The Challenge of Being a Custom Coater

For custom coaters operating as job shops, no two days look the same. Part sizes vary, customer specifications shift, and the shop floor has to adapt quickly to whatever work comes through the door. That kind of environment demands finishing equipment that can keep pace, and it is precisely where the Intelli Finishing system has found a strong foothold.

The core advantage operators point to is flexibility. Rather than locking a shop into a single workflow or part profile, the system is designed to accommodate wide variation in part size, geometry, and processing requirements, all within the same conveyorized line.

Independent movement changes the equation

A key mechanical feature driving that flexibility is the independent movement of flight bars. Because each bar operates on its own, different carriers on the line can, simultaneously, experience different recipes for the parts loaded. As Bret Albers, Owner of Albers Finishing & Solutions, put it: "We can manage our flight bars. They all move independently. So if we're doing something in one area, we can be doing something different in another area."

That capability has a direct impact on throughput and scheduling. A job shop does not have to pause one customer's work to start another. Different part types can move through the system at the same time, which helps operators fill capacity more efficiently and respond to rush orders without disrupting existing runs.

Meeting every opportunity at the door

For shops that rely on a steady stream of varied incoming work, the ability to say yes to a wider range of jobs is a competitive advantage. "Whatever opportunity walks in that door, the IntelliFinishing System really allows us to be flexible with the system and process our parts many different ways," according to Eddie Kohler, Paint Facility Manager at Anchor Fabrication Wichita. That posture, being able to take on small parts, large parts, and everything in between without retooling the line, is what separates a capable job shop from one that has to turn work away or may need to increase the turn time significantly.

Finishing systems are long-term capital investments, and the ability to grow with a shop's customer base matters as much as day-one performance. The IntelliFinishing system's design addresses that concern directly, giving custom coaters a platform built to handle the unpredictability that defines job shop work.