Radii Planet Group has optimised its processes, lowered reject rates, minimised waste, and enhanced product durability by harnessing AkzoNobel’s Interpon technical expertise, service support, and innovative coating solutions.
The international paints and coatings supplier AkzoNobel, through its powder coatings brand Interpon, has played a crucial role in helping Radii Planet Group, one of the leading global manufacturers of aluminium partitions, to achieve the highest standards in quality, efficiency, and sustainability.
Moreover, Radii Planet Group also became an early adopter of Flightpath Pro, a software developed by coatingAI in close collaboration with AkzoNobel Powder Coatings. This technology enables a more uniform and consistent coating during powder application, compensating for variations in spray pattern caused by distance, reciprocator speed, and powder type.
“Whilst we knew our process was good, we are always looking at ways of making it better through continuous improvement. Having Interpon team use this software as part of our periodic health checks was part of this activity,” has stated Alex Vlase, Production Manager at Radii Planet Group.
“I had worked with the Interpon team before in validating the technical performance of a particular coating in a corrosive environment, and found them very easy to deal with. Their technical service, combined with the accessibility and availability of their products, and in the more popular colours and finishes that our customers are looking for, made them an obvious choice. The strength of the Interpon brand, which is very well recognized among architects, was also important to us in delivering customer confidence,” has added Fraser Green, Division Director of AkzoNobel.
The results have been well worth the effort. In trials, Radii Planet Group improved coating uniformity by a further 9.3% and reduced powder waste by more than 6.0%, lowering the likelihood of products requiring rework or rejection. This, in turn, delivers clear sustainability and cost-efficiency benefits.
Bringing Coating In-House
The company’s decision to establish its own powder coating line in 2021 and bring the process in-house marked a significant step forward. With a fully automated, continuous coating line, the company is now able to coat approximately 6,000 pieces each week. Providing the benchmark ‘standard’ powder coating in the required volumes is AkzoNobel.
“We have our more popular colours such as RAL 9005 jet black and that probably accounts for up to 30% of what we manufacture. Knowing that we can provide virtually any color, and in almost any texture or finish, however, is a major advantage,” has added Fraser Green.
AkzoNobel supplies Radii Planet Group with an extensive range of powder coatings from its architectural portfolio, including but not limited to its durable Interpon D1036 and super-durable Interpon D2525. The portfolio also features the Interpon Futura collection, Precis Ultra Matt, and a variety of other colours and finishes to ensure designers and architects remain on trend. Additionally, the company benefits from Interpon’s colour-matching service, should customers require a specific shade or finish.
“They provide us with a good level of information so we can understand the product, and then support us with recommending machine parameters to ensure a consistent, uniform finish or finding a fix to any problem we might face. Our partitions are installed internally and can come under a high level of scrutiny by the end user so having a consistent and quality finish is important,” has added Alex Vlase.
Another key advantage of using Interpon D coatings is that they are backed by an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). This ensures that the raw materials, manufacturing processes, and transportation involved in producing the powder coatings have been independently assessed, providing transparent sustainability credentials.