The Coil Coating Process

 

Coil is fed through the line off a recoiler, travels through an accumulator tower into the wet section.

 

In the wet section, the top and bottom of the sheet is washed in a low concentrated alkaline cleaner bath. From there into a higher concentrated cleaner section, (levels of concentration recommended by cleaner manufacturer), then into a hot water rinse. Each tank exit has a squeegee roll set up so as to avoid transferring to the next tank.

 

The pretreatment comes next which is dried by a bank of infrared ovens. From there the primer, if required by the paint system chosen by the customer, is then applied to both top and bottom surfaces. The primer is cured in a closely monitored dry heat convection oven to achieve the paint manufacturer's recommended peak metal temperature.

 

The strip is then quenched in a cold water tank and dried through a series of squeegee rolls and air knives.

 

Next, is the finish coating coater. As in the prime coater, both the topside and bottomside coatings chosen are applied.

 

After the metal is coated it passes into the finish hot air convection oven. The heat settings are monitored and set to achieve the paint company's recommended peak metal temperature.

 

The strip is, as before, quenched with cold water and squeegeed dry before recoiling.

 

Samples are taken from each coil and tested in our Quality Assurance Laboratory by various methods recommended by the paint manufacturer. We take this testing further by adding a few tests not necessarily required by the paint manufacturer's technical data information. Documentation of these results are kept on file for future reference.

 

The coil, if the properties pass all tests, is then ready for packaging.