Factors to be Considered in Selection of a Coating System for Prepainted Products

Selection of a coating system for prepainted metal, whether “preprinted” or “prefinished” requires consideration of the conditions under which it will be used. Factors to be considered are: type of substrate to be painted, joining method, forming requirements, service environment, and need for repaintability.

Because of the great variety of coating systems available, it is possible to tailor prepainted systems to meet the same requirements as do many postpainted parts. However, it is necessary to insure that the coaters and their coating vendors understand accurately what the systems are required to do.

This paper will outline the physical and chemical characteristics of some of the coating systems available from the coil coating industry today, and describe their performance with respect to the factors mentioned above.