Industrial Painting and Liquid Coatings for Production Parts

Powder coating is our core process, and for most production metal parts it is the right answer. Some parts can’t go through a 400°F oven, some drawings call out a liquid system by name, and some colors or effect finishes are easier to hit in wet paint. For those jobs we spray liquid primers and topcoats in our Colorado Springs shop, using the same prep, the same batch planning and one quote that covers the whole job.

When liquid paint beats powder

For most metal parts, powder is the better choice. A trade comparison in Products Finishing sums it up: “if you can go with powder, you probably should go with powder.” Our production powder coating process is built for metal parts that can be electrically grounded and withstand the cure temperature. Liquid is the better call when one of these applies:

• Heat-sensitive assemblies. Belts, lubricants, plastics, rubber seals and electronics generally can’t take a conventional powder cure, and even low-cure powders typically need roughly 250–325°F at the part, which is still too hot for many seals, plastics and electronics. Cardinal suggests a liquid polyurethane for projects that need the durability of powder but can’t withstand a high baking temperature.
• Parts that can’t be grounded or cured. If the part or assembly can’t hold an electrical ground, or can’t go into an oven at all, liquid spray is the practical option.
• The spec names a liquid system. When the drawing calls out a specific primer and topcoat by product or specification, we paint to that callout. Military and aerospace liquid systems are covered on our mil-spec painting page.
• A very specific color or gloss. Liquid coatings can be made to a custom color, a gloss level or an effect finish that a stock powder may not offer. Wet paint can also carry more metallic and pearlescent pigment than powder.
• Touch-up and repair. Powder needs an oven, so touch-up on finished or installed parts is done with liquid. That includes matching a liquid finish to powder-coated parts on the same assembly.
• Short runs with frequent color changes. Liquid changes color quickly, which helps when a release covers several colors in small quantities.

For a full side-by-side, read our guide on powder coating vs. liquid paint.

Primers and topcoats we apply

Most industrial liquid work comes down to a primer for adhesion and corrosion resistance, and a topcoat for color, gloss and weathering. We apply the products your spec calls for, mixed, applied and recoated per the manufacturer’s data sheet.

Two-component epoxies and urethanes have a limited working time once they are mixed, and the topcoat has to go on within the recoat window the data sheet sets for the primer. We plan each batch around those limits.

How a liquid job runs

1. Spec review. We read your drawing or PO, confirm the coating system, color, gloss and any film-thickness requirement, and quote to that spec.
2. Prep in-house. Solvent wipe and degrease, multi-stage wash, masking, plugging and sanding are all done in our shop. If the spec requires an abrasive blast, we arrange it through our blasting partner as part of the coating job. Details are on our prep and masking page.
3. Prime and topcoat. Each coat is applied to the product data sheet, with flash and dry times respected between coats.
4. Inspection and paperwork. On higher-volume programs we follow your QC procedure. Certificates of Conformance are available on request.
5. Follow-on work. If the parts need legends or markings, we send them to our screen-printing partner and deliver the finished parts back to you, all on one PO.

Standard jobs typically run about one week. We confirm lead time on every quote.

Built for production batches

We set up for manufacturers, OEMs and fabricators running batches of hundreds to thousands of parts, including repeat part numbers that come back every release. Some programs need both processes: for example, brackets and frames in powder and a sealed assembly in liquid. We can handle both under one quote and work to match the color between them. Small jobs are welcome, with a modest minimum charge.

Pickup and delivery for Denver and Pueblo customers can be arranged.

What to send for a quote

The more complete the callout, the faster and tighter the quote. Our coating callout checklist covers it in detail. At minimum, send:

• The drawing, with the coating callout (product or specification, type or class if any)
• Color, as a color number, AMS-STD-595 number or physical standard, plus the gloss level
• Dry film thickness requirement, if specified
• Substrate and what is already installed on the part
• Masking areas and any surfaces that must stay bare
• Quantity per release and expected annual volume
• Inspection and documentation requirements (your QC procedure, Certificate of Conformance, etc.)

Upload your drawings on the request a quote form and we will come back with a price built to your spec.