When introducing coating equipment, a project may appear to be proceeding smoothly at the quotation stage, yet changes and additional work can arise after installation begins.

“The exhaust duct route needs to be changed.”
“The electrical capacity is insufficient.”
“The compressor capacity is inadequate.”
“The delivery route for the curing oven is too narrow.”
“The strength of the existing floor needs to be checked.”
“The drainage route differs from what was assumed.”
“Safety fencing or working space needs to be added.”
“Once installed on site, the workflow routes are poor.”

Such additional work is not unusual in coating equipment projects.

Coating equipment is not machinery that operates in isolation.
It connects with electricity, compressed air, water, exhaust, drainage, the building, floors, conveyance, workflow routes, and safety equipment.

Proceeding with installation while considering only the main equipment therefore requires many adjustments on site.

It may be difficult to eliminate all design changes and additional work.
However, careful advance checks can reduce unnecessary changes and major schedule delays.

1. Coating Equipment Installation Involves More Than the Main Equipment

Coating equipment installation may appear to be simply the work of installing booths, curing ovens, conveyors, and robots.

In practice, however, it involves more than that.

Many supporting conditions are required to operate coating equipment.

Electricity.
Compressed air.
Water.
Gas.
Exhaust ducts.
Drainage routes.
Floor load capacity.
Ceiling height.
Delivery openings.
Working space.
Safety fencing.
Fire suppression equipment.
Maintenance space.
Paint storage.
Mixing rooms.
Routes connecting preceding and subsequent processes.

Only when these conditions are in place can coating equipment be used reliably.

Even with good main equipment specifications, unsuitable supporting conditions cause changes during installation.

Coating equipment installation is therefore more than placing machinery.
It is a project that connects equipment with conditions throughout the factory.

2. Why Design Changes Commonly Occur

There are several reasons why design changes occur in coating equipment installation.

1. Insufficient checks of site conditions

Installation may appear possible on drawings, but columns, beams, piping, existing equipment, aisles, doors, and ceiling height can affect the actual site.

2. Insufficient utilities

Additional work is needed if electrical capacity, air capacity, water supply, gas supply, exhaust capacity, or wastewater treatment capacity is inadequate.

3. Unclear scope of the order

How much installation work will the equipment supplier carry out?
How much will the purchaser prepare?
If this boundary is unclear, additional costs arise during installation.

4. Changes in operating conditions

Changes to the originally planned products, paints, production volume, film thickness, or drying conditions may also require changes to equipment specifications.

5. Overlooked safety and environmental conditions

Measures for explosion protection, exhaust, odors, dust, wastewater, and operator safety may become necessary later.

Many design changes arise from inadequate definition of conditions beforehand, rather than from the installation work itself.

3. Insufficient Electrical Capacity Is a Common Reason for Additional Work

Coating equipment uses substantial electrical power.

Coating booth fans.
Curing ovens.
Conveyors.
Pumps.
Compressors.
Exhaust treatment equipment.
Automatic coating machines.
Robots.
Lighting.
Control panels.

Adequate electrical capacity is needed to operate these simultaneously.

Even if a quotation for the equipment lists each unit’s power consumption, the factory’s incoming power equipment and distribution boards do not necessarily have spare capacity.

If insufficient electrical capacity is discovered after installation begins, the following additional measures may be needed.

• Adding distribution boards
• Changing main feeder cables
• Reviewing circuit breaker capacity
• Increasing incoming power capacity
• Changing wiring routes
• Changing control panel locations

These can substantially alter both cost and schedule.

Before introducing equipment, always check the factory’s available power capacity as well as the main equipment’s power consumption.

4. Insufficient Compressed Air Capacity Is Also Easily Overlooked

Compressed air is important in spray coating.

Spray guns.
Air blowing.
Valves in automated equipment.
Air-operated pumps.
Cleaning.
Some parts of fixtures and conveying equipment.

Air is used in many places.

An air shortage after equipment is introduced makes coating quality unstable.
Additional compressors, piping changes, air receivers, or air dryers may also be required.

It is especially important to look beyond the capacity of the compressor itself.

• Is capacity sufficient when the existing line operates simultaneously?
• Is the required pressure available at the point of use?
• Is the pipe diameter adequate?
• Is there excessive pressure loss through hoses or fittings?
• Is air dryer capacity sufficient?
• Are measures against moisture and oil adequate?

