency and reduced labor costs
How Can Our Custom Automation Machinery Help You?
At Gemini Industrial, nearly all of our new machines start when a customer presents us with a specific challenge. No matter how niche or how specific to your production, we are ready to discuss your challenges and attempt to find a solution.
Gemini’s engineers have designed machines for a range of industries, tailored to one company’s unique needs. Our extensive experience in handling all sheet metal fabrication in-house allows us to quickly build and install your machine.
Contact us today to learn how we can solve your bottleneck and allow you to achieve unprecedented speed!