Background
Teknos Group is a leading global supplier of coatings and surface treatment solutions, serving industries from construction to manufacturing. With a strong focus on operational efficiency and sustainability, Teknos continuously seeks ways to optimize its production processes—especially in areas that affect both quality and downtime, such as color changeovers in powder coating lines.
Powder coating equipment, particularly extruders and nozzles, is notoriously difficult to clean due to the buildup of pigment-rich materials. Ensuring rapid and residue-free cleaning between production runs is essential for maintaining throughput, minimizing waste, and meeting strict quality standards.
Need
As Teknos scaled production and expanded color ranges, it faced growing pressure to:
- Reduce machine downtime between color changes
- Improve cleaning efficiency without compromising equipment
- Avoid cross-contamination between batches
- Avoid abrasive methods that could wear down machinery
- Meet sustainability goals by using safer, environmentally friendly materials
The ideal purging solution had to be:
- Non-abrasive and compatible with sensitive extruder parts
- Efficient in removing tough residues like carbon black and pigment compounds
- Low in environmental impact preferably based on bio- or recycled content
- Cost-effective in both usage volume and total cleaning time
Solution
To meet these demanding requirements, Teknos turned to Premix’s PRE-PRG™ S200, a new generation of sustainable purging compound developed specifically for powder coating and polymer processing applications.
PRE-PRG™ S200 is a natural fiber-based, mechanically purging compound made primarily from recycled polymer and renewable raw materials. It offers a non-abrasive, chemical-free alternative to traditional purging methods, and is designed to clean machinery efficiently without harming metal surfaces.
Key technical features of PRE-PRG™ S200:
- Specific gravity: 1.2 g/cm³
- Melt flow index: 0.7 g/10 min (190 °C, 5 kg)
- Processing temperature range: 120–200 °C
- Color: White (easy to track during purging)
- Compliant: REACH and RoHS certified
“PRE-PRG™ S200 — the best-ever purging compound we have used.”
Vesa Viljamaa, Production Manager, Powder Coatings
Results / Benefits
After adopting PRE-PRG™ S200 Teknos reported remarkable improvements in cleaning speed and overall efficiency:
- 50–80% reduction in cleaning time compared to traditional purging compounds
- Less or no need for manual cleaning between color changes
- Non-abrasive action preserved critical machine components
- Reduced environmental impact through use of recycled and bio-based materials
- Lower total purging cost due to reduced material consumption and downtime