The Pros and Cons of Using Wet Paint Finishes on Aluminium Products

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Process & Manufacturing: How to Be Successful

Hello, welcome to my blog. My name is Nigel. I live in Perth with my two children and a pet dog. At weekends when I am not at work, I like to paint and play the piano. Five days a week, I run a processing and manufacturing plant on the outskirts of town. For many years, while the plant was doing all right, it wasn't the massive success I once dreamed it could be. At a trade conference, I got talking to a consultant who visited my plant and recommended that I make some changes. Since then, my business has really taken off. I decided to start this blog to offer guidance to others.

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The Pros and Cons of Using Wet Paint Finishes on Aluminium Products

24 January 2017
 Categories: , Blog


People who would like aluminium products to be fabricated for them may not be sure about which surface finish they should select for those products. This article discusses some of the benefits and the drawbacks of using a wet paint finish on aluminium products. Use this information to decide whether this surface finish is the right one for your products.

The Pros

You have a bigger variety of colours to choose from. Wet paint finishes (paint is sprayed onto the surface of the products) allow you to select any colour that you would like the products to have. The variety is wide because paint makers can create any blend of colours that a client desires. This is unlike other surface finishes, such as powder coating or anodising, where one may be restricted to a few available colour options.

They create smoother surfaces. Wet paint finishes leave the product with a smooth surface. Such smooth surfaces are suitable for locations where dirt is prevalent, such as outdoors. The smooth surface doesn't allow a lot of dirt or grime to adhere onto the painted surface. This is unlike other finishes, such as powder coating, that allow dirt to adhere to the rough surface created.

Your products will look more attractive. Wet paint finishes allow the fabricator to apply as many coats of paint as are needed in order to attain the aesthetic goals of a client. Consequently, the paint will look brighter because more than one coat will have been applied onto a surface that was carefully prepared for maximum paint adhesion.

The Cons

Surface preparation is costly. It is usually necessary to pre-treat the aluminium in order to remove any aluminium oxide layer that was forming on the surface of your products. That smut can prevent the paint from adhering fully onto the metal underneath. Flaking will consequently occur if the oxide layer wasn't first removed. The removal process may increase the total cost of fabricating your products.

Wet paint finishes easily fail in sub-grade applications. Paint can easily be scratched off in case the aluminium product is buried in the ground. This can leave the metal exposed to agents of corrosion in case corrosive elements, such as saltwater, are present at the site.

Think carefully about the benefits and the shortcomings of wet paint finishes discussed above. You may also talk to an aluminium fabrication expert for information about the other possible surface finishes. The information that you gather will enable you to make an informed decision about the most appropriate finish for your products.