Kick Plate Refinishing Machine
Problem
Saint Johns Resort is a luxurious Inn and dining destination in Plymouth, Michigan. Many doors throughout the property have brass kick plates installed to protect them from damage. However, this leads to the kick plates getting scratched and dented over time, detracting from the elegant appearance of Saint Johns.
To maintain the hotel’s elegant feel, it was decided that refinishing the kick plates, preferably with a brushed finish, would better conceal the defects. Their previous method involved using handheld power tools, which made it challenging to create a consistent finish and was also found to be highly time consuming.
Solution
It was decided that the best way to refinish the kick plates throughout the property in a time-effective and consistent manner would be via a custom solution. A request was then made to develop a kick plate refinishing machine. The prototype (pictured above) would complete 1500 cycles and increase output from 2 kick plates per day using handheld power tools to 50+. The prototype is still in use regularly refinishing all the kick plates on the property.
Future Work
Intellectual property for the design remains with MV R&D and a second prototype is currently under development which will the core of a fully independent kick plate refinishing service launching in Spring of 2026.
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