While one of the advantages of choosing custom aluminum extrusion is the natural anti-corrosive nature of the metal itself, many manufacturers elect to increase the protection of parts, products, and components through the use of custom aluminum coating solutions. Powder coated aluminum, anodizing, and painting aluminum products can have many increased benefits, providing long-lasting durability, the ability to stand up to extreme operating conditions and overcome common issues experienced with other metals. When you hire Silver City Aluminum to extrude aluminum alloys, either as standard or custom profile shapes, we can also provide a wide range of custom finishing options that will help you to achieve your goals and meet industry requirements.
Powder Coated Aluminum
When you first consider powder coating versus painting aluminum products, you might not think that there is much of a difference. Traditional wet painting techniques are different, but both are used to add color to the surface of the part, product, or component. Both methods also provide an extra layer of protection from extreme weather conditions, moisture, chemicals, and abrasive environments. However, the more that you examine both types of custom aluminum coating solutions, the easier it is to see the difference. Depending on the industry that you serve, you should choose either powder coating or paint based on your needs.
One of the advantages of powder coated is aluminum is that this type of coating solution is considered to be environmentally friendly. The powder itself is not a significant hazard with regard to fire, health, or environmental concerns. The process used for powder coating is also efficient, with technicians having the ability to reclaim any overspray that occurs to reduce waste. Powder coated aluminum offers excellent adhesion for long-lasting strength, flexibility, durability, and hardness – all of which contributes to corrosion resistance. Make sure to discuss your requirements for custom aluminum coating solutions with our technicians to get the finished look, feel, and function that you desire.
Painted Aluminum Surfaces
When you compare painting aluminum products to powder coated aluminum and other custom aluminum coating solutions, it pays to have a common point that can be considered to establish value. Powder coated aluminum products are typically applied at thicknesses that are greater than painted solutions. While many wet paint applications are less than a mil in thickness, at Silver City Aluminum, our wet paint is applied at 2 ml’s for durable, consistent coverage every time. We take special care to ensure that our painted products exceed expectations while meeting all industry requirements.
Our pre-treat process goes above and beyond what you might expect from a one stop shop facility. There are four stages in total, which include an etch, a clean wash, a neutralizing wash, and a standard pre-wash to guarantee the best possible adhesion and long-lasting results. We use a vertical electrostatic polycron line that is capable of handling up to 21-feet in length. After the pre-treat process, our materials are prepped, dried, and ready to be painted. We apply the paint at 2 ml’s wet in thickness, and the passing parts are constantly monitored and checked by our staff to ensure color and quality consistency. Once the paint has been applied, the parts are baked in one of our special ovens for curing.
Quality Control at Silver City Aluminum
Our team does not just extrude aluminum alloys using standard and custom dies; we take pride in the custom aluminum coating solutions that we offer to our customers. Whether you decide on powder coated aluminum, anodizing, or painting aluminum products, your parts, products, and components will be inspected thoroughly by our highly trained technicians before they are taken to the shipping department. We take all of the steps necessary to ensure that your products look, feel, and function the way that you require. Quality control and consistency with every part, product, or component that we fabricate is the way we do business at Silver City Aluminum.
Give us a call at 508-824-8631 to get a FREE estimate on our services or to learn more about our custom aluminum coating solutions. We can provide our customers with standard or custom aluminum extrusion parts, products, and components, as well as all of the secondary operations, fabrication, and finishing required to get the job done right.