Windsor Windows and Doors has offered painted vinyl products for several years. In the past, the demand for painted vinyl was minimal, at a maximum of 15 units per day. Throughout the last 5 years, however, consumer demand has greatly increased and we now produce nearly 100 units per day. (Originally, the department started with 2 employees. It has now grown to a team of 10!)
Previously, the prepping of the product and masking was the most time-consuming part of the process and created a bottleneck. With improvements and changes, the employees have made great strides in perfecting the method and the pace.
To properly cure the vinyl painted product, we are required to give units a full 24 hours of workable cure time. In the summer months with higher humidity, that time could reach upwards of 48 hours.
Our team has created a “cure oven” in order to improve the process. The oven consists of 2 banks of infrared lighting and circulation fans. Our workable cure time of 24-28 hours is now reduced to a fraction of the time. It now only takes 6 minutes of oven time and 15 minutes of cool-down time.
This new oven is another example of Windsor’s commitment to improving our product and processes.