System coatings for sheet metal processing machines
from RAS
Machine manufacturer RAS sought a regional coating supplier offering great service from whom they could order small volumes and special colours on short notice. FreiLacke not only impressed the company with better coating quality and regional proximity, but first and foremost with great flexibility and excellent customer service.
“The final results are impressive!”
When it comes to sheet metal processing machines, the industry finds the products of RAS Reinhardt Maschinenbau hard to beat. The Sindelfingen, Germany-based manufacturer’s portfolio includes swivel bending machines, swing beam shears, forming machines and production solutions for a host of industries ranging from metal construction to ventilation and air-conditioning technology to vehicle construction and the construction industry. RAS machines get their distinctive appearance from a combination of the colours yellow, light grey and graphite. They’re primarily comprised of welded and sheet metal structures, of which 90 percent are powder coated. The remaining 10 percent of the machines are given a wet coating or some other type of surface treatment. Items such as machine bodies, for example, i.e. thick and heavy parts which hold the machines together like a frame, also get a powder coating.
A search for alternatives
At their branch in Wildberg-Effringen, the machine manufacturer also carries out powder coating, and wet coating is performed at the Sindelfingen location 30 kilometres away. RAS are able to cover nearly one hundred percent of their own needs with their powder coating system, not being reliant on other coating companies as a result. The machine manufacturer has obtained the coatings for its components from the region for many years, with the RAS coating team consisting of Klaus Widmaier and Roman Stürner both being highly satisfied with the quality of the coatings. As customer requests for special colours had been increasing over the years, though, they decided to seek out a manufacturer who is well positioned to meet these needs – even by the individual carton under certain circumstances – in this area as well. “This is crucially important to us, especially considering the currently tricky overall economic situation”, remarked Klaus Widmaier.
That’s why the team began looking around for alternative coating suppliers. His team colleague Roman Stürner got a tip from previous work colleagues to contact mid-sized coatings manufacturer FreiLacke located in Döggingen in the Black Forest – a leader in the field of machine construction coatings offering this industry a large portfolio of colours, textures and gloss levels.
Wanted: Optimal overbake stability
A short while later, FreiLacke carried out initial coating trials and test series at the machine manufacturer’s premises in Effringen for direct comparison with the previous coating systems. The team tested all RAL colours with different powder coating systems.
RAS place great value on the flawless appearance of their sheet metal processing machines, as customers demand visual perfection as well. “One of the greatest challenges with regard to RAS surfaces was overbake stability. Some components are in an oven for up to three hours, sometimes even from the end of the shift to the following morning, when the oven is still 70 to 80 degrees Celsius”, according to Gökmen Öztürk of FreiLacke industry sales. “Another challenge was for RAS to precisely visually match powder and wet coatings, which we were able to ensure thanks to our system coating concept.” Another requirement was good chemical resistance of the coatings, as the coated components come into contact with cooling lubricants and oils when they’re processed further in production. “For initial testing, RAS supplied us with critical chemicals which we first tested at the laboratory in Döggingen”, reported Öztürk.
Every colour always in stock
Based on the excellent test results, the application specialists at RAS and the Black Forest coatings experts jointly decided on the NT hybrid powder coating with a coarse texture – a tried-and-tested classic coating for machine construction. To ensure high corrosion resistance, this hybrid or mixed powder coating is based on an epoxy resin with a certain percentage of polyester. The wet coating is a two-component polyurethane system which, just like the powder coating, features a coarse texture.
One advantage for the customer is that FreiLacke keep each one of the desired colours and special colours in stock. “We had two decisive criteria. The coatings always have to be available, and there can’t be any minimum purchase quantities. The close proximity makes it possible for us to quickly order a courier”, according to Roman Stürner.
Better covering capacity and a nicer texture
The changeover to FreiLacke system coatings took place in steps in the autumn of 2024, as RAS first emptied out their coating storehouse and used up all the powder they had left. Klaus Widmaier and Roman Stürner took advantage of the opportunity to participate in powder coating training at FreiLacke, which the manufacturer of coatings offers its customers several times a year.
The first cartons of powder were delivered from Döggingen to Effringen in January of 2025. “After the changeover, we noticed one thing straight away. The new powder is easier to process and features better covering capacity and a nicer texture than our previous powder”, said Klaus Widmaier. “The final results are impressive, and we’re extremely satisfied with our decision to change!”
