The investment will help increase the capacity, flexibility and versatility in production and service, while enabling Hydro Building Systems in Portugal to adapt to the new demands of the Iberian market, which is seeking more specific and diversified solutions as an alternative to uniform production on a larger scale.

The new equipment, which was put into operation three months ago, has already revealed several strengths, not only in the production process, but in the area of environmental responsibility.

The biggest strength in production is the level of automation of the new equipment. This has reduced the delivery periods from 18 days to only seven days.

Another benefit is its versatility in changing colors and painted drawings. These changes are made in only 10 minutes. The quality of the aluminium finishing, combined with the five available colors, guarantees innovative, functional and attractive solutions.

Besides that, the new equipment contributes to a better environment because it has a technology that reduces and reuses the polyester residues.

Two-phase process

The wood-effect process has two phases - and demands the whole detail and perfection from the operator’s point of view.

The first phase of the process begins with the lacquering of the basis color - each of the five available colors has a different basis - and is done in the traditional paint line.

The polymerization conditions of the basis color are different from the others. This makes it necessary to adjust temperatures and conveyer speed, with conditions:

• Traditional paint: Six-to-10 minutes at 200ºC, depending on the color type
• Basis color of a wood effect: 15 minutes at 110ºC.

The second phase of the process is made in the new equipment of wood-effect paint in line with the specific conditions of each drawing. In other words, when changing a color, one must clean the entire decorating equipment, just as with the traditional painting cabins.

Hydro is Europe's preferred supplier of aluminium building systems, and delivers to scores of other countries around the globe. Its three international brands - Domal, Technal and Wicona - cover the whole range of system products.