Whether it’s in automotive or aerospace, painting metal surfaces comes with a whole host of benefits. It can reduce corrosion, improve weather and thermal resistance, make maintenance easier, and extend the service life of machinery. Along with this, painting improves the aesthetic quality and the resale value of technology. The benefits of painting metal surfaces are dependent on whether best practices for painting metal surfaces have been followed.
Degrease Before Painting Metal Surfaces
As with any surface, paint doesn’t adhere to dirty metal surfaces as well as it does clean metal surfaces. Before painting, facilities should thoroughly clean metal of all grease, oil, wax, tars, or carbon deposits . Degreasing may be done using several methods, depending on the surface being cleaned. For instance, cold cleaners are typically considered simplest, but for small parts, it may be better to use sealed or conveyorized cleaning equipment.
Prepare Surfaces
Even after degreasing, surfaces still must be cleared of other, more solid materials, such as old paint and rust. This type of surface preparation usually requires a separate surface preparation process. It depends on the surface as well as the extent of preparation that’s needed. More traditional methods involve using mechanical buffing or an industrial-grade solvent, but shot-blasting is utilized frequently in surface preparation.
Along with clearing metal surfaces, this stage may also be used to strengthen them. Putting your metal surfaces through cold working processes, such as peening, will help your metal surfaces resist fatigue and corrosion. Doing this before painting will also increase the longevity of the paint job.
Apply Primer
Primer is always essential when applying paint; metal surfaces are no exception. This is especially true if the metal surface is part of machinery that facilities will use outdoors. Applying primer will help the surface better resist rust and moisture that may come from the elements. Some metals, such as aluminum, tend to resist paint. Applying galvanized primer is the best practice for painting these metal surfaces.