Manufacturing Process

A common misconception which first-time customers seem to have is that they believe that we are a dealer that stocks parts in a warehouse ready to be picked off a shelf when ordered. The fact is that all of our parts are hand made to order at our Horsham, PA facility. This page will hopefully explain a little about the process involved in the manufacture of parts here at EDON Corporation. This explanation will cover the ordering of parts from our standard mold collection.

The first step after placing your order is to have our design department prepare a set of shop drawings showing the specific product details, including an elevation detail, a plan detail and a blocking or installation detail. These drawings are provided to the customer for approval to make sure the product they have ordered is of correct size and dimensions for their application. Once the customer approves the drawings and returns them to our office we can then proceed to the production phase.
When your order is placed on the production floor, the specific mold required is pulled out of our warehouse and prepped. This includes cleaning, waxing and a visual inspection of the mold.
Once the mold reaches a production booth, it is then sprayed with the gel-coat color the customer has picked. EDON can manufacture parts in any color, but we recommend most columns to be a base white because of the seam work done after installation.
After the gel-coat has set, the mold is sprayed with the fiberglass layer. A special gun is used called a "chopper gun". This device takes long strands of wound fiberglass and chops it into approximately 1 inch pieces. As the fiberglass is being sprayed there is also resin and catalyst being applied simultaneously.
When the mold has been completely covered with the fiberglass/resin & catalyst mixture, it is then hand-rolled to smooth the fiberglass, remove any air pockets and shape it to the mold. Approximately 20 minutes after the part has been rolled, the excess fiberglass is trimmed off and the part is given 24 hours to allow the piece to cure or harden. When the curing process is complete, the part is then released from the mold and sent to our cleaning department.
The part is now being finished in our cleaning department. The edges of the part are lightly sanded or de-burred to remove any rough edges. It is also measured and cut (if needed) to the proper height or length required. For column covers, parts are fitted together and marked to make certain of a sure-fit for the person installing them. All parts after being cleaned are now sent to the staging area where our Shipping Manager can do a final inspection and prepare them for shipment.
Before the parts leave our facility, the Shipping Manager informs the Salesperson or Designer for the project, and a final inspection is completed for the release of the parts to the customer. Once the approval has been given, the parts are crated or loaded into a truck (truckloads are blanket-wrapped for protection) and shipped out to the customer.