Powder coating
Production and Industrial Powder Coating for Manufacturers
Batch and OEM powder coating for manufacturers and fabricators. We prep, coat and cure your parts with Cardinal powders, to the spec on your drawing, in runs of hundreds to thousands.
Built for batch and production runs
All Coat Finishing is a family-owned shop that has been finishing metal in Colorado Springs for about 20 years. The shop is built for production: runs of a few hundred to a few thousand of the same part, including repeat part numbers on blanket POs. We run a batch line with rolling racks, powder booths and a large batch oven, and we coat with powders from Cardinal Paint & Powder, which has a Denver branch. Lead time on a standard job is about one week, and small jobs are welcome.
What we coat
Our process is built for metal parts that can be electrically grounded and withstand the cure temperature. The line is set up for parts like:
- Brackets, clips, tabs and small stampings
- Electrical enclosures, panels, covers and chassis
- Cabinets, carts and equipment housings
- Frames, bases and welded subassemblies
- Railings, guards and handrails
- Laser-cut and formed sheet metal
Steel, aluminum and galvanized steel are the everyday substrates, and Cardinal designs its standard powders for electrostatic spray on those three. Castings and hot-dip galvanized parts usually need an outgas pre-bake, which we do in-house, and sometimes an anti-gassing primer. If your parts fall under an architectural spec such as AAMA 2604 or 2605, call it out on the RFQ.
Capacity: 500 to 2,000+ parts a day
Daily output depends on how many parts fit on a rack and how much hand work each one needs. On our line that works out to 500 to 2,000+ parts a day.
| Part profile | Where it lands in the range |
|---|---|
| Small brackets, no masking | High end |
| Mid-size sheet metal, light masking | Middle |
| Large cabinets, frames and weldments | Lower, because fewer fit per oven load |
| Parts with many masked threads, bores or faces | Lower, because masking is hand labor |
| Heavy castings or thick plate | Lower, because heavy parts take longer to reach cure temperature |
Put annual quantity and release size on the RFQ. They let us plan racking and batch colors, which keeps the piece price down.
How a production job runs
For the chemistry and physics behind each step, see our guide to what powder coating is and how it works.
1. Review against the drawing
We check incoming parts against your drawing or PO: color, gloss, masking callouts, film thickness if specified, and any QC steps your program requires.
2. Prep
Every part is cleaned before it is coated. Depending on the part and the spec, that means solvent wipe or degrease, a multi-stage wash, masking and plugging, sanding, and an outgas pre-bake. When the spec calls for abrasive blasting, we coordinate it through our blast partner as part of the coating job. See how we prep and mask parts for the detail.
3. Electrostatic application
Parts are racked and grounded, and an electrostatic gun charges the powder so the grounded part attracts and holds it until cure. Deep inside corners and narrow channels resist coverage (the Faraday cage effect), so enclosures and boxed weldments get extra operator attention. Our guide to designing parts for powder coating covers geometry that coats well.
4. Cure
Racks roll into the oven. What counts is time at metal temperature, not the oven air setting: typically around 400°F at the part, depending on the powder. Cardinal’s standard powders cure about 10 minutes at 400°F, and its superdurable lines can cure lower, around 350°F. Heavy parts take longer to come up to temperature, so mass matters as much as size.
5. Inspect, pack and deliver
On production programs we inspect to your QC procedure before parts are packed. If the parts need legends or part markings, we send them to our partner for screen printing after coating and manage the round trip on the same PO. Pickup and delivery to Denver and Pueblo are available by arrangement.
Choosing a Cardinal powder chemistry
Pick the chemistry for where the part will live, then the color. Cardinal’s product codes start with a letter for the resin; our Cardinal powder coating guide explains how to read the full code.
| Chemistry (Cardinal prefix) | Good fit | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Polyester TGIC (T) | General industrial and outdoor parts; durable, overbake-tolerant, good edge coverage | TGIC is restricted in the EU, so ask before exporting |
| Superdurable polyester | Equipment, railings and parts with years of sun exposure | Narrower color range |
| Polyurethane polyester (P) | Smooth finishes with good chemical resistance; anti-graffiti and marker-board use | Releases a small amount of blocking agent during cure, so not strictly zero-VOC |
| Epoxy (E) | Interior parts and primers; strong adhesion and chemical resistance | Chalks in sunlight, so not an exterior topcoat |
| Epoxy-polyester hybrid (H) | Interior enclosures, cabinets and shelving | Interior use only |
Cardinal says its superdurable powders can outperform their standard counterparts by up to five times in exterior durability. Cardinal also makes powder primers, including a zinc-rich epoxy and an anti-gassing primer for castings and galvanized steel. If your spec calls for primer plus topcoat, put it on the RFQ. Two coats means two passes, and we quote it that way.
Data sheet numbers come from lab panels. Cardinal’s C909 superdurable data sheet (2013 revision), for example, reports 1,000 hours of ASTM B117 salt spray on iron-phosphated steel test panels. Use those figures to compare powders, not to predict the life of your part.
Gloss, texture and color
Cardinal’s range runs from flat to high gloss, plus fine textures, hammertones, metallics and pearlescents. A stock color avoids a custom batch. Cardinal can also match RAL, Federal Standard or a customer sample in a custom batch, which adds cost and time on a short run. Military and government colors are often called out by AMS-STD-595 number (formerly Federal Standard 595). For exterior metallics, Cardinal recommends a clear topcoat. Browse the Cardinal powder colors we coat with, and approve color from a physical sample, not a screen.
Powder is not always the right call. Assemblies that cannot take the cure heat, very thin-film fits, and specs that name a liquid system go to our industrial liquid painting side instead.
What to send for a quote
- Drawing or photo with dimensions, material and approximate weight
- Quantity per release and estimated annual volume
- Color (Cardinal code, RAL or AMS-STD-595 number), gloss and texture
- Masking callouts: threads, bores, grounding points, mating faces
- Coating spec and film thickness, if any
- QC and paperwork requirements, such as a Certificate of Conformance
- Due date
We quote to the specification on your drawing or PO, so the real spec gets you an accurate price and lead time.
Common questions
What is your lead time on a powder coating job?
About one week for a standard job in a stock color. Custom-matched powder, primer plus topcoat systems, or blasting through our partner can add time, and we will tell you when we quote.
Do you take small jobs?
Yes. A small minimum charge applies. The shop is built for production runs, so the price per part drops as quantity and rack density go up.
What temperature do you cure at, and will my parts survive it?
Plan on the part itself reaching about 400°F, though the exact schedule depends on the powder. Plastic, rubber seals, lubricants and electronics usually can't take that, so tell us up front and we will plan to remove or mask them, or recommend liquid paint instead.
Can you match a specific color?
Yes. Cardinal stock colors are the quickest option. Cardinal can also make a custom batch matched to RAL, AMS-STD-595 or a physical sample, with a 50 lb minimum, which matters on short runs.
What is the largest part you can powder coat?
Our large batch oven takes parts up to roughly the size of a large cabinet or a long frame. Send us the dimensions and weight and we will confirm fit before we quote.
Do you provide certificates or inspection records?
Certificates of Conformance are available on request. We do not offer certified lab testing.