Masking caps and plugs need to fit properly in order to work as anticipated. Part III dives into what happens if those aren't quite right.
A new vehicle cab rolls down an e-coat line with 65 threaded holes which needed to be masked. A call is placed by a purchasing agent to a supplier that sells masking plugs. The size of the holes is relayed to the supplier who sends a variety of masking solutions for the holes in each part. Sounds simple right?
Not so fast… CFS was invited to evaluate why the current supplier’s plugs had failed - causing extensive tapping of all threaded holes after being coated. We quickly determined that the masking did not fit properly. Some were too small, others too big. The original supplier did not properly consider all the factors surrounding e-coating – namely immersion and pressure.
By the time we intervened this had been happing for many, many months. It was assumed that chasing out fouled threads was the best method available. As scrapping the part was not an option, rework was the only solution for this manufacturer. Not only did CFS solve the issue with one site visit, CFS also saved the customer over $10,000 per week in combined labor costs and masking products!
We pride ourselves on being far more than a catalog order company. We believe in taking a consultative approach to your business. By learning your manufacturing procedures we can become a partner with you in your finishing processes. We have 5 locations staffed with masking and finishing experts ready to lend their expertise to your most challenging issues!
This was Part III of a 3 part series