Business is a dynamic world: perhaps, it is the dynamic world par excellence.
But if in the previous century – a moment in time that seems long gone – companies could carry on for decades by producing a very limited catalog of products, today it has become clear as day that flexibility, elasticity and adaptability are crucial features every company must come to terms with, sooner or later.
New trends and technological solutions are pushing even further in this direction. First and foremost, we find the digital world’s push, which implies that customers are used to demanding a very high degree of customization of the products they purchase. Then there is 3D printing and the new frontiers of Industry 4.0, which imply the possibility of reasoning about variations, modifications and adaptations not as exceptions, but rather as the norm.
Amongst the various repercussions, one is particularly close to our hearts: coating systems.
Investing on a coating system must be devised for the current market, but also for the future
If we were to look at our clients “from the outside”, it would be hard to imagine the coating systems they use come from the same Eurotherm factory in Volpiano.
From large-scale helicopter coating to outdoor furniture supplies, from large engine components to snowplow blades. Let’s not forget tractor wheels, combine harvester parts, railway and aeronautical components. One final fun fact? Eurotherm also supplies the equipment that paints some cabins for French ski resorts, as well as the equipment used to paint the new Jeep Compass and even… plastic skulls.
In addition to the variety of shapes and sizes of the pieces to be painted, there is also the need for machines that can handle coating batches of different sizes at the same time, for systems that can carry out a rapid color change in just a few moments, or for booths that can be disassembled, transported and reassembled anywhere.
When we mentioned business as a dynamic world at the beginning of this article, we certainly didn’t mean that manufacturers of cosmetic containers will find themselves having to paint car frames overnight, yet it is not unthinkable they may have to adapt production to new lines, in order to respond to a market that is constantly changing.
The pace companies conceive new products, introduce variations (not only in color, but also in shape, structure and size), explore new markets and experiment with new solutions at has definitely quickened. That’s why, just like corporate management, the systems a company equips itself with should be designed on the basis of elasticity, flexibility and adaptability from the outset.
As well as being designed to last throughout the course of time. Some Eurotherm coating systems have been in operation for over twenty years: a testament to the quality of their construction, of course, but also a demonstration that a system built according to this logic can be adapted to the production, technical and spatial changes of the company. So much so, in fact, that the adjustments or modifications that need to be made to a production line are often negligible, and can be completed with minimal interruption to production.
A versatile coating system is forever: just update it
Of course, some factors undergo an unpredictable evolution in the years of a system’s initial conception. Such as the implementation of IoT and Industry 4.0 logic, or the adaptation to new concepts regarding energy saving. This last issue is definitely tricky, in light of recent geopolitical events and all the considerations on the environmental problem (we have discussed energy issues here).
That’s why a system that is designed to last, capable of adapting to new market conditions and flexible enough to ensure the company can experiment, innovate and grow, is one of the best investments you can make.
