Relocating Your Metal Finishing Operation

Black & Decker Corportaion of Lake Forest, California decided to combine two of their operations into one in order to keep operation cost competitive with world markets.

Black & Decker (BHII) would close its Kwikset operation in Waynesboro, Georgia and combine it with the Price Pfister facility in Mexicali, Mexico.

The existing facility in Mexicali needed the electroplating and treatment system relocated, which then required significant changes in plant layout and services.

PLANNING
BHII brought in A-Bite Chemical of Dallas, Texas to help in the new process design layout in order to combine plating of the Kwikset and Price Pfister parts. The existing line had to be reconfigured and additional sulfur free nickel tanks added in order to make the process line compatible for all combined parts.

After the process layout was determined, BHII had many things to consider in order to implement the project.
- Plant reconfiguration and work flow
- Facility additions and changes for the nickel-chrome plating line and waste treatment facility
- Outsourcing of Kwikset parts while equipment is being relocated to the new facility
- Chemical supplies for their Mexicali operation
- Accessing existing equipment for reuse
- Single source general contractor to decontaminate, remove, load and transport 22trunck loads of equipment; unload and complete the reinstallation of the plating operation; including upgrading and procurement of new equipment as a "turnkey" project.

BHII designed a fast track timeline for the relocation of the facility and brought in five contractors to bid the projct utilizing a "point" system as a guide. Then the planning committee voted on the selected contractor.

Nationwide Installation Corporation of Grand Rapids, Michigan was selected as the general contractor to do the following:

KWIKSET: Waynesboro, Georgia
- Decontaminate the nickel-chrome plating and treatment equipment, as well as the floor area.
- Identify and tag all equipment for shipment
- Propertly dismantle the four hoist nickel-chrome plating and 100 GPM flow through waste treatment
- Cordinate loading and trucking to Mexico
- Load 22 trucks and ship to Mexicali, Mexico
- Provide documentation and customs support in coordination with BHII broker

PRICE PFISTER: Mexicali, Mexico
- Procure and ship additional new equipment such as rectifiers, tanks, PVC exhaust equipment, temperature controls, low steam pressure boiler, filters, etc.
- Provide new updated hoist and tank process control system with scheduling ability.
- Unload all equipment
- Set, level and align the newly configured plating line, boiler and waste treatment system.
- Instal A/C and D/C electrical for the equipment from Price Pfister service panels.
- Install low pressure steam boiler system, steam, condensate, water, drain overflow, air agitation and push air piping.
- Install PCV scrubber, fan and exhaust systems.
- Test operate all equipment performing both dry and wet test runs, prior to sign off by Price Pfister
- Test balance exhaust system
- Provide training and operation of the plating and treatment system.

PROJECT SUCCESS
The project was successfully completed early, including chemistry balancing, mechanical, electrical, plating and treatment equipment training.

- Project schedule with "must have completed" benchmarks - met
- Daily liason between Price Pfister and Nationwide Installation
- Weekly meeting between Price Pfister and Nationwide Installation
- Multiple work crews performing the installation of the plating and treatment system independently, at the same time
- Our experienced trucking contractor in the metal finishing area to initiate, coordinate and follow through for shipments.

Nationwide Installation Corp. of Grand Rapids, Michigan would like to thank Price Pfister and Black and Decker for the opportunity to work with them on this most important project along with its most important vendors.