Manufacturing and processing: Inventory software for powder coaters
Inventory software for powder coaters that tracks powder batches, shelf life and reservations per order, so you know which boxes can actually be used for the colour runs you have planned.
Where stock drifts for powder coaters.
A powder coater's store holds boxes in dozens of colours, from different suppliers and batches. Some are open, some are past their shelf life, a few were ordered specially for one customer. For a planned white run, the sprayer assumes there is enough, until he finds that the box has already been half used on another order. Reclaimed powder sits in an unlabelled bucket. When a customer complains about a colour mismatch and asks which batch was used, nobody can say. Purchasing orders by feel and double-orders when things get busy. What you need is to know, per colour, what is on the shelf, what is reserved and what is about to expire.
Inventory software for powder coaters
Example- 1
Register boxes by batch
DoneOn arrival every box gets a label with colour, supplier, batch number and expiry date.
- 2
Reserve for colour runs
In progressWhen a colour run is planned, an estimated amount of powder is reserved from the available batches, oldest expiry first.
- 3
Update usage and leftovers
NextAfter the run, the sprayer reports which batch was used and whether a box is empty.
From receipt to use.
Register boxes by batch
On arrival every box gets a label with colour, supplier, batch number and expiry date. Open boxes and reclaimed powder get a status of their own, and so does powder belonging to a customer. Each colour is then made up of identifiable batches rather than a pile of boxes with the same name.
Reserve for colour runs
When a colour run is planned, an estimated amount of powder is reserved from the available batches, oldest expiry first. If there is not enough, the planner sees it before the run starts, and purchasing can reorder or the run can be moved.
Update usage and leftovers
After the run, the sprayer reports which batch was used and whether a box is empty. Reclaimed powder is booked back as leftover stock or written off. Expired boxes go on a list, so someone decides whether they can still be used or must be disposed of.
Alongside your purchasing and suppliers.
Stock at powder coaters is often kept in a spreadsheet, on a whiteboard or not at all, while purchasing goes through the powder supplier's web shop or sales rep. We start by counting what is there now and converting it into batches. Labels can be printed on a simple label printer. Purchasing remains responsible for orders, the shop floor for recording usage. Orders with the supplier carry on as they do today, but now with an overview of what is needed.
Weigh boxes or count them
Weighing boxes after use gives an accurate picture of what is left, but adds a handling step to every run. Counting per box and marking open ones as half is rougher but quicker. For expensive special colours, weighing can be worth it; for standard white it usually is not.
Customer-owned powder kept apart or pooled
Powder ordered for one customer, or supplied by the customer, should not vanish into general stock. A separate status per customer stops it being used for other work. When the job is done, you decide together with the customer what happens to whatever is left over.
Reuse reclaimed powder or dispose of it
Reclaimed powder can often be blended with virgin powder, but not without limit and not for every job. Record which applications you do and do not use it for. The inventory then shows how much leftover there is per colour and whether it is still usable.
Clients in other industries.
No customer story from this industry yet. This is how the software works for businesses elsewhere.
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Read the storyWhich stock we record.
From the start, powder boxes are recorded per batch with shelf life, reserved for planned colour runs and booked out on use. Together we walk through an ordinary week of standard colours, and a special colour whose batch runs out halfway through a run while a new batch comes out slightly different. Purchase suggestions and usage booked straight from the job card are ready to switch on later.
View pricingSupport and updatesGood to know.
Explore pricing and optionsHow do we know how much powder a run needs?
From the surface area in the quote and a coverage rate you set per powder type. It remains an estimate. After a few runs you can adjust the rate based on what was actually used, and the reservations become more accurate as a result.
Can we see which batch was used for which order?
Yes. When a run is signed off, the batch is linked to the orders. If a colour complaint comes in later, you can see which batch was used and whether other orders were sprayed from the same one.
What do we do with powder past its shelf life?
The system puts it on a list but does not decide. You determine whether a box is still usable, for example after a trial, or has to be disposed of. That decision is recorded, so it is clear why an expired batch was still used.
Do we have to count all the stock in one go?
At the start, yes, otherwise the overview will not be right. A count on a quiet afternoon with labels to hand is usually enough. After that, goods-in and usage keep it up to date, with an occasional check per colour.
What often connects to this.
- Digital job cards for powder coatersDigital job cards for powder coaters: one card per order with pretreatment, masking, colour and curing instructions, plus feedback on film thickness and defects.
- Website for powder coatersA website for powder coaters that explains which materials, colours and coating systems you handle, so a fabricator or private customer knows what to bring before they pick up the phone.
- Enquiry form for powder coatersAn enquiry form for powder coaters that asks for material, dimensions, masking and the finish required, so estimating can start right away instead of waiting for photos.
Know what is really there.
Start with a short intake. Then we schedule a call to show the software with your services, team and way of working.
WhatsAppinfo@vorlyo.com Inventory software for powder coaters: powder batches with shelf life, reservations per order and leftover powder per colour in a single list.
- Register boxes by batch
- Reserve for colour runs
- Update usage and leftovers