Applying the Finishing TouchApplying the Finishing Touch

DN Staff

May 31, 2007

4 Min Read
Applying the Finishing Touch

Not long ago, Kevin Jensen and his application-engineer colleagues at Phillips Plastics went on a shopping spree for items ranging from cosmetics to power tools.

The goods weren't for themselves. Assigned to Phillips' Precision Decorating facility in Medford, WI, the engineers wanted to dress up these items with new finishes, laser etching and other techniques. The goal: Entice potential customers to think "out of the box" about the way their products look and feel.

"Consumers today want products that are personalized to their own tastes," notes Jensen, a veteran of 26 years in precision decorating. "It used to be that we would finish a million car radios in the same color. Now, we are doing 20 different color options for that same volume."

Phillips is uniquely qualified to meet this mounting demand for distinct, consumer-pleasing products. Steve Axtman, plant manager at the Medford facility, cites a growing litany of automation capabilities for precision decorating, including: 18 molding machines, three paint systems and five lasers. Even more vital: some 260 employees totally dedicated to the decorating function.

"Technology is moving so fast that you can no longer have generalists overseeing projects," explains Axtman. "We have technical specialists who focus entirely on such areas as molding, painting and laser techniques, as well as assembly methods."

Establish An Early Alliance

To make the most of these extensive capabilities, customers should begin working with Phillips before the design is frozen, say Phillips' engineers. "We often make design suggestions that will both improve manufacturability, such as parts consolidation, as well as enhance a part's appearance in the decorating stage," notes Jensen.

Phillips routinely handles decorating jobs ranging from 1000 parts to millions. Many parts can be molded, painted, laser-etched and assembled in as little as 48 hours, notes Axtman. Project lead times, starting from the end of product design through completion of decorating, typically range from 10 to 12 weeks. Phillips completed one recent job for a radio manufacturer in 6 weeks.

What's hot with customers today? High-gloss finishes like piano black, and high-gloss silver that can be applied to look like chrome at about half the cost, says Jensen. Also very popular: soft feel finishes for hand-held devices that take on the tactile sensation of rubber, velvet or even leather, depending on the process.

The Phillips Precision Decorating facility has become a well-known leader in laser etching, widely used in automotive to create a back-lit effect on dash boards, radios and armrest controls during night-time driving. Phillips also offers lasing to raw resin to create highly durable numbers and other graphics on parts. The technique is used, for instance, to mark serial numbers on the barrel of a Smith & Wesson revolver and recommended dosages on an insulin pen.

Meanwhile, the company continues to search for even more decorative options. Phillips recently spent more than $1.1 million on new emissions control equipment to block volatile organic compounds. "That enabled us to add a number of new exotic paints to the extensive line we already offer," points out Axtman.

The company also is exploring new manufacturing techniques, such as 360-degree painting, which eliminates running a part through the paint line twice, a substantial cost savings.

These commitments in turn are fueling a successful campaign by Phillips Precision Decorating to branch out from its strong automotive roots and apply its finishing touch to items ranging from consumer products to sporting goods. And everything in between.

Phillips routinely handles decorating jobs ranging from 1,000 parts to millions and in applications from automotive to consumer goods to medical. Among the hot trends: high-gloss and soft-feel finishes, as well as laser-etching for back-lit effects.

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