When coating equipment is introduced, quotations and catalogs contain many numerical values.

Airflow volume.
Air velocity.
Processing capacity.
Drying temperature.
Conveyor speed.
Noise levels.
Power consumption.
Permissible product size for coating.
Robot operating range.
Compressor air delivery.

These figures are particularly important for equipment selection.
However, a point of caution is necessary.

The figures in a quotation will not necessarily become the actual performance values in your factory.

This does not mean that the equipment supplier is providing incorrect information.
The problem is treating a value as shop-floor performance without checking the conditions under which it is achieved.

Even the same coating equipment performs differently depending on installation conditions, duct length, filter resistance, product shape, coating type, drying conditions, and frequency of use.

Therefore, when examining quoted equipment figures, distinguish whether each is
a guaranteed value, a reference value, a theoretical value, or a value measured on site.

1. There are several types of quoted values

The figures in equipment quotations have different characteristics.

They are easier to understand when broadly classified as follows.

Guaranteed values

These are values for which the equipment manufacturer guarantees performance under specified conditions.

Examples include guarantees of airflow volume, temperature attainment, or processing capacity under specified conditions.

However, even guaranteed values always have conditions.

• At which measurement location is the value guaranteed?
• Under which operating conditions is it guaranteed?
• Which materials and workpieces are assumed?
• How far does the equipment supplier’s responsibility extend?

Without checking these points, disagreements may arise later: one side assumed a guarantee, while the other says the matter was outside its scope.

Reference values

Reference values are figures provided as a guide.
They are not guaranteed and vary with actual operating conditions.

For example, noise levels, power consumption, throughput, and standard airflow volume may be shown as reference values.

Reference values are useful information, but they will not necessarily be achieved on the shop floor.

Theoretical values

Theoretical values are calculated figures.

Examples include the number of products processed calculated from conveyor speed and hanger pitch, coating material consumption calculated from gun flow rate and transfer efficiency, and residence time calculated from oven dimensions and speed.

Theoretical values are necessary for design studies, but losses and variation occur on the shop floor.

Measured values

Measured values are figures actually obtained by measurement.

Air velocity at the operating position in the coating booth.
Pressure at the spray gun inlet during spraying.
Temperature attained by the workpiece, measured with an attached temperature logger.
Airflow volume measured in the exhaust duct.
Current during operation.
Actual coating material consumption.

Checking these measured values is particularly important for coating equipment.

2. Coating booth airflow changes on site

A coating booth quotation specifies airflow volume and air velocity.
However, even if the quoted airflow volume is adequate, the booth may not actually extract air effectively on site.

This is because the following conditions in the actual factory have an effect.

• The ducts are long.
• The ducts have many bends.
• Filters are clogged.
• The booth opening is large.
• Supply air is insufficient.
• The operator stands far from the extraction face.
• Surrounding airflow is disturbed.
• Exhaust fan capacity has deteriorated.

The fan specifications alone should therefore not determine the assessment.

What matters is checking how mist moves at the location where the operator actually performs coating.

A coating booth is not improved simply by stronger suction.
Air must flow steadily in the required direction at the required locations.

3. The drying oven setpoint differs from the temperature attained by the workpiece

Drying ovens also readily show differences between quoted and actual performance.

For example, suppose the equipment specification states \”capable of 180°C.\”
The meaning of that statement must be checked.

Does it mean that the oven air reaches 180°C?
Does it mean that the workpiece surface reaches 180°C?
How many minutes does it take to reach that temperature?
What workpiece weight and material are assumed?
Is the temperature the same at every location in the oven?

Without checking these points, problems occur after operation starts.

Even if the displayed oven temperature is 180°C, actual workpiece temperature may be insufficient for heavy products or shapes that are difficult to heat.

This causes the following problems.

• Incomplete curing
• Poor adhesion
• Insufficient hardness
• Insufficient chemical resistance
• Tackiness after drying
• Marks from stacking
• Scratches in subsequent processes

For a drying oven, it is important to check the temperature attained by the workpiece rather than only the setpoint.

4. Check compressor capacity at the point of use

Compressor catalogs specify air delivery and maximum pressure.

However, even if the compressor itself has sufficient capacity, the required air may not reach the spray gun inlet.

The cause lies in the supply path.

The hose is narrow.
The hose is long.
Fittings or couplers have small internal diameters.
The piping diameter is insufficient.
There are many branches.
Filters or regulators are clogged.
Many air tools are used simultaneously.

In such cases, pressure may be available at the compressor outlet but drop as soon as the spray gun is triggered.

On the shop floor, this may feel as though the air supply is running out of breath.

Insufficient air causes poor atomization, uneven film thickness, poor surface texture, color unevenness, and coating material losses.

Compressor catalog figures are therefore not the only values to check.
It is important to check pressure at the spray gun inlet while spraying.

5. Do not judge processing capacity solely by the number of products

Coating equipment quotations sometimes describe capacity as the number of products processed per day or coated per hour.

However, the number of products alone does not accurately establish coating process capacity.

100 small parts and 100 large parts have completely different coating areas.
Single-sided and double-sided coating also impose different application loads.
Thin-film and thick-film specifications require different coating material consumption and drying loads.

Coating equipment capacity must be checked using the following factors rather than product count alone.

• Workpiece surface area
• Coating area per hanger
• Surface area density
• Film thickness
• Transfer efficiency
• Conveyor speed
• Drying time
• Booth load
• Drying oven load

If the equipment supplier states processing capacity by product count, always check the underlying assumptions.

6. Noise, odors, and exhaust also vary with actual installation conditions

Noise and odors are also important for coating equipment.

Even if a quotation includes a noise value, check where it was measured.

