THE SITUATION

A leading manufacturer of luxury watercraft, Avalon Pontoon Boats views each model they create as a work of art. Superior craftsmanship remains at the core and is a non-negotiable.

Upon encountering a complex and potentially costly production challenge, they called on Parker Ionics and Richards-Wilcox Conveyor to come together, take the helm, and solve it.

THE CHALLENGE

Avalon Pontoon Boats needed a new finishing system capable of handling long loads in a confined space.

It had to be big enough to allow operators to wash, dry, paint, and cure parts up to 25’ long—yet small enough to fit within a 100’ x 100’ footprint. Parker Ionics (hired by Avalon to build and install the proposed solution) recognized the need for a precise, versatile manual overhead conveyor system. They brought in Richards-Wilcox Conveyor to collaborate on an innovative solution for this application.

THE SOLUTION

Drawing upon over a century of experience, Richards-Wilcox Conveyor and Parker Ionics designed a space-saving shuttle-batch conveyor system. The design allows the 25’ long load bars to move horizontally in either direction to line up with the finishing equipment, which allows the bars to extend directly into the finishing enclosures.

It was precisely what Avalon Pontoon Boats needed: a way to do more work without occupying more valuable floor space.

Note: The 25’ long load bars are traversed with two shuttle assemblies that align with the washer, dryer, paint booth, and cure oven.

THE OUTCOME

This project marked the beginning of a collaborative partnership between Parker Ionics and Richards-Wilcox Conveyor. “Richards-Wilcox has since become an important equipment partner for us,” says Riley Cole, a Parker Ionics Account Manager.

As for Avalon? Integrating this new design enabled an approximate 50% footprint reduction, mitigating further costly expansion. Meanwhile, reducing the number of material-handling movements helped streamline their operations, boosting productivity and efficiency by an estimated 30%. Together, Richards-Wilcox Conveyor and Parker Ionics helped Avalon turn challenges into triumphs.