Eliminating Coating Peeling on Transport Racks Through Smart Design Modification

Background Information

A customer using metal transport racks kept running into the same issue: the Teflon-coated surfaces peeled off during use. The issue slowed production and forced them to recoat the racks repeatedly, adding unnecessary maintenance costs. They reached out to us for a durable, cost-effective solution that wouldn’t sacrifice performance.

Problem Statement

Upon inspection, we noticed that the Teflon coating peeled around the bolt areas. Because these bolts slightly protruded from the surface—the same area that cargo slid across—friction at these points wore down the coating. Reapplying the coating helped for a short time, but the problem always came back, wasting time and money.

Solution Implementation

Instead of switching to an expensive material like PTFE or another high-performance plastic, we proposed a simple yet effective design modification. 

The new design moved the bolts to the underside of the rack, completely removing the surface bumps. This change gave the top surface a perfectly smooth finish, reduced friction, and prevented further coating damage, all while maintaining the rack’s required strength and load capacity.

Results

The redesign fully solved the issue. The customer reported that the coating stayed intact during use, and the racks needed almost no maintenance. The improved design increased the overall lifespan of the racks and eliminated the need for frequent recoating, reducing both labor time and operating costs.