Reusing masking plugs makes Belgian Cycling Factory more sustainable

At the Bike Valley site in Beringen, Belgian Cycling Factory operates its own in-house paint shop. Here, thousands of bikes receive their unique finish every year, fully tailored to the choices customers make in the configurator. Even within this production process, we continuously look for ways to work more efficiently and sustainably. A recent initiative in the paint shop shows how small improvements can have a significant impact.

During the painting process, so-called masking plugs are used: rubber plugs that seal openings in the frame to keep them free of paint. Traditionally, these plugs were discarded after use because they were covered with paint residue.

Painting Operations Manager Benjamin Mertens questioned whether this was really necessary and explored whether the masking plugs could be cleaned and reused internally. “Manually removing the paint residue is very labor-intensive,” he explains. “That’s why we started looking for another solution to make the plugs reusable.”

The solution turned out to be surprisingly simple. For an initial test, the plugs were placed in a rotating concrete mixer together with stones. The movement causes the paint residue to break off and gradually wear away. The first tests immediately delivered promising results. Over time, this process will be further professionalized.

A clear difference

Thanks to this approach, the masking plugs can now be reused multiple times instead of being discarded after a single use. This not only reduces waste but also results in significant cost savings. Each frame requires nine masking plugs, which makes a noticeable difference on an annual basis when producing tens of thousands of bikes.

According to COO Robby Stas, the initiative perfectly aligns with the company’s vision. “We will implement this as a standard process in our paint shop. It’s a great example of how a smart process improvement can simultaneously be more sustainable, more efficient and cost-saving.”

The initiative also illustrates how innovation often starts on the shop floor. Mertens, who recently joined the team, continues to look for further optimizations. “I always try to look at the painting process with a fresh perspective. If we can work more efficiently or more sustainably somewhere, we will explore it.”