Background...

ARTomation, a Cleveland Ohio based, painting / application software company, approached item in November of 2004 with an idea for a system to paint panels at high speed and high volumes. ARTomation’s application inquiry was the beginning of a very productive and successful collaboration. item and ARTomation jointly worked on the prototype and after many engineering and design changes; a unit was produced.

Before ARTomation considered constructions using aluminum, they designed and built all of their painting machines out of welded steel due to its rigidity and apparent strength. item was able to prove that structural aluminum could provide the necessary rigidity and strength with the added advantage of ease of construction.

ARTomation’s Goal...

A working, versatile prototype was needed so ARTomation could demonstrate their capabilities incorporating linear motion with the software they developed in-house. ARTomation also wanted the freedom to change their design to address each individual customer’s application needs.

Some elements that required consideration in the design of the prototype were: desired speed, overall stroke, height/width limitations, overspray buildup, strength, versatility, quick lead time, visual stability, and cost.



How item helped ARTomation...

Through several meetings at item’s facility in Akron and ARTomation’s facility in Cleveland, a final design for the prototype was determined. This design was a collaborative effort between item’s engineering team and the designers at ARTomation. item offered engineering support, technical knowledge, and the vast product line to help ARTomation in their quest. ARTomation provided the vision of a system that could meet and achieve all of their goals.

Structural Aluminum versus Welded Steel. Welded steel is stronger than Structural Aluminum... this is a common misconception in industry. Although steel has been commonplace for machine building in the U.S. for generations, the lightweight structural aluminum profile is pound for pound, stronger than welded steel; and it is MODULAR. item was a perfect fit for this application because the speed and stroke requirements required by ARTomation could be met by using the belt drive systems; while at the same time remaining inside ARTomation’s booth size requirements. Once a customer realizes the benefits of modularity they find it hard to revert back to using welded steel.

item’s unique design of the T-Slot allows the integration of a linear system directly into the groove of the profile. This system leads to added strength, rigidity, and space savings that are far superior to welded steel. ARTomation saw this as an advantage of using item and its linear system.

item is able to complete a system like ARTomation’s in a matter of days. The same frame constructed out of welded steel would take at least 8 weeks to construct, not to mention, it is not modular. Considering the construction time savings and the cost savings of using item’s system, ARTomation made the choice to use structural aluminum.



Conclusion...

ARTomation, as well as any other machine builders, can benefit from using item’s modular machine building system for any application. Whether it is used for a simple table, enclosure, guard, or a complex gantry, or linear system; item is a great fit.