The heart of process control
ESTEE builds automation expertise entirely in-house: PLC programming, robot integration and the proprietary UNICoater platform. We are not dependent on third-party automation vendors.
One platform, three layers
UNICoater is ESTEE’s unique automation platform. It runs on a Siemens control core, mirrors live to the shop floor, and streams every parameter to a cloud IoT back-end, so the data that runs your line is also the data that improves it.
Siemens Unified Panel
The control core of the line. A single Siemens HMI gives operators full command of conveyor, pretreatment, ovens and application: every process on one screen.
Live tablet duplication
The full control screen is duplicated to a tablet, so operators stay in command anywhere on the line: at the cabin, the ovens or the loading station.
IoT platform
Powder use, layer thickness, coated surface, energy: every parameter streams to the cloud for real-time and remote insight into quality, productivity and cost.
“The more we measure, the more sustainable we can be.”
A line that measures itself, and improves itself
Process control isn’t a report you read after the fact. With UNICoater it becomes a closed loop: every parameter is measured, fed back, and used to run the next part better than the last.
It’s the same loop behind our three pillars: sustainability, process control and service all run on the same live data, and keep feeding it back.
Quality, productivity and cost, measured live
Every UNICoater build is tailored to the line. These are the capabilities we deploy across the three domains that decide the performance of a powder coating installation.
Quality
Full traceability and in-line inspection. No sampling, no guesswork.
- Quality passport per product, a complete, traceable record for every coated part
- In-line layer thickness: measured in real time, no manual sampling
- Powder output per gun: precise consumption tracking, gun by gun
- Powder box recognition: correct reference verified, displayed and weighed at the cabin
- Machine-vision inspection: 3D profile scanners and AI match parts to the ERP order
Productivity
Theoretical versus actual output, broken down where it matters, so bottlenecks surface before they cost you.
- Overall throughput: theoretical vs actual coated surface per day, run hours, chain speed and hanging height
- Live bottleneck detection on continuous-chain and power & free lines
- Breakdown per line component: see exactly where time and capacity are lost
- Breakdown per product type: performance analysed per product family
- Robotisation: high-volume output with minimal staffing on the line
Cost
Energy, water, chemicals, powder and air, controlled at the source in a closed measuring-and-improving loop.
- Electricity & gas: component-level analysis, double-door oven data and recovery monitoring
- Water & chemistry: controlled cascade rinsing on live bath levels, plus mains/rainwater switch-over
- Powder: automatic loss/recovery switch-over after a colour change, with closed-loop layer control
- Hybrid electricity/gas optimisation: the most economical, lowest-carbon mix at any moment
- Preventive maintenance: the system predicts when parts need servicing, before it is too late
Automation expertise from A to Z
ESTEE develops its automation entirely in-house: PLC programming, robot integration and the UNICoater platform itself. That means no dependency on third-party automation vendors, and a line where the controls, the data and the support all come from one team.
- PLC programming: written and maintained by ESTEE engineers
- Robot integration: cabin integration and powder-parameter optimisation in one hand
- One source of support: the people who built the platform are the people who support it
UNICoater on the line
From the Siemens control core to robot cells, ovens and the live IoT screens our customers work with every day.
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Support over the entire lifetime of your line
Structured plans that keep your line at peak performance.
Theoretical and practical: reaching target output fast.
Extensive availability for fast repairs, minimal stops.
UNICoater IoT enables monitoring and early warning.
Flexible agreements tailored to your line.
Frequently asked questions
What is UNICoater?
UNICoater is ESTEE's control and data platform for the entire powder coating line. It brings all data together: from the pretreatment, the ovens, the booths and the conveyor, but just as well from the wastewater treatment or the demineralised water unit. For us, data is know-how. As long as that data is scattered across separate islands, you cannot use it for improvements and optimisations. UNICoater brings it together in one system.
Where does the name UNICoater come from?
"We UNIte all the data of the powder coating line": UNICoater unites all data of the powder coating line in one platform.
What is the link between automation and sustainability?
We see it as a closed loop: the more we measure, the more we know, and the more sustainable the line becomes. That applies to energy, but just as much to powder, chemicals and water. In several installations we have been able to optimise the line during its lifetime, precisely because we measure a lot. Conversely, that data also underpins our own research and development. When we state, for example, that a polypropylene tunnel is more sustainable, we can prove it with data.
Does ESTEE do the automation in-house?
Yes. We do both the panel building and the automation in-house: electrical schematics, control cabinets, PLC programming, operator interface and commissioning.
What are the advantages?
Above all speed: a customer wants to be helped quickly. The same people who build and program your line also support you after commissioning, remotely if needed. You have one point of contact for the entire line, without discussions between suppliers about interfaces. Modifications and extensions are carried out faster too. And because we keep panel building, programming and automation in our own hands, we can also innovate faster.
Does ESTEE also automate the conveyor?
Of course: the conveyors are also made under the same roof, at ESTEE Conveyors. The conveyor is crucial for the smooth operation and the quality of the powder coating installation. That is why the conveyor is also part of UNICoater, and the entire line is controlled and monitored from one platform.
Which platform does ESTEE use?
We work with the Siemens Unified platform. This makes the same data available remotely as well, on both PC and tablet. With the tablet, operators and service technicians can walk along the line and check or adjust things on the spot.