Was it measured 1 m from the equipment?
At the operator’s position?
At the factory boundary?
Under conditions with surrounding reverberation?
Does it include operating noise from ducts and fans?

Noise varies with installation conditions as well as the equipment itself.

The same applies to odors.
Odors from booths and ovens vary with the exhaust path, discharge height, wind direction, surrounding environment, and presence of treatment equipment.

Vietnamese factories, in particular, must also consider distances to neighboring factories and residential areas, industrial park environmental standards, and customer audits.

Checking noise, odor, and exhaust conditions when obtaining an equipment quotation also helps prevent later complaints.

7. Do not leave the scope of guarantees unclear

Checking the scope of guarantees is particularly important when introducing equipment.

What does the equipment supplier guarantee?
What conditions must the purchaser provide?

Proceeding with these points unclear causes problems after operation starts.

For example, consider a coating booth with poor extraction.

The equipment supplier may say that the fan itself meets specifications.
The purchaser may consider it a problem because extraction is inadequate at the operating position.

The same applies to drying ovens.

The equipment supplier says that oven air temperature meets specifications.
The purchaser says there is a problem because the workpiece coating has not cured.

To prevent these differences in understanding, clarify the following points before contracting.

• What is guaranteed?
• Where will it be measured?
• Under which conditions will it be measured?
• Which products will be used for verification?
• What are the acceptance criteria during commissioning?
• What conditions must the purchaser prepare?
• Which conditions are outside the guarantee?

Clarifying guarantee scope is not about distrusting the equipment supplier.
It is necessary so both parties commission the equipment on the same assumptions.

8. Verify performance through measurements during commissioning

Commissioning after equipment installation is particularly important.

Commissioning is more than checking that the equipment runs.
It is an opportunity to check whether the performance assumed in the quotation is achieved on the actual shop floor.

The items to check vary by equipment, but typical examples are as follows.

• Air velocity at the coating booth operating position
• Exhaust airflow volume
• Supply air balance
• Pressure at the spray gun inlet during spraying
• Temperature distribution inside the drying oven
• Temperature attained by the workpiece
• Conveyor speed
• Noise
• Odors
• Exhaust conditions
• Coating film appearance
• Film thickness distribution
• Checking jig passage through the equipment
• Checking safety device operation

Problems not checked during commissioning may become major problems after mass production starts.

For coating equipment in particular, it is important to verify performance with the actual workpieces, actual coating materials, and actual working conditions.

9. Pitfalls in equipment quotations for Vietnamese factories

The following pitfalls readily arise when introducing equipment in Vietnamese factories.

Comparing only price.
Treating figures in the quotation as performance guarantees without checking them.
Leaving local construction and equipment manufacturer scope unclear.
Failing to check utility conditions such as electricity, air, water, and exhaust.
Insufficiently reflecting the constraints of the existing factory.
Not establishing commissioning acceptance criteria.
Approving drawings only as a formality.
Having different assumptions among the Japanese head office, Vietnamese factory, and equipment supplier.

These conditions readily lead to equipment failing to deliver the expected performance after installation.

An equipment quotation is both a document for comparing prices and a document for checking matters that prevent future problems.

10. Basic items to check in an equipment quotation

When reviewing a coating equipment quotation, check at least the following items.

1. The nature of the figures

Is each figure a guaranteed, reference, or theoretical value?

2. Measurement conditions

Where and under which conditions is each value measured?

3. Intended workpieces

What product sizes, weights, and materials are assumed?

4. Intended coating materials

What coating material, viscosity, and film thickness are assumed?

5. Utility conditions

What requirements apply to electricity, compressed air, water, gas, and exhaust?

6. Guarantee scope

How far does the equipment supplier’s responsibility extend?

7. Local construction scope

Who is responsible for installation, piping, wiring, ducts, and foundation work?

8. Commissioning criteria

What constitutes acceptance?

9. Running costs

How much will electricity, fuel, consumables, replacement parts, and maintenance cost?

10. Maintainability

Is inspection easy? Is parts replacement easy? Is the parts supply reliable?

Checking these items can greatly reduce problems after equipment introduction.

11. The value CoatureVietnam sees in equipment quotation review

CoatureVietnam does not regard equipment quotations simply as price comparison tables.

A coating equipment quotation is a document for checking the following questions.

Does the equipment suit the shop floor’s workpieces?
Does it suit the coating materials to be used?
Can it consistently deliver the required quality?
Will it place an excessive burden on operators?
Is it satisfactory in terms of the environment and safety?
Can it be maintained over the long term?
Is it reasonable in terms of total cost as well as purchase price?

Checking these points prevents failures in equipment investment.

CoatureVietnam’s role is to work between equipment suppliers and customers, organizing assumptions from the coating shop-floor perspective.

Equipment manufacturers are equipment specialists.
However, they may not fully understand the customer’s coating process, materials, workpieces, quality requirements, and shop-floor operations.

CoatureVietnam’s review from the perspective of the entire coating process can therefore lead to equipment introduction better suited to the shop floor.

Conclusion

Figures in coating equipment quotations are important information for decisions.
However, they should not be accepted without question as shop-floor performance.

Is each figure guaranteed?
Is it a reference value?
Is it a theoretical value?
Under which conditions is it achieved?
What happens when it is measured on site?

Introducing equipment without checking these points causes problems after startup: inadequate extraction, inadequate drying, insufficient capacity, excessive noise, or high electricity costs.

What matters in equipment investment is not selecting inexpensive equipment.
It is selecting equipment that suits actual shop-floor conditions, consistently delivers the required quality, and can be maintained over the long term.

CoatureVietnam supports checking quoted coating equipment figures against expected actual shop-floor performance.

This brings science into coating and helps prevent difficulties on the shop floor after equipment introduction.
It also represents care for operators, managers, and business owners.