Carl Izzo Consultant

CAN’T RECOAT

As you know, stripping and recoating is very costly in terms of time and labor. We are now applying a new baking enamel coating that is very durable. We tried touch-up and recoating by spot repair and total recoating with a durable air-dry paint, but we can’t get the touch-up paint to adhere to the damaged parts. Is recoating products a common problem? What can we do about it?

Read More

SPRAY BOOTH SELECTION

We are in the process of setting up a painting system for our products. Our application is spray painting of large and medium-sized castings. I would be obliged if you could advise me on which type of booth is better for my application.

Read More

HVLP For Automotive Refinishing

If you were to advise a painter who has to work with high-solids, low-VOC coatings and/or water-based paints and primers on how to select an HVLP, what would you suggest he look for? What selection criteria should he use?

Read More

Coating Steel Fasteners

I am a manufacturing engineer responsible for product development for a supplier of fasteners and fastener tools. The big issue right now is finding a coating that can hold up to 1,000 hr of salt spray. We’ve had the greatest amount of success with zinc nickel plating (400 hr in salt spray). At this point, we are interested in any coating technology, including plating technologies, organic technologies, or even a plating/organic hybrid technology.

Read More

Adhesion Failure as Time Goes By

What failure mechanism could likely trigger this? What are the material conditions that might be contributing to this?

Read More

Primer Getting Thick

I am the manager of finishing operations in our plant. My paint line foreman tells me that the two-component primer we are using is getting thicker by the minute. Because the pot life was long enough, we had been mixing up a five-gallon batch of primer every day and applying it using siphon-feed spray guns on our products. What can we do?

Read More

Prep for Painting Over Powder

Is sanding the only method to get paint to adhere to powder coat, or can a good quality primer be used in lieu of sanding (provided there is no slip agent in the powder)? Are there specific types of primer and paint that you would recommend for this type of application?

Read More

Finishing System Durability

While the specific paint chemistry can clearly have dramatic impact on the durability of the finished component, the use of effective surface cleaning and conversion coating practices may actually have an even greater impact. If end users and coatings applicators are looking to improve paint adhesion and corrosion resistance, it is critical to consider the surface preparation of the component.

Read More

cold Zinc Phosphate

I am a finishing engineer in a sheet metal fabricating factory. At a recent staff meeting, our boss asked us to look into reducing every energy-using operation. We have lowered the temperature of our iron phosphate pretreatment system. Can we do the same with the zinc phosphate pretreatment?

Read More

Paint Adhesion to Plated Plastic

am the senior engineering manager in charge of product development execution. The problem comes about after a translucent paint is applied over a chrome-plated polycarbonate/ABS plastic substrate. I’m assuming that the chrome plating must be prepared (cleaned or etched) before paint application, but I need some recommendations to forward to the factory.

Read More

Repainting Warehouse Racks

We recently have been asked to repaint old warehouse racks. Is there a good, easily available chemical to clean them before we paint them with an industrial paint? Do we need to prime them before we paint them?

Read More

Painting and Finishing

I am in the business of reconditioning, repairing and customizing guitars. I am painting some of them and I require some advice on finishing the job. I have read that now I need a clear coat finish to complete the job, especially on metallic-type paints. Here are my current questions and concerns: 1) Can I use a spray style of clear coat? 2) Is sanding required before application of clear coat? 3) How critical is cure time for the clear coat? 4) Do I wet sand clear coat to obtain a high gloss finish, or is this obtained another way with polishing/rubbing compounds?

Read More
Metal Pretreatment Technology
Heatmax Heaters ad with immersion heaters
PF Podcast
Pretreatment Washer and Finishing Equipment
Filtration Systems
The Finishing Industry’s Education and Networking Resource
Gardner Intelligence
OptiCenter All-in-One OC11
OptiCenter All-in-One OC11