Compressed air is easily left until later in an equipment installation project.
However, it directly affects coating quality.

5. Changes to Exhaust Duct Routes Readily Affect the Schedule

Coating booths and curing ovens require exhaust ducts.

Exhaust duct routing is an item that frequently causes problems during installation.

A route may appear feasible on drawings, but the actual site has constraints such as the following.

• Beams are present
• Existing piping is present
• Existing ducts are present
• Ceiling height is insufficient
• An opening cannot be made in the exterior wall
• The exhaust outlet is close to neighbors
• Rainwater protection is needed
• Longer ducts increase pressure loss
• There is no space for cleaning access openings

A change in exhaust duct routing affects fan capacity, air volume, noise, exhaust outlet location, and installation cost.

Exhaust directly affects booth and oven performance.
Duct installation is therefore critical work that determines equipment performance, as well as supporting work.

6. Drainage Routes and Wastewater Treatment Capacity Must Also Be Checked

Drainage routes need to be checked when using wet booths, pretreatment equipment, cleaning processes, or wastewater treatment systems.

Equipment that uses water necessarily produces wastewater as well as requiring a water supply.

There is no drainage route.
The floor slope is inadequate.
The drainage channel is far away.
Existing wastewater treatment capacity is insufficient.
The wastewater type is unsuitable for the existing treatment process.
Sludge treatment has not been considered.

Additional work is needed in these situations.

Coating process wastewater in particular may contain paint components, chemicals, sludge, and oil.
It may not be possible to handle it in the same way as ordinary wastewater.

Before introducing equipment, check wastewater volume, composition, treatment methods, and sludge treatment.

7. Equipment May Not Fit Through an Unchecked Delivery Route

An important part of equipment installation is whether the equipment can be brought into the factory.

Even if the drawings show enough installation space, problems may arise from narrow delivery openings, bends in aisles, low ceilings, or the inability to use a crane.

Curing ovens, coating booths, large fans, robots, control panels, and conveyor components in particular tend to have large delivery dimensions.

Check the following items.

• Width and height of delivery openings
• Aisle width
• Space at corners
• Floor load capacity
• Whether forklifts or cranes can be used
• Interference with existing equipment
• Temporary staging space
• Effects on production during installation

Installation cannot begin if equipment cannot be brought in.
Checking the delivery route is a basic but extremely important task.

8. Check Floor Loads, Foundations, and Anchors Too

Coating equipment has substantial weight.

Curing ovens.
Coating booths.
Conveyors.
Exhaust fans.
Robots.
Wastewater treatment equipment.
Paint tanks.
Pressure feed tanks.

Floor strength and foundation conditions need to be checked when installing these items.

Insufficient floor load capacity requires reinforcement work.
For equipment requiring anchor fastening, floor thickness and material also need checking.
Equipment that generates vibration may require vibration isolation measures.

Delaying floor or foundation checks can cause major changes during installation.

Equipment installation requires looking at the floor as well as above it.

9. Safety Measures May Be Added Later

Safety measures are extremely important for coating equipment.

However, a quotation for the main equipment may not include all safety measures.

Examples include the following.

• Safety fencing
• Interlocks
• Emergency stop buttons
• Explosion-proof lighting
• Explosion-proof electrical equipment
• Fire suppression equipment
• Ventilation equipment
• Grounding systems
• Safety devices for pressure vessels
• Working aisles
• Inspection platforms
• Handrails
• Noise control measures

If inadequate safety measures are discovered after installation has progressed, additional work is needed.

Safety conditions should be checked early, particularly when using solvent-based paints, electrostatic coating, powder coating, curing ovens, or robots.

Safety measures should not be added as an afterthought.
They should be incorporated from the beginning of equipment design.

10. Poor Workflow Routes Create Problems After Startup

Being able to install equipment is different from making it easy to use on the shop floor.

Even if an equipment layout looks satisfactory, poor routes for the people actually doing the work create a burden after startup.

Examples include the following problems.

• Workpieces are difficult to hang
• The paint mixing area is far away
• Cleaning is difficult
• There is no space to replace filters
• Inspection openings are inaccessible
• Wastewater treatment work is difficult
• There is no fixture storage area
• There is no area for defective products
• The inspection area is far away
• Operators must adopt awkward postures

These problems become a burden on the shop floor once equipment starts operating.

