FAQs
Powder Coating
1Where will the coating be used?
The environment that your project is going to serve in will have an impact on how the coating will perform. A bad coating in a controlled environment can last almost indefinitely if it is never touched or exposed to temperature changes. But that same coating placed outdoors may not last a year when put to the test.
2How long will it last?
If the only purpose of the project is to have something look good for 3 months, the coating system will rely more on aesthetics than function. Conversely, if the coating is to act as a functional barrier to corrosion but never see the light of day, then surface preparation and coating selection will be the main consideration.
3What about moisture, salt water, fog, pollution etc?
The proximity of your project to any of these or other factors can have an impact on the long term performance of the coating system. Depending on the specification you have for your project (or if you are in the middle of developing the specification), our partnership with leading coating manufacturers can help you make the right choice in coating system.
4If the coating fails, what is the cost of remediation?
What is the cost of repair or replacement if the project fails due to coating failure and/or corrosion? Often times the end user hears powder coating and assumes that it will last forever. When coatings fail prematurely due to application error and/or incorrect coating choice – the cost of repair far outweighs the initial cost of doing it right the first time.
5What is the cost to maintain the coating?
If you bought a vehicle and never washed it, you would not be surprised if the clear coat began to peel and rust began to show through the wheel wells. Powder coating is no different. The benefit, however, is that in most cases the initial repair cost after an installation is markedly lower due to the durability of powder over most liquid coating systems.
Sandblasting
1Is the part previously coated?
The age and type of coating can have a significant impact on how easily it can be removed. There are certain coatings that we are not equipped to remove (eg. Lead based paints). It may be more cost efficient to have the coating stripped at a blast-only shop, and then we can give a quick sandblast to the part to clean up any oxides that have formed prior to coating.
2Is it free of oil, grease, or other contaminants?
Blasting is not an effective method to remove grease, oil, or other lubricants. Even the presence of caulking or gasketing can create problems. The risk of blasting this is that it will contaminate the blast media, and spread contamination all over the work product; this in turn leads to premature coating failure and an expensive media reclaim bill. At Aegis, we are equipped to degrease some parts, but prefer that product is sent to us free of these contaminants.
3Where will the part be used?
Where and how your part is going to be used dictates how clean the substrate needs to be prior to coating. Aegis follows the cleanliness standards as defined by NACE and SSPC. If you do not have a specification that you are following for your project, we are able to provide you with guiding questions to determine how clean your product should be.
4How accessible are the surfaces?
The accessibility of the surface to be blasted will have an impact on how we are able to prepare it for coating. We do have equipment that allows us to blast the inside of pipes and other recessed / internal areas. Depending on the complexity of the job and the degree of cleanliness required it is good to discuss other options in the fabrication and design that could reduce the complexity of the job.
5Can I arrange for blasting elsewhere and have you coat it?
Maybe. If you are simply looking to cut down on costs this may not be your best option. Our policy is to blast all products before coating. The value that we provide is tied to the quality of the product you end up with. We can not control the quality if a portion of the process occurs outside of our facility. It is standard practice at Aegis to at least brush blast goods that arrive previously blasted.
6Is there an industry standard that you are trying to achieve?
There are some industry standards, such as AWWA-C213 that have specific requirements when it comes to the type of media and blast cleanliness that is required. Please let us know if you have a specific standard that must be met.