About S-I-LAK
S-I-LAK is a Danish contract powder coating specialist known for delivering high-quality surface finishing to industrial customers across a wide range of sectors. The company combines craftsmanship, modern production facilities, and a strong focus on sustainability and working environment.
With increasing customer demands for consistent quality, documentation, and environmentally responsible production, S-I-LAK continuously invests in new technologies that strengthen both performance and workplace conditions.
The Challenge: Skilled Touch-Ups in a Demanding Environment
Although S-I-LAK operates advanced powder coating equipment, manual touch-ups remained a critical part of the process.
Touch-up operations are:
Highly dependent on experienced painters
Repetitive and physically demanding
Sensitive to variations in corners, edges, and complex geometries
Conducted in an environment with airborne powder particles
This created several challenges:
Maintaining consistent coating thickness and finish quality
Reducing powder consumption and carbon
Improving the working environment
Securing capacity in a labor-dependent process
S-I-LAK wanted a solution that would not replace craftsmanship — but preserve and scale it.
The Solution: Robotic Touch-Ups Powered by Mimic
To address these challenges, S-I-LAK invested in a collaborative robot equipped with Mimic technology from Nordbo Robotics, delivered in collaboration with G.A. Hansen A/S.
Unlike traditional robotic programming, Mimic enables painters to transfer their own movements directly to the robot in seconds. The painter simply performs the touch-up motion once, and the robot replicates it with high precision — without interrupting the production flow.
This approach offered several key advantages to S-I-LAK:
Fast and intuitive programming
No need for robot programming experts
Preservation of painter expertise
High flexibility, repeatability and stable operation
Seamless integration into the existing coating line
The robot now handles repetitive touch-up tasks and is programmed and managed by the painters.
Implementation: From Installation to Operation
The installation was carried out with close cooperation between S-I-LAK’s technical team and the project partners.
Key focus areas during implementation included:
Smooth integration into the existing conveyor and booth setup
Optimized positioning for ergonomic and operational efficiency
Training of painters to use Mimic confidently
Obtaining a consistent coating thickness and coverage
The transition from manual-only touch-ups to robot-assisted operation was completed without major production disruptions.
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The Results
Shortly after commissioning, S-I-LAK experienced measurable improvements:
✅ Cost reductions of +15%
✅ More consistent coating quality
✅ Reduced physical strain on painters
✅ Improved working environment
✅ Lower powder consumption
✅ Increased production efficiency and scalability - and no downtime when programming new parts
✅ Higher overall process reliability
With the implementation of robotic touch-ups powered by Mimic, S-I-LAK has obtained intelligent automation - without losing the craftsmanship that defines its quality.
By combining skilled painters with robotic precision, S-I-LAK has built a more resilient, efficient, and future-proof powder coating operation.