Coil Coated Finishes Tough, Even When Formed To Extremes
By Jim Dockey, National Coil Coating Association
Product designers are often faced with difficult challenges – like creating a more durable surface that remains flexible to withstand extreme forming specifications. Prepainted metal is often the solution.
Coating formulators have developed polyurethane coatings that are flexible enough to withstand extreme forming, folding, and embossing without cracking, chipping or scratching. Unlike post-painting processes, coil coated metal is precleaned, pretreated, preprimed and prepainted, then formed after these processes have taken place. Often, the applied coating is more flexible and forgiving than the metal substrate.
Prepainted metal can be adapted to fit most product designs that currently use bare flat sheet or coil stock with only slight modifications. The National Coil Coating Association (NCCA) recommends multi-stage forming when producing rigorous bends. Warm forming at 125-160 degrees to help in cases of severe fabricating. The equipment supplier can provide expert advice on exact specs.
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With coil coating, paint is applied via a high-speed process and then baked on.
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The fact is, with some proper planning and engineering, coil coated metal can be formed, even to extreme specifications, with no damage, loss in surface quality or beauty.
A wide variety of products are made with coil coated metal today, including household appliances, semi-trailer doors and side walls, Venetian blinds, stadium bleachers, dry-erase boards, undercounter lighting and can lights, non-stick bakeware, cool metal roofing, window cladding and screen frames, agricultural equipment, residential and commercial doors, and even garage doors.
For more information on how coil coated metal can meet the needs of products with extreme forming needs, contact a coil coater or service center today. Find a supplier here: www.coilcoatinginstitute.org/supplier.
Jim Dockey is Director - CENTRIA Coating Services, and president of the National Coil Coating Association.
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