Geringhoff Joint development of the coating process

All troughs and welded assemblies of the harvesting headers are coated in the company’s own coating plant. Geringhoff has used 2K-PUR High Solid Paint 5730, smooth, high gloss for this purpose since 2008. “At that time,we were looking for a coatings manufacturer with which we could continue to optimize the coatings process. We found our partner in Brillux Industrial Coatings”, said Ludger Heese, Head of Assembly at Geringhoff. The single layer coating system has a low VOC content and, in addition to its high process and processing reliability, has proven itself by achieving the required dry film thickness of 80 to 100 µm in just one work step.

Geringhoff has run a new coating plant in Ahlen since January 2018. The prior plant was just too small for the assemblies, which were getting larger and larger. The new one is a partially automated “Power + Free” system with a chain conveyor. Already in the past, 2K-PUR High Solid Paint 5730, smooth, high gloss, was continuously optimized in terms of chemical resistance and corrosion protection. Now the task for Brillux Industrielack was to adapt the paint to the new system and the modified painting process by further optimization.

The steel structures to be painted are sandblasted with the natural abrasive Granat 5 to the purity level SA 2.5. The excess blasting material is blown off by means of compressed air. After cleaning, the assemblies are conveyed to the paint booth via a chain conveyor. Application is carried out with a 2K mixing unit and air-mix application. After a flash-off time of just five minutes, forced drying takes place for 25 minutes at 45°C.

The more efficient coating process stipulated that the coated assemblies should be ready for assembly after 25 minutes of drying time at a temperature of 45°C. Therefore, Brillux Industrial Coatings adjusted the paint to comply with drying degree T 7, DIN EN ISO 9117-5. “In addition, there was a requirement for the paint to be boil-proof,” explains Jan Werges, sales consultant at Brillux Industrial Coatings. “We adjusted the single-layer coating system to provide great processing reliability for the operators.” The 2K-PUR High Solid Paint 5730, smooth, high gloss also scores points for its excellent spray mist adhesion. “At Geringhoff, parts from 0.2 m up to 15 m are coated. Here, the wet film must have good spray mist adhesion. Furthermore, the overspray must not be too damp so that it is collected dry via the floor extraction system,” explains Jan Werges.
Geringhoff's core markets are Europe, America, Asia, Africa, South Africa and Australia. The harvesting headers are used in almost 60 countries. The largely very long transport routes as well as shipping in containers demand a high level of corrosion protection from the coating – a property that the coating also fulfills in combination with the pretreatment.

The design and appearance of agricultural machinery are also becoming increasingly important. The harvesting headers manufactured by Geringhoff fit all common types of combine harvesters. Upon customer request, Geringhoff can also paint crop headers to match specific color shades. “In total, there are currently about ten color shades that are in demand. The majority of our troughs are painted in RAL 9011 GL – graphite black,” says Ludger Heese. With the new coating plant and the now fifth generation of the 2K-PUR High Solid Paint 5730, smooth, high-gloss, it was again possible to optimize the painting process at Geringhoff. “Our coating process is now not only faster, it also allows more throughput, so it is more productive. In addition, we have significantly lower energy costs due to the temperature reduction in forced drying from 60 to 80°C to 45°C now. Our end customers are very satisfied with the coating quality and processing,” sums up Ludger Heese.