Manufacturers & OEMs
Powder Coating for Manufacturers and OEMs
Set up a part number once, then release against it. We run repeat batches to the same callout each time: same powder, same prep, same masking.
If you buy finishing for brackets, enclosures, panels, frames or weldments that come back under the same part number, that work rewards a shop that writes things down. The first run is where the decisions get made. Every run after it should look like the first one.
For the coating process itself, see production powder coating.
What we settle for each part number
We set these items for a part number on the first run, then run repeat releases to the same callout:
| Item | What gets decided |
|---|---|
| Coating | Powder product and color code, gloss, texture, primer/topcoat systems where called for |
| Prep | Cleaning steps, outgassing pre-bake for castings or galvanized, any blasting |
| Masking | Which threads, bores, faces and ground points stay bare, and how they are masked |
| Racking | How the part hangs, where the contact points are, how many fit per rack |
| Inspection | The checks and records your QC procedure calls for |
| Packaging | How you need parts packed and labeled; we confirm at quote time what we can do |
| Price | A piece price per part number, not a per-job estimate |
If your drawing or PO already carries a full coating callout, most of this is answered before we start. If it doesn’t, our coating callout checklist lists what to put on it.
Color that matches lot to lot
We coat with Cardinal powders. Each part number runs in one Cardinal product, identified by its product code, so release twelve is sprayed with the same material as release one. Cardinal has a Denver branch, which keeps resupply close for the colors we run often.
A few things help hold color across a long program:
- Call out the product, not just the color name. “Black” can mean many gloss levels and chemistries. A Cardinal product code, or a RAL or AMS-STD-595 number with a gloss range, removes the guesswork.
- Use a physical standard. On-screen colors are representative only. If you have a master panel or an approved part, send it with the first order.
- Plan custom colors early. Cardinal Xpress custom TGIC polyester colors are made in 50 lb batches, and other RAL or 595 matches run 50 to 200 lb. On a repeat program, depending on part size, one batch can cover several releases. See Cardinal powder colors for stock options.
Racking, line density and your piece price
We run a batch line: rolling racks, powder booths and a large batch oven, with no conveyor. Depending on part size and masking, that is 500 to 2,000+ parts a day. Small unmasked brackets are at the high end. Large cabinets and masking-heavy parts are lower.
Products Finishing’s costing method calculates each cost per hour and divides it by throughput, the number of good parts coated in that time. In our view, that makes how many parts fit on a rack and through the oven matter more to piece price than almost anything else, so we work out racking on the first run.
You can help on the design side:
- Give the part a hang hole or tab in a spot where a contact mark won’t matter.
- Keep recesses and tight inside corners open enough for powder to reach.
- Tell us which faces are cosmetic so we hang the part with those faces out.
Our guide to designing parts for powder coating covers hang points, Faraday cage areas and film build on fits.
Blanket POs, releases and lead time
Standard lead time is about one week. For a program, tell us:
- Annual or program quantity per part number
- Your expected release size and frequency
- Any planned ramp-up or seasonal peaks
- Drawings or photos, part dimensions and weight
With that up front, we can quote a firm piece price instead of padding for unknowns, and batch your parts with others in the same color to keep changeovers down. Releases at the quoted part revision and quantity range come through without re-quoting.
If a large release or a custom color will stretch the lead time, we aim to flag it when you place the release.
Masking that stays consistent
Masking is an easy place for drift to creep into repeat work. One release has the threads masked, the next has the ground pad coated because someone remembered it differently.
The fix is to put masking on the drawing or PO, not in a phone call: which features are masked, plugged or capped. We set the masking on the first run and run repeat releases to that callout. If the masking changes, a drawing revision or written note tells us. Details on methods are on our prep and masking page.
Quality and paperwork
On higher-volume programs we follow your QC procedure. Send it with the RFQ so the inspection points, sampling and records it requires are planned and priced from the start. Certificates of Conformance are available on request.
We don’t do certified lab testing. If a program needs third-party test reports, let us know early.
Packaging, pickup and delivery
Tell us how you need parts packed and labeled, and we will confirm at quote time what we can do.
Colorado Springs customers can drop off and pick up at our shop on High Country Road. For manufacturers in the Denver and Pueblo areas, pickup and delivery are available by arrangement rather than on fixed routes.
More than one finish on the same part
Some part numbers need more than powder. We also do industrial liquid painting, and we manage screen printing through a partner: we coat the parts, send them out for printing, get them back and deliver. You get one quote and one PO for the finished part.
Is your program a fit?
We are a good fit when:
- Parts are metal, can be electrically grounded and can take the cure temperature, typically around 400°F at the part
- Parts fit a batch oven, up to roughly the size of a large cabinet or long frame (send dimensions and we will confirm)
- Quantities run from hundreds to thousands per release
- The same part numbers come back on a regular schedule
To start, request a quote with your drawings, quantities and release schedule.
Common questions
What is your lead time on repeat releases?
About one week for standard jobs in a color we already run. Custom colors, outgassing pre-bakes, primer/topcoat systems and subcontracted blasting add time, and we will tell you at quote time if a part number carries any of those.
Can we issue a blanket PO and release against it?
Yes. Send the annual or program quantity and how you expect to release it, and we quote a piece price per part number. You then send releases against the blanket as you need parts.
How do you keep color consistent from one lot to the next?
We coat with Cardinal powders and run each part number in the same powder product every time. If you have a master color standard, send it with the first order so we can compare against it, and if your QC procedure calls for a color check, we follow it.
Do you provide certificates of conformance?
Yes, on request. On higher-volume programs we follow your QC procedure. We do not do certified lab testing, so if your program needs third-party lab reports, tell us up front.
Is there a minimum order?
There is a small minimum charge. Our process and pricing are built for batches of hundreds to thousands of parts, which is where you get the best piece price.