Case Study: Forklift Frame & Mast Coating Line, Hefei
Summary
A heavy-part coating line for the forklift business of a major Chinese automotive group in Hefei, Anhui, coating frames, masts, counterweights and overhead guards for internal-combustion and electric forklifts on one conveyor. The line was laid out around the largest and heaviest part in the family: pretreatment for welded steel, a heavy-duty conveyor rated for counterweights and mast sections, spray booths with access for long parts, a curing oven with cooling zone, and exhaust and dust treatment. The line is in regular production at the client's plant in 2026.
Project Background
The client is the forklift arm of a major Chinese automotive group, based in Hefei, Anhui. It builds internal-combustion and electric forklifts, and every truck carries a set of large painted steel parts: the frame, the mast, the counterweight and the overhead guard.
The Challenge
Forklift parts vary widely in size and shape. Long mast channels, heavy boxy counterweights and open-frame overhead guards all have to go through one line, and every weld seam and inside corner needs full coverage because the trucks work outdoors and take repeated impacts in daily use.
MUSI's Solution
MUSI laid out the line around the largest and heaviest part in the family, so frames, masts and counterweights move through pretreatment, spraying and curing on the same conveyor. Hanging points and booth openings were set for the long mast sections, and the spraying stations were arranged to reach inside corners and weld seams without a second manual pass.
Equipment Scope
- Pretreatment for welded steel structures
- Heavy-duty conveyor rated for counterweights and mast sections
- Spray booths with access for long and irregular parts
- Curing oven and cooling zone
- Exhaust and dust treatment
Results
The line is in regular production at the client’s plant, coating the full family of forklift structural parts on one conveyor instead of splitting them across separate manual operations.
Selection logic: why this configuration
One conveyor for the whole part family was chosen over separate manual stations because frames, masts and counterweights all need the same pretreatment and cure, and the manual split was where coverage on weld seams was being lost. The conveyor was rated for the counterweight rather than the average part, and booth openings were set for mast channels, so no part needs a second pass.
Scope of supply and key components
| Item | Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pretreatment | For welded steel structures | |
| Conveyor | Heavy-duty, rated for counterweights and mast sections | |
| Spray booths | Access for long and irregular parts | |
| Curing oven | With cooling zone | |
| Exhaust and dust treatment | Booth and oven exhaust |
Key components
Key components are available from international brands, configurable per customer specification, so that spare parts can be sourced locally over the life of the line. Brand names below are the usual options for this type of equipment; the brands actually fitted are fixed in the contract specification.
| Component | Brands available on request |
|---|---|
| Automatic liquid guns, pumps and 2K proportioners | Graco ProMix 2KS, Sames Airmix, WAGNER AirCoat, Nordson, Binks (Carlisle Fluid Technologies) |
| Oven and dryer gas burners | Riello RS series, Weishaupt monarch WM-G, Baltur TBG, Honeywell Maxon OVENPAK, Eclipse |
| PLC and HMI | Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500, Mitsubishi Electric MELSEC iQ-R, Schneider Electric Modicon, OMRON NX, Rockwell Automation Allen-Bradley |
| Variable-frequency drives | ABB ACS580, Siemens SINAMICS G120, Danfoss VLT, Schneider Electric Altivar, Yaskawa, Mitsubishi Electric |
| Conveyor gear motors | SEW-EURODRIVE, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS, Bonfiglioli, Siemens, Sumitomo Drive Technologies |
| Booth ceiling and intake filter media | Freudenberg Viledon, AAF SureStop, Camfil, MANN+HUMMEL |
| Pretreatment pumps and chemistry | Grundfos CR, KSB Etanorm, Xylem; Henkel BONDERITE, Chemetall Gardobond, PPG Zircobond, Nippon Paint |
| Sensors and temperature controllers | SICK, Pepperl+Fuchs, OMRON E5CC, Honeywell UDC, Yokogawa UT, ifm, KEYENCE |
Not included in the scope of supply
- Civil works, foundations and pits
- Building services up to the battery limit: power supply, gas, compressed air, water and drainage
- Local permits, emission approvals and third-party inspections
- Paint or powder supply, unless stated in the contract
Services included with every line: engineering design, manufacturing, shipping documentation, installation supervision, commissioning, operator training, warranty and spare parts.
Typical programme
The durations below are typical for equipment of this class and are given for planning; they are not the recorded schedule of this project. A complete line usually runs 90–180 days from contract to acceptance, a single unit 30–60 days.
| Stage | Typical duration | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Site survey and workpiece review | 5–10 days | Remote review of drawings and photos, or an engineer visit |
| Layout and detail design | 15–30 days | Layout drawing, utilities list and specification sign-off |
| Manufacturing | 45–90 days | Booths, ovens, conveyor, pretreatment and controls built and pre-assembled at the works |
| Shipping | 20–45 days | Sea freight; equipment shipped in sections for on-site assembly |
| Installation | 15–40 days | MUSI supervision with the client's installation crew or MUSI crew |
| Commissioning, training and acceptance | 7–15 days | Trial runs on the client's parts, operator training, acceptance record |
Applicability and limits
This layout suits plants that coat a mixed family of large welded steel parts in medium volume on one shift pattern. Plants with a single high-volume part are usually better served by a dedicated line, and the conveyor rating here is specific to forklift counterweights.
Results shown in this case study reflect the stated operating conditions and should not be interpreted as guaranteed performance under different feed, production, environmental, or site conditions.
After-sales and spare parts
Warranty on a MUSI coating line runs from acceptance: 12 months on the complete line excluding consumables, 36 months on critical components such as motors, drives and the PLC, and 60 months on structural parts such as steel structure, ducting and oven bodies. Failures within warranty, excluding misuse, are repaired free of charge.
Support starts remotely: the service line is staffed around the clock, a preliminary diagnosis with recommendations is given within 2 hours, and where a site visit is needed an engineer reaches any major city within 72 hours. A spare-parts inventory is held at the Changzhou headquarters with same-day shipping, and customers can keep a dedicated parts stock at MUSI for emergencies. Details are on the after-sales service page.
FAQ
Can frames, masts and counterweights run on one coating line? Yes, when the conveyor is rated for the heaviest part and the booth openings for the longest, as on this line; the whole forklift structural family then shares one pretreatment and cure.
How is coverage on weld seams and inside corners achieved? Spray stations are placed to reach inside corners from both sides, and hanging points are chosen so seams face the guns; a manual touch-up stage covers what remains.
What pretreatment does welded steel need? Degreasing, rinsing and a conversion coating sized for heavy sections, with blast cleaning where mill scale is present.
Why size the line around the heaviest part? Because a conveyor and hanger rated for the counterweight carries everything else, while a line sized for the average part cannot take the heaviest one.
Is this line in production? Yes, it coats the full family of forklift structural parts at the client's Hefei plant.
Next step: a configuration proposal for a similar line
If your parts, volumes or plant conditions are close to this project, MUSI can return a line configuration and layout proposal. To prepare it we need four things:
- Photos and dimensions of the workpieces, with weight and material
- Required output (pieces per hour or per day, and shifts)
- Number of colours and how often colour changes are needed
- Available floor space and ceiling height, with the utilities on site
Message us on WhatsApp with these details, or use the quotation form.
Published 2026-09-26 · Updated 2026-09-30 · Last technical review: 2026-09-30
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Provided by Lin Cong, Technical Director, MUSI Technology