Knotwood – ALIT Fastrip® Plant Upgrade

Knotwood was dedicating significant time each day to manually stripping and cleaning residual powder from hooks. This approach was not only time-consuming and costly, but also presented safety risks, with staff in direct contact with chemicals during loading, unloading, and cleaning. The process lacked both efficiency and effectiveness, requiring immediate improvement.

The need to upgrade the stripping process was driven by increased production demands, resulting from improved operational efficiencies, as the Vertical Powder Line began operating at a faster line speed beyond the capacity of the existing Fastrip® system.

Ryonex, as the exclusive Australian and New Zealand distributor of ALIT Technologies’ Fastrip® and Metalstrip® paint stripping systems and chemicals, worked with ALIT and Knotwood to address the inefficient hook stripping caused by the higher line speeds, bath temperatures, and ultrasonic cleaning limitations.

Together, we specified a new purpose-built Fastrip® system, featuring a larger vessel with enhanced heating and ultrasonic capabilities, enabling hooks to be stripped clean at the new line speeds within the existing plant footprint. The upgrade also included a redesigned chemical formulation, providing a safer, more effective solution for staff while overcoming the frustrations of the previous system.