Dealing with downtime and having to redo work can kill profitability in industrial manufacturing. Not only does it drain profits, but it also stresses out your team and can diminish customer trust. Delayed deliveries due to defects can cause customer churn and destroy your reputation.
One of the most costly causes for industrial downtime is adhesive failure when bonding substrates. Every hour a line is down, and every defective product that needs to be remade, hits your bottom line hard. But there’s a smart way to minimize some of your losses, and it begins with coil coating.
Coil-applied coatings are a proactive solution that can help you avoid adhesion and cohesion failure. With automated coil coating, you get a more consistent application and better bond compared to manual methods.
Here’s a look at why this method is superior – plus, the benefits of incorporating it into your manufacturing process. But first, let’s dive into what coil coating actually is and why it’s important.
What is coil coating?
Coil coating is a method that provides a continuous, controlled application of paint, adhesives, and proactive finishes to metal before the metal is formed into products. Unlike spraying or brushing that takes place after the product has been formed, coil coating is cleaner and more precise. The application is done continuously, so the thickness of the coverage remains consistent. Before being coated, the metals are cleaned and undergo a pretreatment process to ensure optimal adhesion.
How coil coating reduces defects and saves you money
Defects waste materials, destroy timelines, and inflate the cost of production. Coil coating eliminates many of the defects that cause these issues.
- Eliminates bubbling and peeling. When coatings are applied under tightly controlled environmental conditions, as with coil coating, problems like bubbling, peeling, and flaking are eliminated.
- Avoids adhesion failures. Proper surface treatment and coating processes are the key to avoiding bond failures, and are part of the coil coating process.
- Requires fewer touch-ups and repairs. When you have a consistent coating, there are fewer mistakes that require expensive, time-consuming repairs before final assembly or shipping.
You can’t afford to waste materials and products, so it’s worth considering coil coating to avoid costly defects.
Less wasted material boosts your margins
Material waste is bad for the environment, but it also kills your profit margins. Because the process is precise, pre-coated metal uses less paint and adhesive in the exact amount needed for the job. With fewer defective units, you won’t have to trash expensive materials. You’ll also have less waste to manage, which is ideal if you work with hazardous materials and require special disposal services.
Consistency produces satisfied customers
Inconsistent coatings create ugly products, and customers notice. When you start using coil-coated metals, your products will consistently have a smooth, flawless finish that looks professional. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, coil coating ensures your end products perform well, which results in fewer warranty claims, returns, and refunds.
Coil coating improves line speed
The faster you can produce your end products without sacrificing quality, the better margins you’ll see. Since coil-coated products come to you already coated, you can focus all your resources on forming and assembly without having to wait for paint to dry or worrying about surface defects. Since defects will be rare, your production line can go full speed without being interrupted by constant starts and stops.
Smart systems future-proof operations
Thinking ahead long-term will make you more resilient as a company. When you automate the coating at the supplier level, you remove the human variability from your operations. This means you won’t need to hire as many employees, and skilled labor shortages won’t significantly impact your ability to maintain high-quality products.
Coil coating cuts operational costs
When you aren’t responsible for applying coatings, you won’t need on-site curing ovens to cure your materials. You’ll spend less money on electricity, maintenance, and repairs. Curing ovens use a lot of energy, and they also put a strain on HVAC systems. The ovens require extensive cleaning, servicing, and filter replacements, and since regulations are constantly tightening, you might end up footing the bill for environmental waste disposal services.
Coil coating is the solution you’ve been looking for
Manufacturers today are facing rising costs, stricter regulations, and high customer expectations. Post-applied coatings and adhesives don’t meet these production demands. Coil coating is a smarter, faster, cleaner, and more profitable solution. If you’re serious about reducing downtime, cutting rework, and staying competitive, switching to coil-coated materials is a profitable move.
