APROPOS' NEW POWDER COATING PLANT TO BE OPENED BY MAYOR

Innovation, higher quality, greater efficiency and more environmentally friendly processes will be by-products of new plant

9th May 2011

Apropos' new polyester powder coating plant in Dukinfield is to be officially opened by the Civic Mayor of Tameside on the 26th May.

The Mayor will be joined by fellow civic dignitaries and other guests at the Park Road plant, to celebrate the latest innovative milestone in Apropos' eight decades of heritage.

The opening of the high-tech plant means all powder coating for the country's leading designer and manufacturer of bespoke glass and aluminium conservatories, orangeries and structures will now be undertaken in-house.

The plant has been operational since the beginning of April, and is already producing higher standards of paint quality than previously experienced when the process was outsourced to external companies - with finished paintwork consistently achieving optimum coverage and thickness via a six-step testing process.

It is envisaged that the plant will handle annual orders worth £15 million, including processing external orders for other companies.

In a further boost, the new powder coating plant will also be environmentally friendly, using an innovative process to aid paint adhesion that replaces unsafe chromate with harmless Phosguard.

Michael Barnes, Apropos' managing director, said:

"We will be delighted to welcome the Civic Mayor and other guests to the opening of our new polyester powder coating plant on the 26th May.

"Apropos has been leading innovation in glass and aluminium design for over 70 years, and this is the next step in our development.

"The official opening of the new plant will bring further innovation, greater quality, better efficiencies and more environmentally friendly processes to our production methods; meaning a superior product for all our customers now, and in the years to come."

FURTHER INFORMATION

OFFICIAL OPENING DATE & TIME

The opening of Apropos' polyester powder coating plant will take place at 2pm on Thursday 26th May 2011. All press and media are invited, and are kindly asked to arrive for 1.40pm.

POWDER COATING PLANT LOCATION

The powder coating plant is located at Unit 1, Tameside Mill Industrial Estate (opposite the Brunswick public house), Park Road, Dukinfield.

HISTORY OF APROPOS

Apropos is the country's leading designer and manufacturer of glass and aluminium structures, with a history of quality and cutting edge 'architecture in glass' stretching back over 70 years.

This reputation is endorsed by the industry's most respected worldwide authority, the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew; and a historical client list that includes: Hampton Court Palace, the Royal Horticultural Society, the Grosvenor Estates, Oxford and Glasgow Botanic Gardens, and both the English and Scottish Departments of Agriculture.

POWDER COATING PROCESS

Powder coating is an alternative, environment friendly method of applying paint.

The basis of any good coating is preparation. The vast majority of powder coating failures can be traced to a lack of a suitable preparation. Therefore, Apropos follows a six-step testing and application process in the preparation treatment for all its aluminium products.

Powder coating produces a high specification coating which is relatively hard, abrasion resistant (depending on the specification) and tough. The choice of PPC colours and finishes is almost limitless. When powder coated items are installed without damage to the powder coating and they are maintained regularly, they should be relatively permanent. Correctly applied coating - although not metallurgically bonded to the metal - will not crack, chip or peel as with conventional paint films.