Mabe Appliances

Building a World-Class Coating Line

Project Description
Mabe Corporation is a leading global appliance
manufacturer headquartered in Mexico City. The
company designs, produces and distributes appliances
to more than 70 countries. In business since 1946, Mabe
launched a joint venture in 1986 with General Electric
to produce appliances for the U.S. market. By the mid-
1990s, more than two-thirds of all natural gas ranges
and refrigerators imported into the U.S. were designed
and manufactured by Mabe. Ensuring a world-class
appliance finish, from gloss level to color consistency,
is critical to Mabes global success.

Customer Challenge
By 2009, Mabe was experiencing significant manufacturing
challenges on its coating lines for laundry appliances and gas
ranges at two plants in Mexico. Coating color was inconsistent
from one production run to the next with a wide variation in
color. The same issue was occurring with the gloss level. With
a goal to run the line at a gloss level of 80, one production
run would deliver gloss levels at 90 and on the next run, the
gloss level would be at 60. Rejection of coated parts was
running close to 20 percent, and products needing rework were
stockpiling in the plant.

Valspar Solution
Since Valspar was already successfully working with a GE appliance production line in Kentucky, Mabe contacted the Valspar team to
help with its coating line challenges.

At the Saltillo plant, Mabe was using white and gray coating finishes on the exterior of washers and dryers. At the Leiser Plant in San
Luis Potosi, several colors were being used to coat the interior and exterior of cooking ranges. A Valspar team of technical specialists
assessed both coating production line locations, uncovering multiple issues.

Powder Coating Formulation: Valspar Valde powder coating was selected and custom-formulated to work with the existing Mabe
coating line process and equipment. Valspar scientists evolved some of the coating qualities to provide a more robust application
window, consistent color and gloss levels.

Equipment Modification: Another key aspect of the Valspar solution involved redesigning the auger screw within the extruder
that delivered the coating. This contributed to a more consistent coating appearance on the finished parts regardless of film build or
application variances on the coating line.

Spray Gun and Booth Adjustments: Valspar technicians adjusted the tolerances and specs for the spray booth and guns to assure
more consistent application quality.

Quality Control Changes: Valspar taught the Quality Control team problem-solving techniques to make coating line adjustments
in-process instead of fixing the problem after parts were coated and rejected.

Operator Training: Valspar provided initial and ongoing support and training to the paint line operators.
 Customer Results
Product quality from the Mabe coating production lines
quickly stabilized. With the initial changes to the coatings
and production lines, Valspar helped Mabe lower reject rates
of finished coated products from 18% to 3%. Today, the
coating lines operate at world-class levels with zero backlog
of rejected parts and a zero Quality Control rejection rate.
Production line speeds have increased, on average, by 10%.
And coating efficiency is at the maximum level that can be
achieved, with very little wasted powder.

The Mabe relationship with Valspar has evolved into

a true partnership. Valspar gets involved early in the
planning phase for any new color launch, providing
recommendations for color options and fine-tuning all
details before launching.

When Mabe changes part suppliers, Valspar reformulates

coatings to keep the production line running smoothly
and the defect rates low. For example, a new plastic
manufacturer will provide a slightly different colored plastic
part that can affect the finished coating color, so Valspar
reformulates the coating to compensate. This dynamic
reformulation, whenever its needed, ensures color is
consistent on Mabe appliances regardless of part suppliers.

Product Highlights: Valspar Valde Coating

The Valspar Valde powder coating family provides an outstanding appearance with thousands of finish options and tactile
effects. Valde coatings are formulated and rigorously tested to ensure the exact desired effect is achieved. They deliver a smooth
finish and stay vibrant over time, protecting brands from weathering and corrosion. A wide range of cure temperatures give
customers greater operational flexibility, helping to reduce cycle time during the finishing process. With zero-VOC emissions and
lower-cure temperatures, Valspar Valde coatings save energy to help meet global compliance requirement.

valsparindustrial.com