When John Deere Ottumwa Works converted to isocyanaide polyurethane coatings, the first concern was harmful fumes. But, when Industrial Technology Midwest assessed the facility, it determined that the finishing system needed to install an airflow control and management system to combat problems that stretched beyond plant safety. Associate Editor Diana Mirel tells the plant’s story.
Air management and airflow control are consistent problems for finishing systems because there are many variables, from filter loading to temperature and relative humidity. Each of these variables affects air movement within a system, and airflow movement, in turn, affects the efficiency of a finishing system. When John Deere Ottumwa Works (Ottumwa, IA) converted from water-reducible alkyd-based enamel to isocyanaide liquid polyurethane coatings for both the primer and topcoat, the operators recognized the need for an air management/airflow control system.
John Deere Ottumwa Works produces mowers and bailers for the agricultural industry and employs more than 850 people. Although isocyanaide offered better weathering and corrosion protection for the products, the company was concerned the coatings could emit harmful fumes and that overspray from the spray booth would leak into the plant environment. Therefore, the company needed better capture technology to ensure adequate air capture velocities and flow within the large finishing system—the spray booth is 24 feet wide by 60 feet long, and the work opening is 12 feet wide by 12 feet high. John Deere Ottumwa Works asked Industrial Technology Midwest (Wilmot, WI) to help the plant make a safe transition to isocyanaide polyurethanes. ITM is a consulting firm for the finishing and air pollution industries, and it designs and sells control systems.