Equipment installation requires checking the space for people to work, as well as the space for machinery.

Equipment that is unfriendly to operators adversely affects both quality and productivity over the long term.

11. Unclear Responsibilities Lead to Disputes Over Additional Costs

The scope of responsibility is a common problem in equipment installation.

What is the equipment supplier’s scope?
What is the purchaser’s scope?
Who will carry out building work?
Who will carry out electrical work?
Whose scope includes air piping?
How much exhaust ductwork is included?
Who will connect to the wastewater treatment system?
Are safety measures included in the quotation?

If these points are unclear, statements such as “That is not included in the quotation” or “That is for the purchaser to prepare” arise during installation.

The result is additional costs, schedule delays, and attempts to shift responsibility.

It is important to create a responsibility matrix before ordering equipment installation.

12. Common Equipment Installation Challenges in Vietnamese Factories

Vietnamese factories are prone to the following challenges in coating equipment installation.

Existing building drawings are outdated.
Actual piping and wiring differ from the drawings.
Electrical capacity is insufficient.
Air capacity is insufficient.
An exhaust duct route cannot be secured.
Floor load capacity and foundation conditions have not been checked.
Delivery routes are narrow.
Responsibilities between local contractors and the equipment supplier are unclear.
The Japanese head office, Vietnamese factory, and equipment supplier have different assumptions.
Safety and environmental measures are added later.

These problems become difficult to address after installation has started.

That is why site checks and clear definition of conditions before introducing equipment are important.

13. Checks to Reduce Design Changes and Additional Work

To reduce additional work in coating equipment installation, check the following items in advance.

1. Installation location

Check dimensions, columns, beams, ceiling height, floor load capacity, and interference with existing equipment.

2. Delivery route

Check delivery openings, aisles, corners, temporary staging areas, and handling equipment.

3. Electricity

Check required power, distribution boards, wiring routes, and control panel locations.

4. Compressed air

Check required air volume, pressure, pipe diameter, dryers, and pressure at the point of use.

5. Water and wastewater

Check water supply volume, wastewater volume, drainage routes, and wastewater treatment capacity.

6. Exhaust

Check duct routes, exhaust outlet locations, fan capacity, and odor and dust effects.

7. Safety

Check explosion protection, emergency stops, safety fencing, fire suppression, grounding, and working aisles.

8. Workflow routes

Check workpiece delivery, paint mixing, cleaning, inspection, quality inspection, and areas for defective products.

9. Responsibilities

Check the scope of the equipment supplier, purchaser, building contractor, electrical contractor, and piping contractor.

10. Commissioning conditions

Confirm the criteria for completion of installation and acceptance of the equipment.

14. The Value of Equipment Installation Support According to CoatureVietnam

CoatureVietnam does not regard coating equipment installation as simply putting equipment in place.

Equipment installation brings the coating process into operation on the shop floor.

Which equipment should be introduced?
Where should it be placed?
How should exhaust be handled?
How should water be used?
How should drying be performed?
How should operators move?
How should maintenance be carried out?
How should safety be protected?

These points need to be considered together.

CoatureVietnam’s Coat Systemizer checks not only the main equipment, but also workpiece conditions, building conditions, utilities, workflow routes, safety, quality, and environmental considerations.

This puts CoatureVietnam’s valued principle, “Coating the Future with Science and Care”, into practice.

Science means checking site conditions using measurements and drawings before installation and making risks visible.
Care means preventing the disruption caused by additional work and schedule delays, and creating equipment that operators can use safely.

Summary

Design changes and additional work commonly arise in coating equipment installation.

The causes do not lie solely with the equipment supplier.

Insufficient checks of site conditions.
Insufficient utilities.
Unclear responsibilities.
Overlooked workflow routes.
Safety and environmental conditions left until later.
Differences between drawings and the actual site.

As these accumulate, changes arise during installation.

Coating equipment does not operate simply by being placed in position.
It functions only when connected with electricity, air, water, exhaust, drainage, the building, safety, and operator movement.

Site conditions therefore need to be checked carefully before equipment installation.

CoatureVietnam views coating equipment installation as a project supporting quality, safety, environmental performance, and productivity, and provides checking support to reduce design changes and additional work.