Akzo Nobel selects OPTIMASS to control product consistency and manufacturing costs

World leading producer of paints and coatings, Akzo Nobel Decorative Coatings, has installed four KROHNE OPTIMASS Coriolis Mass flowmeters to help accurately control product consistency and minimise production costs.

The OPTIMASS flowmeters control the volume of chemicals that are added to Akzo Nobel's Crown range of solvent-based paint products at its manufacturing plant in Darwen, Lancashire.  Accurately measuring the amount added to the paint is essential to minimising costs and maintaining consistent product quality.

The chemicals are contained in stainless steel storage vessels, which are located 70 meters away from the production facility.  They are pumped at low pressure through the OPTIMASS flowmeters and in to mixing vessels where the paint is manufactured in batches.

The flowmeters accurately measure the flow of the chemicals into the paint mixing vessels.  Signals from the instruments are fed into the production control system which controls the flow of the chemicals from the storage vessels to ensure that the correct amount is added.

Previously Akzo Nobel measured the amount of chemical added to batches of paint using a load cell-based weighing system.  However this did not provide sufficient measurement accuracy for the range of batch sizes to be manufactured.

The OPTIMASS, with its single straight measuring tube, features a patented AST design which offers outstanding accuracy and stability when used on low flow rate applications.

By installing flowmeters Akzo Nobel has automated the process and significantly improved measurement accuracy.

"By installing the OPTIMASS flowmeters we have significantly improved the measurement accuracy of the chemicals used in our products," said Steve Lawrenson, manufacturing support services manager at Akzo Nobel.  "This has helped us further improve product consistency and control costs."