Manufacturers have long benefitted from the speed, precision, and non-polluting aspects of using coil coating lines to make prepainted metal panels. Some manufacturers, however, utilize a coil coater’s capability beyond the painting process. Here are three ways manufacturers benefit from using coil lines as an effective first-step operation beyond prepainting.
Continue readingA nationwide study by Berkeley Lab details benefits of lighter-colored, solar-reflective walls
As you likely know, NCCA members and their customers along the prepainted metal value chain have been supporters of “cool roofs” for 20 years. Without question, this technology effectively reduces energy consumption during the hot months of the year. So, what’s next?
“Cool walls”! Wait, what? Cool walls? Cool-roof technology is intuitive; roofs face the sun, but walls are vertical structures. How much solar energy can they possibly be exposed to? Well, you’ve come to the right place to find the answer.[i]
Continue readingIf you are a manufacturer or designer, there are five common myths about coil coating or prepainted metal you might have heard. We’re going to bust those myths one by one and show you why prepainted metals are your best choice. Here are the facts.
Myth 1: Prepainted metal is expensive.
The truth is, utilizing prepainted metal saves you money by eliminating the costs associated with an in-house paint shop. When you post-paint, you have the added expense of labor, materials, scrap, and inventory. Plus, there are numerous costs (and headaches) when you’re dealing with EPA and OSHA compliance. It can cost big bucks to make sure you’re properly handling waste, emissions, and cleanups. In addition, storing paint in your facility can cost you in higher insurance premiums. To determine whether prepaint is for you, download the cost analysis form under Education on the NCCA website.
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Urban legends are, well, false—but still fun, because there is always something believable about them. Is it true that you are never more than six feet away from a spider? Who really knows, and some might say who really cares? But let’s face it—don’t you find yourself wondering, “Hmmm, I wonder if it’s true, and should I be calling an exterminator?” Well, here’s something that is not a legend: You would be surprised to learn how many articles in your home, just feet away from you, are made from prepainted metal.
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Sustainability, upcycling, downcycling, landfills … the list goes on! What is one to think when every material is touted as sustainable? Don’t believe me? Visit any material website; for example, cement/concrete, vinyl plastic, wood building products. What is one to make of all these claims—are they real? How does our industry fit in?
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Announcer: There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly, and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. Continue reading
About 75% of the North American coil coating industry is dedicated to building products. Since the lifetime of these products is measured in decades, as opposed to merely years, the weathering performance of the coatings used for this market is critical. Understanding how coatings perform, therefore, is essential. There are many approaches to studying weathering performance, and one of the more interesting techniques to accelerate the weathering process involves the devices described in these two ASTM standards:
It goes by many names: prepainted metal, coil coated metal, prefinished metal. Each of these descriptions refers to the product of a coil coating line, sometimes called a continuous coil line (CCL). Prepainted metal is commonly used as a coated product in construction applications (metal walls and roofs are two examples), as well as appliances, HVAC units (air conditioners, furnaces, etc.), rainware products (gutters, downspouts, flashing, etc.), and many others. Prepainted metal is the product; a CCL is the application process used to produce prepainted metal.
Part One (of Three)
When you look at a piece of prepainted metal, what do you see? Certainly a colorful article that may or may not have some shape to it. Often the metal is fabricated with “ribs” to add structural strength to the panel, or it may be flat, as is the case with a metal composite material (MCM) panel. The surface of the prepainted article might be a smooth, homogeneous surface, or it may have a wood-grained pattern, or it might have a subtle pebbly texture. The color of prepainted metal ranges from whites, grays, and blacks to neutral earth tones to saturated, brilliant colors. Some of the colors have metallic or color-shifting effects. But this layer of color is only what you actually see. What you don’t see is all that is under the surface. Continue reading
By Kelvin Russell, Precoat Metals
Chances are, if you’re reading this blog regularly, you already know that prepainted metal is the substrate of choice for metal buildings, HVAC products, appliance products, and more. The list of applications for prepainted metal is endless, as are the reasons why prepainted metal is the substrate of choice for so many products. To be honest, this long list of reasons is not the subject of today’s post, save one: aesthetics. So many beautiful colors! Color and texture can make blockbusters out of the ordinary products we take for granted. In addition to the performance benefits of prepainted metal, its almost limitless beauty is quickly rising to the top of the list of reasons why consumers choose it for any number of applications. But then tradition steps in and says, “You can’t use metal here, it has to be wood!” Well, phooey. Now what? Continue reading
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