Manufacturers need to be sure they’re ready to meet the ever-increasing demand for colour when it comes to composite doors. Matt Le Masurier, Senior Production Manager at DOORCO explains how DOORCO has done just this.
The composite door sector is a competitive place to be so it’s imperative that suppliers can deliver whatever their customers need. Even better than this is pre-empting their requirements and ensuring you’re ready to deliver the solution when they go looking for it. The only way to achieve this is to take control of the entire manufacturing process and invest in the best machinery for the job. When you’re making it in-house, you can be more adaptable and most importantly know that each product that leaves the factory meets your standards. This is precisely what DOORCO has done and we are now one the most technologically invested-in door brands in the UK, with two state of the art paint lines, two edge banders, a beam saw, and three CNCs representing a third of a million spend.
30,000 Doors in Stock
Demand for composite doors continues to race ahead and shows no sign of slowing in 2017. To meet the existing demand and to plan ahead for future growth, manufacturers need capacity in place now. DOORCO moved to new premises just over a year ago because we could see what was coming. Not long after we moved into the 36,000 sq ft facility, we invested in a new beam saw which allowed us to increase volumes and reduce lead times for prepped door customers. And now, at the time of writing, we are just about to sign on additional 18,000 sq ft warehouse and distribution hub that will see us have up to 30,000 doors in stock at any time.
The future is bright
In addition to the continued increase in demand for composites, colour continues to be a top requirement in the sector. The fact colours are spilling out into other areas of the industry too including windows and door frames, just puts even more pressure on the composite door sector to stay ahead of the curve and deliver increasingly sophisticated colours quickly. To achieve this, manufacturers have to commit to the trend through investment and ongoing product development.
Colour represents 60% of DOORCO’s sales and the trend is relentless. And with the demand for colour comes the demand for paint. That’s why we took the decision to invest £125,000 in the Schubox® – a system universally accepted as the most advanced and efficient IR drying and curing system of its type in the world – to ensure we maintain control of supply and continue to meet the necessary lead times, regardless of colour.
Dry Doors in 30 Minutes!
In a nutshell, the new line means that doors will dry in 30 minutes compared with 3 hours. This increases our capacity because as everyone knows, the main bottleneck in painting is the drying process. As specialists in stand-alone finishing equipment and turn-key integrated automation for over 80 years, Schuberts has designed and developed many application, drying and curing solutions. They have worked with many companies in the glass and fenestration sectors and are experts in their field so it made total sense for us to look to them to improve our paint drying capability. Working at a low temperature, typically between 35°C and 40°C, the Schubox® is ideal for temperature sensitive substrates such as PVC-U and composite doors. Traditional hot air systems require higher temperatures for longer period of time which can result in warping and twisting of the end product as well as solvent boil on the surface. So not only can DOORCO process more painted doors, our customers can also rely on consistent, top quality finishes.
Constantly Evolving
We take pride in the fact our systems continue to develop and evolve in order to provide our customers with what they need in order to get ahead. As the market for composite doors continues to grow, the demand for colour widens and a more sophisticated palette of colours becomes desirable, we need to be able to deliver those in the same timeframe as the solid greens, reds and blues. Thanks to the investment we’ve already made on behalf of the supply chain and are continuing to make, we can ensure we do this through 2017 and beyond.
PS Watch this space for the Spring launch of a brand new door that will be a game-changer….
