İlknur Kurt, Production Manager of Ares Kabin, Answers Our Questions

İlknur Kurt, Production Manager of Ares Kabin Answered Our Questions

We had a pleasant conversation with Ares Kabin Production Manager İlknur Kurt about the activities of Ares Kabin. Kurt is characterized by Ares Kabin's environmental policy and information about the future. Dear İlknur Kurt, could you briefly mention about yourself, your education, and your professional background? I was born in Ankara, 1980. After secondary and high school, I graduated from 19 May University, the department of building. I started in business life but never abandoned my ambitions. I worked for two different companies producing wet and dry paint facilities as a project officer. Later, we founded our own company and began to establish our place in the market. We take pride in our success in competing with many companies through our experience.

Can you talk about the development process of Ares Kabin from its foundation till now?

Ares Kabin initially aimed to address a specific market segment, but the market proved to be so large that we had to expand beyond standard cabins. As a result, the Ares Kabin family shifted its focus to become a complete painting facility provider. While our original products consisted only of auto, mini-bus and heavy vehicle painting and drying cabins, we now also produce water-screen wet painting cabins, powder paint facilities, industrial facilities, and surface processing lines, along with all associated equipment.

Can we get information about powder paint? Which sectors do you serve?

Powder paint facilities are produced as U-turn or box type systems, both automatically and manually. When producing a powder paint facility, we first determine the capacity requested by the customer. Following proper calculations based on that capacity, manufacturing projects are prepared. The critical factor is ensuring the facility operates correctly with homogeneous air distribution. The powder paint facilities we have produced to date serve the automotive, electronics, aluminum, electrical, furniture components, metal, and advertising sectors, among others.

Can you give us some information about your wet painting facilities?

Wet painting facilities are produced in many configurations. They are available as water-screen or filtered systems. Both painting and drying can be performed in these cabins using positive pressure. You can also apply painting at a desired temperature. In such cases, flash-off and drying ovens are required. This approach is suitable for high-capacity operations. Wet painting facilities are produced to best suit customer requirements and material quality, with both manual and automatic systems available. Wet painting facilities serve the automotive, white goods, plastic, and advertising sectors, among others.

Do you have any products related to Electrostatic Powder Paint Guns?

As part of our business, we must have knowledge of airless guns and powder paint machines because guns clearly have specific importance in the paint sector. However, we do not sell guns and robots. The paint machine sector is a vast field, and if you sell such products, you must provide technical service and spare parts support. The correct approach is to provide service through your own technical team within your company, not through intermediary firms. Therefore, we do not sell powder and wet paint machines. If customers inquire about these machines, we refer them to specialist firms.

Can you talk about R&D activities? What can you say about your team?

R&D is a vital aspect of our business. Technology is constantly evolving. We, as firms producing paint facilities, must conduct R&D activities to keep pace with it. We cannot produce only one type of facility. When a customer requests something, we must develop ourselves and conduct R&D activities to improve in order to guide that customer toward an appropriate solution. Our personnel are technically well-educated. Manufacturing, installation, and technical service personnel all consist of technicians. We have a team that demonstrates expertise and problem-solving capability during customer discussions.

Do you have technical service for your customers after selling?

Yes, absolutely. This is the critical point. After manufacturing and installation, the job is not finished. There is no way to abandon it. Moreover, supporting the products is what makes you successful in this field. Beyond addressing malfunctions, spare parts must also be supported. We monitor filter replacement, chemical consumption, and overhaul schedules, and we alert customers when service is due. This way, we prevent premature cabin failure, environmental harm, and personnel health issues. This approach keeps customers satisfied and makes us indispensable.

Is there any activity regarding the environment?

We follow the procedures that the Ministry of Environment requires. The facilities we produce have multiple filters from fresh air intake to exhaust air discharge. There are absolutely no paint particles in the exhaust air.

How was 2012 for Ares Kabin in light of its targets and projects?

2012 was an excellent year for Ares Kabin. We secured the desired projects and delivered them successfully. We established facilities for the defense industry, white goods, and advertising sectors. While our goal for 2012 was simply to strengthen our references, we achieved even more.

What are your goals and projects for 2013?

Building our reputation through participation in domestic and foreign trade fairs and establishing new facilities throughout our market are some of our goals for 2013. Our target is to become a sought-after firm in the foreign market as we are in the domestic market.

For the last thing, do you have any message for the sector?

To survive in this sector, we must support and stand behind our products. We cannot do this merely for show. We can succeed in competition through the quality of our products.