Black River Falls, Wis. — Michael Dougherty, President & CEO of D&S Manufacturing, announced that the company's recent enhancements to its painting resources have yielded significant time- and cost-savings and have expanded the organization's utilization of green technologies. "When investing in our new finishing capabilities, D&S has successfully demonstrated our commitment to providing the most value for our customers while addressing the comfort and health of our employees," he stated.

One of the most impressive benefits of the new painting system is that D&S processes more parts at one time. The recently installed booth has an expansive opening that has enabled the company to double and, in some cases triple, the volume of parts exiting the oven as well as accommodate more sizeable and heavier components.

According to Michael Lien, Plant Supervisor, D&S has also integrated a variety of strategies to improve functionality when performing liquid spray painting processes. "We have installed a reclamation system to filter phosphates from the wash water and overspray so that the chemicals can be returned to the initial holding tank for reuse. Water utilized in the rinse stage is also being filtered, rather than chemically treated, before it is released into the city sewer system," he explained.

Rob Bucek, Production Control Manager, added that the recently expanded off-line paint booth features an automated drying system. "Previously, the operator utilized a costly, compressed air hose to dry components. Now, the employee simply programs the drying time into the system and then is free to complete value-added tasks. A downdraft filtration system ensures a significant reduction in VOCs, dust and paint within the environment. The result is improved component quality and a cleaner finishing process," he revealed.

D&S has also added powder coating to its finishing capabilities. An environmentally friendly process, powder coating does not require a special air quality system nor does it release VOCs into the air. D&S's filtration system captures and contains the excess powder, which is then transferred into a container. At the operator's convenience, the container is placed into the oven and the powder is baked, which transforms it into a neutral brick for safe disposal.

For more than 40 years, ISO 9001:2008 certified D&S Manufacturing has served as a custom manufacturer of exceptional quality large scale components, assemblies and complete weldments for a broad cross section of well-respected corporations that include Caterpillar, Oshkosh Corporation, Parkson, The Trane Company and CNH. The company's extensive capabilities include technologically superior machining, laser, high definition plasma and oxy-fuel cutting, as well as manual and robotic welding. These resources are complemented by diverse value-added services ranging from wet painting and shot blasting to assembly and testing. A dedicated and highly skilled workforce lives a commitment to superior project management, exceptional quality, accountability, teamwork and continuous improvement, which empowers the company to live its slogan, D&S …. Solid™.

For more information, please contact John Barkley, General Manager, D&S Manufacturing, P. O. Box 279, Black River Falls, WI, 54615, 715-284-5376, ext. 307 or fax 715-284-4084. Send e-mail to jbarkley@dsmfg.com, and visit D&S Manufacturing's Web site at www.dsmfg.com.