Brightsmith Coil Coaters Celebrates Anniversary, Advancements

Brightsmith Coil Coaters recently celebrated its fifth year in delivering high standards in coil coating. From its acquisition in 2008, the facility has continued to raise the bar in the industry, paying close attention to quality control to maximize customer satisfaction.

During the past five years, Brightsmith has taken large strides in improving operations, from adding high-tech equipment to mastering customer relations. “Our customers are incredibly valued, so we’ll stop at nothing to ensure they walk away with a product that they can trust,” says Frank Coffey, general manager of Brightsmith.

Upgrades in equipment have provided ample value to, not only the company, but most importantly, customers. A splicing unit for laminates was added to the production line in 2012. It replaces splicing that was done by hand and accommodates polypropylene and polyester films that are 0.5- to 8-mils thick. This process has significantly decreased material waste and improved timing and efficiency.

“Under Brightsmith’s lead as an energy-efficient manufacturer, we are always looking for ways to think green,” Coffey adds. “The new splicer creates less scrap waste, and that is a great thing for our customers and the environment.”

Sustainable advancements at Brightsmith also have included recycling solvents and water used in the coating process, as well as paint drums; reusing plastic ID rings that come off the ID of coils from steel mills for the packaging of painted coils being shipped out of Brightsmith; and using sponges for cleanup and changeovers at the coaters instead of rags. Sustainability at the facility even includes managing energy efficiency of machinery and lighting. As repairs are addressed, 480-volt motors on the process lines are replaced with energy-efficient motors rated at 98 percent efficient energy rather than the standard motor at 88 percent, and fluorescent lighting ballasts are replaced with energy-efficient ballasts instead of the old magnetic ones.

The capabilities of Brightsmith are diverse. Various materials can be run with thicknesses ranging from 0.008 to 0.10 and widths from 18 inches to more than 61 inches, depending on the substrate. Specializations in two- and three-color print systems, embossed plastisol, laminating, and two and three coat paint systems are readily available. Slitting, blanking, stucco, diamond and rough sawn cedar embossing are all obtainable options at Brightsmith. Additionally, Brightsmith utilizes the Henkel wet chemistry cleaning and pretreatments and single-coat dry-in-place treatments to ensure durability.

The introduction of BRIGHTSITE, a new tool that facilitates customers’ experiences with Brightsmith, has been useful in gauging company performance. The interactive website, controlled with a username and password, allows customers to access inventory and production reports at any time. The site is accessible through the Brightsmith homepage.

Efficiency improvements are steadfast at the Brightsmith facility with the addition of rail service in 2013. With each rail car holding 220,000 pounds of material, four tractor trailers are removed from the road. Increasing the company’s yields and widening customer options, the choice can now be made between truck or rail shipping based on an individual’s specific costs and timeframes.

With five years under its belt, Brightsmith’s vision remains unwavering with quality awareness at the forefront of its focus. The company will be offering increased cross training for its employees so they can discover the roles, technology and advancements. “Our staff has more than 400 combined years of coil coating experience,” Coffey notes. “We are taking these abilities and fostering growth to ensure our employees recognize Brightsmith’s uniqueness. In the end, our employees’ knowledge and skills ensure quality, on-time coated products for our customers.”