Industrial painting services

Industrial Painting – How To Paint On Galvanised and Non-Ferrous Metal Surfaces?

Industrial painting is a tricky process. Since it is all about applying protective and decorative coatings to large scale structures, equipment and machinery. Unlike residential or commercial painting, industrial painting mainly focuses on durability, resistance to corrosion, and performance of the paints in harsh environments.

It involves advanced techniques of painting, surface preparation, and uses high-performing paint coatings that may include epoxies, zinc-rich primers, polyurethanes and the likes. Top quality industrial painting not only enhances the appearance of industrial assets, but it also plays a pivotal role in extending their longevity. Besides, these paints also improve safety, and ensure compliance with the industry regulations and environmental standards. 

Against this backdrop, the industrial painters in Perth use certain techniques to paint on galvanised and non-ferrous materials, which are the parts and parcel of the modern industrial units. On this page, let us discuss the techniques that the expert painters would use to paint these surfaces.

Painting Techniques for Galvanised Surfaces and Non-Ferrous Metals

The first step of painting the galvanised surfaces include degreasing, sweep blasting, sweep blasting, T-washing or mordant solution. For the non-ferrous metals, the right process followed by an industrial painter in Perth includes mechanical abrasion, chemical etching, and solvent cleaning.

Priming: 

This is essentially the first step that the painters take. The primers that these industrial painting contractors generally take include:

  • Etch primers that can either be vinyl or chromate-based primers, which are ideal for aluminium and galvanised steel.
  • Epoxy primers, which have excellent adhesion and corrosion resistance, which are suitable for all the types of non-ferrous substrates. 
  • Zinc-Rich Primers, which are common primers that are used on galvanised surfaces in highly corrosive environments. 

Application Techniques 

 The techniques these professional painters use for painting these industrial surfaces include: 

  • Airless Spray, which is the preferred method for large industrial areas, thereby ensuring uniform thickness of paint coating
  • Electrostatic Spray, which is effective on conductive metals like aluminium, increasing efficiency, and minimising the probability of overspraying.
  • Brush or roller painting, which is used for touch-ups and small surfaces or confined area painting, where top notch precision is a MUST! 

Top Coating Options 

The most essential paint coatings that the industrial painting companies come up with include: 

Polyurethane Coatings, which are UV resistant and flexible. These coatings are ideal for outdoor and marine environments. 

Acrylic Urethanes, which are fast-dying and colour-retentive coating, which is mainly used for architectural aluminium or signage. 

High-Performing Epoxies, which are used to paint tanks, pipes, and structural components, which are exposed to various chemicals and abrasions.

 paint coating

Curing and Inspection

Curing: They adhere to the humidity and temperature specifications specified for the product. Certain epoxy systems need to be post-cured at high temperatures.

Inspection: They look for pinholes or flaking visually, use DFT (dry film thickness) gauges, and conduct adhesion tests (cross hatch or pull-off).

The Mistakes Professionals Never Mailed?

  • Painting over galvanised steel that hasn’t been weathered without first properly priming or etching it.
  • Applying alkyd-based paints to zinc or aluminium without the proper primers.
  • Delamination results from the application of thick coatings without a surface profile.
  • Disregarding ambient conditions (humidity, dew point) before applying.

Conclusion

Industrial painting in Perth on galvanised and non-ferrous metals demands specialised surface preparation, appropriate primers, and controlled application techniques. When done correctly, it extends the life of critical assets and infrastructure, ensuring long-term performance in even the harshest environments. So if you want your industrial unit to be painted, hire Pete The Painter. We are amongst the best in industrial painting. Call us at 0415922743 to book our service or fill up the contact form and submit it. We will reply immediately. For more information, refer to the services tab of our website.