The "Cure" for Improving the Colored Vinyl Process

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.