Pickersgills powder coating skills for surgical lights are just what the doctor ordered
Article Type: New products From: Pigment & Resin Technology, Volume 41, Issue 5
Pickersgill electroplating is playing its part in helping to save lives by supplying its powder coating expertise to an award-winning UK medical technology company, whose products are used in hospital operating theatres throughout the world.
Brandon Medical Company Ltd, which won the Queens Award for Enterprise in the innovation category in 2011, is a leading supplier of operating theatre lights and has past experience of the quality of service offered by Pickersgills.
However, it was Pickersgills’ expertise in powder painting that won the contract to help bring to market Brandon Medical’s latest high quality product, the Quasar HD-LED operating theatre light, though there are also environmental benefits from the two Leeds-based companies collaborating, in the shape of reduced product miles.
Because of the aluminium content of the new operating theatre light’s cowling and arm structures, plus the amount of handling the equipment will endure in surgical conditions, the process involved several stages at Pickersgills’ state-of-the-art facility, including pre-treating, powder coating in a high gloss and textured white paint and oven finishing.
It is the level of customer care, the fast turnaround times, for which the business is renowned in the industry, and the high quality of the finished product that results in continuing business for Pickersgills from companies such as Brandon Medical, whose powder-coated lighting has been employed in some of the world’s most renowned hospitals.
Pickersgills has the ability to powder coat different-sized items in small and large quantities as well as provide a full spectrum of colours and gloss levels, including anti-bacterial paint specially formulated to actively inhibit the growth of bacteria on equipment in sectors such as healthcare, medical,food, leisure and childcare.
Its bespoke spray booth, gas oven and track system provides Pickersgills with the flexibility to work as both an off-line batch oven, for larger items, or with an automatic tracking system as an integral part of the production line.
Pickersgills’ Business Development Manager, Michael Pease, said: “The highest quality finish, durability and cleanliness were paramount requirements of this project. By offering a one-stop solution and working closely with Brandon Medical we were able to meet the client’s expectations.”
In addition to powder painting, Pickersgills offers a wide range of metal finishing solutions including pre-treatments such as chromating, phosphating and blasting, electroplating processes, with zinc, nickel and chrome, anodising and polishing all completed entirely in-house to ensure a complete and consistent finish.
